It doesn’t get much fresher than this youthful spot in the former premises of a printing company deep in the inner city. From the street it looks like a motel you would find in a Wild West movie, complete with a balcony from which to survey the skyline. There is a plunge pool, the Hideout Bar, a shisa nyama (traditional barbecue) stand plus exhibition space and a tuk tuk parked out front. Curiocity provides an artist exchange for local and international artists - accommodation in exchange for art, and can also help with organising volunteer work.

There are dorms and private rooms, as well as female-only dorms and the decor nods to local design and heritage with the use of reclaimed materials. In addition to the dorms you can also pitch your tent on the rooftop and wake up to an incredible sunrise with a panoramic view over the skyscrapers (camping R100-R160) or rent the cute self-catering studio The Relay Space Programme on the top of a neighbouring building.

Alternatively book into the Curiocity Pads, 16 self-catering studios which are located in the Main Street Life building, one block down the street. Each of the Curiocity Pads pays homage to a different decade of the city's 130-year history. A favourite is room 1946-1956 titled 'A part love A part hate', designed by Love Jozi, the must-have Joburg T-shirt brand created by Bradley Kirshenbaum. Referencing the official start of Apartheid in 1948 and its proscription on love across the colour bar, the room has a number of witty rejoinders to the Nationalist Party's atrocious policies – you'll be Instagramming the toilet bowl into which are etched key Apartheid-era laws.

This is a great location from which to experience the 'johustle' of the city and the hip district of Maboneng. Bheki Dube, the founder of Curiocity, is also the man behind the MainStreetWalks walking tour company who run walking and cycling tours from the hostel. Bheki has a deep-rooted love and knowledge of the city and you couldn't possibly find a better host in downtown Johannesburg.