Johannesburg Sun Hotel

Johannesburg Sun Hotel was a large hotel complex in Johannesburg's Central Business District, South Africa. Its history reflects both the expansion of luxury tourism and the later decline of the city's inner-city hotel market. The property began in 1970 as The Tollman Towers, a 22-storey hotel owned by hotelier Stanley Tollman. In the early 1980s, Sol Kerzner's Southern Sun Hotels acquired the property and undertook a major redevelopment. The earlier tower was retained and a new 40-storey main tower was added, with the two buildings connected by a four-storey podium containing shared hotel and leisure facilities. The reconstructed complex reopened in 1985 as the Johannesburg Sun and Towers, with 672 rooms. The redeveloped hotel was positioned as a substantial full-service urban property, combining accommodation with facilities associated with a major city hotel. Its physical complex included a pool deck and a running track, in addition to the rooms and public areas needed to serve business, leisure, and event guests. The two-tower design and prominent CBD location made it one of Johannesburg's conspicuous hotel buildings during its operating period. The hotel's fortunes deteriorated as the surrounding Central Business District experienced urban decline and demand for hotels in the area weakened. It was subsequently converted into a Holiday Inn Garden Court operation, and only 270 rooms remained in use. This repositioning did not reverse the property's decline. The hotel ultimately closed in September 1998, ending its regular operations under the Johannesburg Sun and later budget-oriented hotel format. The building briefly returned to service in 2002 in connection with the World Summit on Sustainable Development, commonly known as the Earth Summit 2002. At that time it operated under the name KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel, a phrase described as meaning “Gathering Place in the City of Gold.” The property was owned by Mark Whitehead of Whitehead Enterprises during this reopening. It accommodated approximately 2,000 police officers connected with the summit, but the stay was reportedly affected by a murder at the hotel and serious problems with the building's physical systems. The operation soon failed again. After the short-lived 2002 reopening, the complex remained unused. The available reference material records that it was still empty as of November 2024. No current operating company, website, reopening plan, or active hospitality business has been identified in the supplied sources. Accordingly, Johannesburg Sun Hotel is best treated as a defunct hotel property and historical hospitality name rather than an active hotel-chain brand.

The property that became Johannesburg Sun Hotel originated in 1970 as The Tollman Towers, a 22-storey hotel in Johannesburg's Central Business District. It was owned by Stanley Tollman, a prominent hotelier. The original building formed the basis for a much larger hotel project when it was acquired by Sol Kerzner's Southern Sun Hotels in the early 1980s. Southern Sun undertook a comprehensive reconstruction rather than merely changing the hotel's management or branding. A new 40-storey main tower was added beside the earlier 22-storey structure. The two towers were joined by a four-storey podium that incorporated shared facilities, including a pool deck and running track. The completed complex reopened in 1985 under the name Johannesburg Sun and Towers. It contained 672 rooms and became a substantial full-service hotel property in the Johannesburg CBD. The property's later history followed the changing conditions of the district around it. As the neighbourhood deteriorated and demand for hotels in the inner city declined, the luxury-oriented operation was converted into a Holiday Inn Garden Court. The number of rooms in active use fell to 270. The reduced operation could not overcome the broader fall in demand, and the hotel closed entirely in September 1998. The complex had a brief second life during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. It reopened under the name KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel, described as a name meaning “Gathering Place in the City of Gold.” At that point the property was owned by Mark Whitehead of Whitehead Enterprises. The hotel was used to house approximately 2,000 police officers attending or supporting the summit. The temporary operation was troubled by a murder in the hotel and by severe failures affecting the building's physical systems. It soon went out of business again. Following the failed 2002 reopening, the twin-tower complex remained vacant. The supplied reference records it as still empty in November 2024. The available material does not establish a subsequent owner, redevelopment, demolition, reopening, or active successor brand. The property's trajectory therefore runs from an independently owned 1970s hotel, through a major Southern Sun-led luxury redevelopment, to a reduced branded-hotel format, a short event-related reopening, and prolonged abandonment.

