Years ago, when Sol Kerzner ventured into the Bophuthatswana bushveld and gave proverbial birth to the legend that is Sun City, he tapped into the Las Vegas casino-resort formula that has since been copied in South Africa, but not yet bettered.
Many have tried to successfully combine the hedonistic pleasures of gambling with the luxuries and facilities of a top hotel and resort, but few offer the same locational advantages that allow guests to escape the concrete jungle.
Enter Emerald Casino Resort. A member of the prestigious London Clubs International group, the casino sprang up in the unlikely location of Vanderbijlpark four years ago. Yes, Vanderbijlpark — an hour south of Johannesburg, near Vereeniging and Parys, on the way to Cape Town — oft passed but rarely visited.
A stone’s throw from the Vaal river, the acquisition of 7km of river bank led to the development of the Eme-rald Hotel, Safari Lodges and River Resort, offering accommodation ranging from caravan and camping sites to self-catering chalets, hotel rooms and luxurious private lodges.
Facilities include boat houses and mooring facilities at the River Resort, the climate-controlled Aqua Dome with its indoor water-world and swimming pools, tenpin bowling, adventure golf, tennis, children’s playgrounds and the Zanzibar Dome — created to mimmick a Moroccan souk or covered market.
And it doesn’t end there. In partnership with the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria, Emerald Casino Resort has built Animal World, one of the most tourist-friendly zoos in the southern hemisphere.
Managed by the National Zoological Gardens, Animal World is home to 120 animal species, including hippo, lion, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, seals, the rare red panda, lemurs and tapirs. It has a reptile house and an adjacent game park, where herds of springbok, gemsbok, impala, wildebeest and eland roam unfettered by pens or cages.
The game park is in the process of being reclaimed. Once farming land, the Pretoria zoo management are steadily removing invader grasses and trees and replanting bushveld vegetation, indigenous trees and shrubs. It is a long and laborious process, but is not without its successes — the various herds are breeding and seem at home in their riverside wilderness.
At the heart of the resort is the casino and the Emerald Hotel. The casino houses 600 slot machines with the latest video slots and 16 “progressives” with jackpots paying from R500 up to more than R1-million. Gaming includes American roulette, river poker and black jack.
Situated a short walk from the casino and other resort facilities to ensure privacy, the Emerald Hotel boasts 77 beautifully appointed rooms with luxurious en-suite facilities. The Victorian-style bath was fabulously deep and marvellous to sink into after a hard day exploring the resort.
The rooms are equipped with satellite TV, direct dial phone, hairdryer, air-conditioning, and tea and coffee-making facilities. The décor is rich and earthy, and, as one would expect, African in style.
The hotel restaurant serves buffet breakfasts and dinners daily, and the lobby offers a cosy log fire and bar, with some comfortable couches and wingbacks to relax in before dinner.
Outside, there is a small, emerald-green swimming pool and thatched pool bar overlooking an expanse of lawn and bushveld that leads down to the river.
The hotel is very popular with businessmen and houses regular conferences in its East-African themed Kilimanjaro, Nairobi and Mombassa rooms.
The three Kilimanjaro rooms can accommodate up to 200 guests, with the more intimate Nairobi and Mombassa rooms providing breakaway or boardroom facilities. The venues are also ideal for lectures, weddings, product launches or seminars and have state-of-the-art audio systems, adjustable lighting, microphones, lecterns, flip charts and projectors.
Although not officially graded, the hotel ranks itself as three-star. To be fair there are some facilities lacking, such as a mini-bar in the rooms and 24-hour room service, and there is no separate lounge, rather an extension of the lobby. But it is very comfortable, the service is good and the staff friendly and eager to please.
A short drive away is the resort’s luxury accommodation — the stilted, wooden Safari Lodges, which are set in their own compound overlooking the game park. There are 10 lodges. Each comprises a large lounge, stoep, kitchenette and en-suite bathroom, with either one or two bedrooms.
The furnishings are to die for, with soft, muted taupes and creams dominating the thatched décor. In the master bedrooms are muslin-draped four-poster beds, and each lounge has plump couches with rich throws in front of open fireplaces.
The lodges are surrounded by tall trees and fenced off from the rest of the resort. My only criticism is that the Safari Lodges do not have their own recreational facilities. If guests want to swim or have a drink they must walk or drive down to the main hotel or Aqua Dome.
The River Resort, on the other hand, has its own pool and a well-stocked and licensed mini-supermarket.
The chalets at the River Resort are basic, but pleasantly decorated in the same African “savannah” theme as the Emerald Hotel and Safari Lodges. The kitchenettes are stocked with plates, cutlery, pots and pans and there is satellite TV. There are 100 chalets with one-bedroom, two-bedroom or interleading options.
To one side of the River Resort are 25 caravan and 25 camping sites with electricity points. There are ablution facilities and water points.
In short, there is plenty to do at the Emerald Casino Resort, and it is geared towards children, in spite of the adult lure of the casino. Young adults also have the glitz of the nightlife to keep them happy, with the resort’s Six Shooter’s pub and grill a hub of after-dark activity.
While the resort isn’t as sparkling a jewel as Sun City, in fairness it does not try to be. There is some work to be done to make it truly glitter — and once the game park is fully rehabilitated and “wild”, it will go a long way towards polishing things up — but on the whole it’s a great place for a weekend break, with or without the kids.
The lowdown
There’s something to suit every pocket at the Emerald Casino Resort. Rates are available for midweek and weekend periods.
Caravan and camping sites are structured on a stand and per person charge. A camping stand costs R50 a night and a caravan stand R75 a night, with a charge of R15 a person a night.
Midweek rates for the River Resort chalets are R300 a night for a one-bedroom and R400 for a two-bedroom. Weekend rates are R500 a night for a one-bedroom and R600 for a two-bedroom chalet. These rates are for accommodation only.
The Emerald Hotel rates include breakfast. Midweek rates are R495 a night for a single, R715 for a double, R950 for an interleading double and R1 115 for a suite. Weekend rates are R660 for a single, R880 for a double, R1 200 for a double interleading and R1 320 for a suite.
Safari Lodge rates also include breakfast. The midweek rates are R1 200 a night for a one-bedroom lodge and R1 400 for a two-bedroom. At weekends this rate increases to R1 500 for a one-bedroom and R1 700 for two bedrooms.
These rates are valid until March 30 next year.
For more information contact Emerald Casino Resort on Tel: (016) 982 8000 or visit the website: www.emeraldcasino.co.za.