Women’s Month: A Women’s Month escape designed for rest and renewal with Vivari Hotel & Spa

There's a version of Women's Month we've all seen before: the tributes, the hashtags, the reminders of just how much women carry. And look, it's all true — we are strong, we are resilient, we do hold entire households, careers and communities together, often without so much as a thank you. But this August, Vivari Hotel & Spa is asking a different question: when, exactly, do women get to put themselves first?

Because here's the thing about being endlessly capable — it can quietly become a trap. Somewhere between the meetings, the school runs, the group chats and the emotional labour nobody asked for, self-care gets pushed to the bottom of the list. Or worse, it becomes something you have to earn — a reward dangled at the end of an impossibly long to-do list, rather than a basic, ongoing need.

lifestyle

Best time to visit Zanzibar for holidays

Vivari wants to flip that script.

"Women are constantly told how strong they are — but strength shouldn't mean carrying it all without ever putting it down," says Lipian Mtandabari, the hotel's Sales and Marketing Manager. Rest, she argues, isn't a woman doing less. It's what lets her come back to herself — and to everyone who depends on her — with something left in the tank.

Rest, Redefined

Forget the idea that self-care has to mean a five-step skincare haul or an expensive spontaneous splurge. Sometimes it's simpler, and harder to come by, than that: a full night's sleep. A meal you didn't have to rush. A morning with nowhere to be. Silence.

That's the ethos baked into Vivari itself — a five-star, award-winning escape tucked into Featherbrooke near Muldersdrift, just 35 minutes outside Sandton. Two hectares of indigenous garden unfurl beside the Crocodile River, and every corner of the estate seems built for one purpose: to make you exhale. Close enough for a spontaneous weekday reset, far enough to feel like you've actually left.

Vivari Hotel & Spa- A space to relax and unwind and enjoy divine cuisine.

A Space Built for Slowing Down

At Vivari Spa, there's no rush, no ticking clock, no pressure to "get through" a treatment list. It's boutique, it's personalised, and it's designed for whatever kind of pause you need — whether that's a few hours of quiet indulgence, an overnight stay, or simply an afternoon with no agenda at all.

The rooms echo the same energy: soft natural light, warm interiors, views that do a lot of the relaxing for you. And at Brambles Restaurant, meals are built around organic, thoughtfully sourced ingredients — served, notably, without anyone rushing you through them.

Beyond One Day in August

National Women's Day lands on 9 August, but Vivari's invitation isn't a once-off. Come alone for a proper reset. Bring your mother, your sister, your closest friend. Or simply decide, on a random Tuesday, that you deserve a few hours of stillness — no occasion required.

Because choosing rest doesn't need a milestone attached to it. It just needs you to say yes.

This Women's Month, Vivari Hotel & Spa wants women to pause without guilt, receive care without justifying it, and finally put their own wellbeing back where it belongs — permanently, on the agenda.

Vivari Hotel & Spa is an award-winning five-star hotel and wellness retreat situated in Featherbrooke near Muldersdrift, Johannesburg. Set within two hectares of indigenous gardens on the banks of the Crocodile River, the estate brings together luxury accommodation, a full-service boutique spa, considered dining and spaces created for rest, connection and mindful living.

Vivari Hotel & Spa

Telephone: +27 10 594 4100

Location: Featherbrooke, Johannesburg

Website: Vivari Hotel & Spa