• 2024

  Complex remains abandoned

  [1]Johannesburg Sun Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The building was reported to remain empty as of November 2024.

• 2002

  Temporary reopening as KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel

  [1]Johannesburg Sun Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The property briefly reopened for the World Summit on Sustainable Development and accommodated approximately 2,000 police officers.

• 1998

  Hotel closes

  [1]Johannesburg Sun Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  After operating in a reduced Holiday Inn Garden Court format, the hotel closed completely in September because of weak demand in the CBD.

• 1985

  Johannesburg Sun and Towers reopens

  [1]Johannesburg Sun Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The rebuilt complex reopened with a 40-storey main tower, the original 22-storey tower, a connecting podium, and 672 rooms.

• 1980

  Southern Sun Hotels acquires and rebuilds the property

  [1]Johannesburg Sun Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  In the early 1980s, Southern Sun Hotels, associated with Sol Kerzner, acquired the property and undertook a comprehensive redevelopment.

• 1970

  The Tollman Towers opens

  [1]Johannesburg Sun Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The original 22-storey rear tower was built as The Tollman Towers hotel under the ownership of hotelier Stanley Tollman.

A prominent full-service city hotel serving Johannesburg's Central Business District, later repositioned into a smaller Holiday Inn Garden Court operation before becoming an event-related temporary accommodation venue.

• Full-service hotel · 1985

  Johannesburg Sun and Towers

  The principal hotel configuration created by Southern Sun Hotels' redevelopment. It combined the original 22-storey tower with a new 40-storey tower and a four-storey connecting podium. The complex reopened in 1985 with 672 rooms and leisure facilities including a pool deck and running track.

• Branded hotel conversion

  Holiday Inn Garden Court operation

  A later, lower-capacity operating format adopted as the surrounding Johannesburg CBD declined. Only 270 rooms remained in use during this phase, which ended when the property closed in September 1998.

• Temporary event accommodation · 2002

  KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel

  The temporary name used when the closed complex reopened for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. The property served as accommodation for approximately 2,000 police officers but soon ceased operating again.

• 2002

  Murder during temporary Earth Summit operation

  A murder occurred at the hotel while it was being used to accommodate police officers during the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. The event was reported alongside severe problems with the building's physical systems and contributed to the troubled reputation of the short-lived reopening.

  Source

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• 2002

  Temporary reopening for the World Summit on Sustainable DevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  The previously closed complex was brought back into use to address accommodation needs associated with the 2002 Earth Summit.

  Action taken

  Whitehead Enterprises reopened the property under the name KwaDukuza eGoli Hotel and used it to house approximately 2,000 police officers.

  Aftermath

  The reopening was brief and was affected by a murder and severe physical-system problems before the hotel again went out of business.

  Source

• 1998

  Conversion to a reduced Holiday Inn Garden Court operationStrategy

  Background

  Declining conditions in the surrounding CBD and weaker hotel demand reduced the viability of the original luxury-oriented operation.

  Action taken

  The property was converted to a Holiday Inn Garden Court format, with only 270 rooms remaining in use.

  Aftermath

  The reduced operation ultimately closed completely in September 1998.

  Source

• 1980

  Major redevelopment and expansionStrategy

  Background

  Southern Sun Hotels acquired the existing Tollman Towers property in the early 1980s and pursued a large-scale reconstruction to create a substantially bigger hotel complex.

  Action taken

  The company added a 40-storey main tower, connected it to the original 22-storey building with a four-storey podium, and rebuilt the property for a 1985 reopening.

  Aftermath

  The resulting Johannesburg Sun and Towers opened with 672 rooms and extensive shared facilities.

  Redevelopment cost. R100 million (Early 1980s redevelopment, completed by 1985)

  Source

1. 1Johannesburg Sun Hotelen.wikipedia.org