Saxon spa fans, rejoice! The spa, which opened in July, has expanded to Steyn City with Tanya Lopes at the helm. Located in the Clubhouse, the spa is 1400 square meters, almost twice the size of the original. The new space embraces a brighter aesthetic with floor-to-ceiling windows in the main areas that overlook a magnificent lake.
Marble floors and mirrors open the space further, alongside the Saxon spa’s signature chandeliers, created by Stephen Pikus. Crystals are also a key feature, from the clusters to the geodes that scatter the property. When you book a treatment, your therapist explains each crystal’s properties. “From budgeting to sketching, from layouts to details, every single space in this spa was designed with intention,” Lopes says.
The spa stocks a limited range of skincare: Babor, Dr Levy, Subtle Energies, Ling NY, and the in-house Soul by Saxon range, featuring sub-Saharan ingredients. My treatment, a Fire and Snow Glow facial, is from Dr Levy’s range, promising “advanced biohacking principles” – a fancy way of saying ‘Please make me pass for a 20-something.’ After a cleansing ceremony, a bespoke Saxon spa meditation track begins. My hundred-mile-a-minute brain didn’t stand a chance at resisting the calm.
My therapist, Nteseng Mogaise, used hot and cold contrast therapy, a special wand that delivered tiny contouring zaps, an LED red light mask and a ‘Levy-tate’ lift massage. I’m nosy, so I asked my therapist if she’s ever treated royalty. “It wouldn’t matter,” she says. “Everybody in our spa is a VVIP, whether there’s a prince on the treatment bed or not.”
ALSO READ: The 8 best spas in Johannesburg
Lopes is particular about her team of therapists. No matter how illustrious their CVs are, the entry ticket is a treatment they complete on her. “I look for natural healers who heal from the heart. That’s what makes the difference in a wellness community,” she says. Days later, I’m still getting compliments on my glow (though I’m still waiting to be carded at a bar).
Spa guests can enjoy the hydrotherapy before or after their treatments – just bring along swimwear (that you can dry in the changing rooms, thanks to a handy machine). Choose from the steam room, sauna, cold plunge pool, floatation pool with 500 kgs of magnesium sulphate, or the heated indoor pool and jacuzzi. Feeling like health incarnate, I followed my soak with a peanut butter smoothie spiked with superfood powders.
There are a few signature treatments at the Steyn City branch, like the sage, thyme and lemongrass treatment. Another feature only available here (for now) is the Quantum Harmonic, two vibroacoustic beds that use vibrational and binaural sound to assist with stress, anxiety, sleeping issues and more. They’re the only two of their kind on the continent. “From the case studies I’ve done, I've noticed such beautiful results in people who have had difficulty sleeping or going through a period of a lot of stress…just seeing this calmness come over them is amazing,” Lopes says.
The Saxon Spa at Steyn City (Clubhouse) is open daily between 8 am and 7 pm.
RECOMMENDED
🛏️ Where to stay in Johannesburg
🏨 The best hotels in Johannesburg
🍽 The best restaurants in Johannesburg
🍺 The best pubs and bars in Johannesburg
Follow Time Out Johannesburg on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram!