Sun International’s Sun City Resort, in the North West, has relaunched its Sun City Hotel, marking a new era for the resort as it works to revive its former glory and “reimagine” the iconic original hotel.

The grand dame, as the Sun City Hotel is dubbed, was unveiled in 1979, and despite undergoing several refurbishments over its 46-year lifetime, the hotel has been showing her age.

Last year, Sun International set about giving the entertainment and leisure mecca a complete R390-million facelift, to bring it into a modern era and relive what Sun City stood for when it opened, explained Sun City Resort GM Brett Hoppe.

“From the day that Sun City hotel first opened its doors, South Africans have streamed through them, all caught up in the magic and the dream that Sun City offered. We promised the glamour of Vegas, balanced by world-class family leisure and entertainment facilities,” he said.

“But at 46, our hotel was looking tired, so we knew we had to restore the hotel to its former glory. There was nothing like it back then, and after the refurbishment, we know that guests will agree there is nothing like it now.”

The Sun City Hotel was where it all began, with the Sun City ‘casino’ hotel the resort’s only hotel before the later additions of The Palace of The Lost City hotel, the Cascades hotel and the Cabanas.

Over the past few years, the Sun City Resort has been undergoing significant changes and revamping to bring in a new chapter for the popular resort.

In 2016/17, the five-star-graded Sun Central, comprising retail, restaurants and entertainment, as well as award-winning convention centre spaces, underwent a complete makeover, followed by a refurbishment in 2018/19 of 148 units of Sun Vacation Club’s (SVC’s) The Aviary and the refurbishment and major infrastructure upgrades in 2019/20 of 336 rooms at the Cascades.

During the course of 2020/21, Sun City embarked on a significant shutdown of its Valley of the Waves to undertake a pipe relining project and infrastructure upgrades.

Following this, the 327-room The Palace of The Lost City underwent a R208-million refurbishment and had a spa and gym installed, in 2021/22, while in 2023, Sun City embarked on the R295-million five-star timeshare Lefika Villas SVC development – the first significant expansion at the resort since the establishment of The Aviary in 2004 – to re-energise the timeshare market.

Sun City has also installed solar plants atop the roofs of Sun City’s Sun Central conference and entertainment centre, as well as The Palace and the Sun City Hotel to mitigate interruptions in energy supply and reduce its carbon footprint.

Now, the company is showcasing the Sun City Hotel’s extensive refurbishment, which started in 2024, with the upgrade of all 350 rooms, bedroom corridors, bedroom terraces and the Sun Terrace, along with various infrastructure upgrades.

By November, it will be more than 70% completed, with the resort pausing work for the upcoming Nedbank Golf Challenge and the busy December season.

“Inside each elegantly refurbished room, guests will be greeted by a soft and harmonious palate of white and soft neutrals, lifted by pops of warmer gold and turquoise.”

“Drawing inspiration from Tswana artistry, the new interior design features bold geometric motifs that echo the intricate patterns found in the newly renovated guest rooms,” said interior design company Solebi-Blacksmith director Ryan Ilgner.

The new contemporary bathrooms and coffee bar lead past plush, king-sized beds, to the mid-century modern outdoor terrace décor with sweeping views over the pool and the 18-hole Gary Player Golf Course beyond.

The upgrade included the new, reimagined Porte-cochere, the hotel lifts, its giant octagon pool and the smoking casino entrance, and transformed the Sun Terrace into a contemporary space for leisurely dining.

The transformed Sun Terrace restaurant—an inspired fusion of Tswana cultural heritage and sleek, contemporary design – aims to redefine the guest experience, offering world-class dining and panoramic views of the breath-taking landscape.

A grand central staircase now leads guests down to the pool level, with the adjacent resort pool area now a multi-layered sanctuary, with children’s play zones and private cabanas with luxury daybeds, as well as refreshment stations, lounge-style dining and personalised service.

“With this visionary transformation, the Sun Terrace and pool emerges as a dynamic cultural and lifestyle destination. From serene breakfasts over newly unveiled vistas to vibrant evenings echoing with music and laughter, the new Sun City hotel leisure and dining offering sets a bold new benchmark for what a luxury African escape can be.”