If ever a hotel were built by the rich and famous, for the rich and famous, The Palace must be it. And, more than 20 years on, it is still a place that is as fabulous as I hoped it would be.
Sol may no longer be involved but, like dutiful apostles, Sun International and the management team there, continue to do their god proud.
It is not for nothing that the setting sun shines through the Palace's vast copula lobby reflecting off the glass vases and flower centrepiece, illuminating the vibrant animals on the ceiling as you imagine the Lascaux Caves might be with primal man dancing around the fire. The designers left nothing to chance and, like from the pages of a Dan Brown novel, the sun filled the aperture between the framed columns as we climbed the steps from The Valley of the Waves to The Palace.
Had we seen a recently chopped head rolling down at us or the feather-festooned headgear of an Aztec high priest, we would not have been surprised. Such is the immersive experience of holidaying here - a place that allows your imagination to run as wild as his who created it.
There is a giant sun going with a leonine face held aloft by elephant tusks and windy paths promise hippos and crocodiles when followed. Feel free to lose yourself at The Lost City.
I imagine that as Sol Kerzner set up planning his crown jewel of The Sun City complex that he wondered what other people with money, fame, and power such as he had might enjoy. This is a Disneyland for adults.
I was 16 when we first stayed at Sun City in the Cabanas. "Sin City" as we called it, seemed like the Promised Land to a teenager in 1980's South Africa, repressed and frightened as we were by the "rooi gevaar" (red danger). Simply being in the same place that allowed gambling, blue movies and naughty revues made it one of the most thrilling holidays I ever had.
Just over 20 years ago, moments after The Palace opened, I visited again and stayed at The Cascades. I remember touring The Palace and noting this was the first pool with underwater music, the extra ordinary Valley of the Waves with its wave machine, the first of its kind in the land and waterslides that still terrify with their adrenalin-junkie vertical drop made a big impression.
The Valley of the Waves is as impressive today and much more fun to visit in mid-winter as there were just a handful of others there. The water was too chilly to swim in for long but, compared with the wet Cape Town weather I'd left behind, simply being in the sun was bliss.
What struck me about being a guest at The Palace was that the average age of the staff seemed far older than usual. I had the feeling that there were, perhaps, even second-generation staff working there. The maturity of almost everyone we engaged with gave me a confident and easy-to-relax feeling.
Someone was celebrating a birthday at a nearby table and a staff choir of more than 10 people surrounded them to sing Happy birthday in English and then in Sotho. It was an applause-worthy performance but so was every aspect of the service we received. I think outstanding service is what sets The Palace apart from other hotels and why I'd so much like to go back.
Perhaps the single stand-out that proves that this stay was such much more than usual is the high number of photographs I took. By that measure alone a visit to The Palace of the Lost City will leave you with memories and big stories to share on your return.
For more information and to book, click here.
