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Johannesburg swims best from December to February, when average highs sit at 25.5°C. Of the four rooftop pools we found, three are for guests only. Home Suite Hotels Rosebank is the one that sells day passes.
Our first pick is Home Suite Hotels Rosebank, because it is the only rooftop pool here a non-guest can buy into, through Time Out. The price isn't shown. If you're staying in Rosebank anyway, 54 on Bath has a Level 4 terrace pool, and the bar beside it admits non-residents.
The only rooftop pool on our list that sells day passes
Rosebank, 4-star hotel, rated 4.8 on Google (482 reviews)
Sample photo, not Home Suite Hotels Rosebank. Amanda Hawker, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Non-guests can swim
Day pass
Sold, price varies
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Book a day pass here if you're visiting Johannesburg but not staying at the hotel, and you still want a rooftop swim. Home Suite alone sells passes to non-guests, through Time Out, though the price isn't shown.
A boutique hotel at 50 Bristol Road in Rosebank has its pool on the roof, with city views. The hotel doesn't publish the floor. The catch is the pass price, which isn't listed where passes are sold.
Best forVisitors who want a rooftop swim without booking a room.
Skip it ifYou need a fixed price or published pool hours before you commit.
Level 4 terrace pool beside a bar open to non-residents
Rosebank, 5-star hotel, rated 4.6 on Google (1,281 reviews)
Sample photo, not 54 on Bath. Ted Eytan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
4thfloor pool
Who can swim
Hotel guests only
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Choose 54 on Bath if you're staying and want a pool next to a sunset bar. The pool is on the Level 4 terrace, guests only, and the Level Four Bar next to it admits non-residents.
The outdoor pool is on the Level 4 terrace at 54 Bath Ave in Rosebank, beside the recently refreshed bar. The hotel lists African sunset views from the terrace. Swimming is for hotel guests only.
Best forGuests who want a sunset drink steps from the pool.
Skip it ifYou want a swim but don't plan to book a room.
Sandown, 4-star hotel, rated 4.4 on Google (2,603 reviews)
Sample photo, not Southern Sun Sandton. Ted Eytan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
9thfloor pool
Who can swim
Hotel guests only
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Southern Sun Sandton is the pick for height: the hotel places its rooftop pool 9 floors up, the highest published floor on our list. It's guests only, and little else is published.
On the 9th floor of the hotel at 123 Rivonia Rd in Sandown, this pool is described by the hotel as a rooftop pool. Only guests can use it. Hours, heating and views are not published.
Best forGuests in Sandton who want a high pool after meetings.
Skip it ifYou're not a guest but hope to swim or have a drink at the pool.
Braamfontein, 4-star hotel, rated 4.3 on Google (2,660 reviews)
Sample photo, not The Parktonian. Blake Patterson from Alexandria, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Hotel guests only
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. The Parktonian suits guests staying in Braamfontein who want a rooftop pool deck next to the gym. Only guests can swim, and the hotel's pool floor and hours aren't published.
The pool is at 120 De Korte St in Braamfontein, on a rooftop deck alongside the gym, with a sun deck next to it. Only guests can swim. The floor isn't published.
Best forBusiness guests in Braamfontein who want a gym and a pool deck together.
Skip it ifYou need a published floor, hours or a day pass.
December to February is the best stretch for a rooftop swim in Johannesburg. Average highs are 25.5°C in December and January, and 25.1°C in November.
Pool heating is unpublished at all four hotels, so plan on swimming in the warm months. No events that fill hotels are listed for the city, so book a day pass or room as early as your dates are fixed.
Average daily highs: November 25°C (77°F), December 26°C (78°F), January 26°C (78°F). The warmest stretch for swimming is Dec–Feb.
Hotels you might expect here, and why they're not
Six hotels people expect to find here don't have a confirmed rooftop pool, and the reason for each is below.
The Houghton Hotel, An SLH Hotel. The hotel's pools page places the Adult Pool on the mezzanine level, not the roof or a top-floor terrace. No source places a pool on the roof.
Reef Hotel. No source mentions a swimming pool. The third-floor Sun Deck has two Jacuzzis, and the 16th-floor rooftop bar is described with no pool. Per the rules, a rooftop bar or terrace without a pool is not-rooftop.
Park Hyatt Johannesburg. The pool sits in a central ground-level courtyard, per a third-party review and the hotel's own page describing gardens. The "rooftop" mentions in the snippets belong to other hotels (Hyatt House Rosebank, Winston) or are unclear.
The Parkwood. The hotel's own facilities page describes two lap pools in its lush gardens, not on the roof or a top-floor terrace. Rooftop bars are mentioned only for the wider Rosebank area.
Holiday Inn Johannesburg - Rosebank by IHG. The hotel's own pages describe an outdoor pool on a pool deck and garden terrace beside the restaurant. No source places the pool on the roof or a top floor, so it is not confirmed as rooftop.
Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch. The outdoor pool sits in a secluded garden at the hotel, not on a roof or top-floor terrace. No source places it on the roof. One booking-site snippet (Agoda) says "indoor pool", which conflicts with the other sources; no hotel page was available to settle it.
Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa. The hotel's Terrace page places the infinity pool in the gardens ("the hotel's focal point"). No source says the pool is on the roof or a top-floor terrace.
Johannesburg rooftop pools: questions people ask
Which Johannesburg hotels let non-guests swim on the roof?
One: Home Suite Hotels Rosebank sells day passes through Time Out, though the price isn't shown. The other three, 54 on Bath, Southern Sun Sandton and The Parktonian, are guests only. At 54 on Bath, the Level Four Bar next to the pool admits non-residents.
Are any Johannesburg rooftop pools heated or open in winter?
No hotel on our list publishes pool heating or a winter schedule. The best swimming months are December to February, with highs of 25.5°C in December and January.
Which Johannesburg hotel has the highest rooftop pool?
Southern Sun Sandton, in Sandown, places its rooftop pool 9 floors up. That is the highest published floor on our list. 54 on Bath's pool is on the 4th floor, and Home Suite and The Parktonian don't publish a floor.
How can you swim at a Johannesburg rooftop pool without overspending?
Home Suite Hotels Rosebank's day pass is the only paid route for non-guests, and its price isn't shown, so check Time Out before you go. Otherwise you need a room, since the other three pools are guests only.
Are any of these rooftop pools family-friendly or adults-only?
Not published. None of the four hotels states an age rule for its rooftop pool, so contact the hotel first if children are in your group.
Does The Parktonian publish its pool hours?
No. The Parktonian in Braamfontein has a rooftop pool deck beside the gym, for guests only. Its floor and hours aren't published.
