This hotel, in two towers linked by skywalks, fills its wide choice of rooms with a rotating cast of international business travelers and corporate groups. Guests take advantage of the complimentary valet parking and can then go for days without ever walking outside.
The Sun's vast and glitzy 20-story atrium with pools, fountains, escalator and glass elevators is striking, but looks stuck in time from its 1984 opening. The muted colors contribute to the aged appearance, but housekeeping and responsible upkeep leave things good as new throughout the public areas. The atrium connects with Sandton City, the city's most upscale shopping mall, as well as the more restrained Towers lobby, the latter inexplicably sporting a Greek theme mixed with art deco and a koi pond. Separate registration and sitting areas facilitate a calmer atmosphere despite the property's size.
Restaurants and bars abound in the hotel and in the
shopping center, with the hotel's cigar bar being a particular highlight. A Portuguese restaurant specializes in exotic meats and fresh seafood in a semiformal environment attracting locals and area shoppers. The terraced pool area is surprisingly large and lush; it has a grill and bar service in addition to neighborhood views. Both locals and guests enjoy the lively atmosphere here; be sure to try the springbokkies (the signature cocktail of Amarula cream and peppermint).
The business center offers a broad range of services and complements meeting space for 800, largely concentrated on the Sun side. A hospitality lounge, complete with showers, welcomes those who arrive early or depart late.
An ample spa in the original building offers an array of treatments, including the signature Sea Whisperer massage that blends techniques from across the globe. The well-equipped gym and sauna require an additional fee. Limited 
parking is available, but it is secure and well-lighted.
Guest rooms all offer a high degree of comfort, although those in the Towers are newer and more elegant, with generous sitting areas, lots of glass, dark marble tables and countertops, and dark walnut and inlaid cherry furnishings. Rooms on the Sun side are a mixed bag. The older ones are appointed in creamy beige tones with light birch furniture, brass trim, nature prints, and plump throw pillows on love seats. The newer ones, dubbed "African Premium," are more interesting and more African, with a bolder design, a more efficient floor plan, better lighting, exotic hardwoods and leather desk chairs. Coffeemakers, safes and trouser presses facilitate the busy traveler's agenda. High-speed Internet access charges a hefty fee, and public areas allow an equally expensive wireless connection.
All baths have a rich feel, with marble counters, scales, makeup mirrors 
and lush amenities. Newer rooms sport separate shower stalls and dressing areas. These executive rooms provide extras such as slippers, bottled water, and access to a well-stocked lounge with a variety of beverages, snacks and light meals throughout the day. Plenty of rooms are smoke-free, two are reserved for the handicapped and 39 are well-equipped suites.
Pets are not permitted. Room service never calls it quits. For corporate road warriors, this and the Park Hyatt are the top spots, though give this one the edge for its tourist-friendly location and guests who like to shop. Management follows protocol to the book in exchange for wavering customer-service levels, and inconsistent staffers attend to the international clientele who arrive with higher expectations than the hotel is prepared to honor. The Hilton, however, portrays the same attitude, making them equal contenders in this fashionable neighborhood.