Situated on the fringe of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, this hotel is designed for the cosmopolitan traveller with a taste for the cutting edge. One of its kind in Africa, this uniquely styled hotel offers a combination of standard rooms and double-storey loft apartments.

Its ultra modern facade and interior is specially styled to suit the vibrant atmosphere of its surroundings and to give the impression of understated sophistication and elegance. As exciting and different as the Mother City herself, the Hotel offers a creative addition to the high standards of quality demanded by its premier status.

The hotel's restaurant, bar, coffee shop and lounges have been modeled on authentic movie sets. Try Cape Town's best cappuccino on the Italian Set, or relax in the "Out of Africa" lounge.

Your duties will be as varied as possible to enable you to learn about the various areas involved in hotel management. You will be supervised and part of your learning experience will be to shadow various members of staff in their day-to-day duties and routines.

Volunteers who have not completed their degree will be treated as a staff member in training, but this should also be a wonderful opportunity to experience the operational running of a busy international hotel.

From a portfolio of four hotels in 1984, the Protea Group has expanded rapidly and is today the largest hotel group in terms of numbers of hotels in Africa, with the most extensive network.  It has management and franchise agreements, as well as several joint ventures, with over 100 hotels.  These are spread throughout South Africa, as well as Réunion, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia and Egypt, thus completing the Cape to Cairo tourism axis.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO WHILE ON THESE PLACEMENTS:

• 5-DAY OR 7-DAY SAFARI from Cape Town up the renowned Garden Route: taking in Dolphin and Whale Spotting, visits to many tourist attractions, such as a visit to a brewery(!), the Bloukrantz Bungy Jump (reportedly the highest in the world), and a guided tour of the Cango Caves.
• 1 WEEK WHALES, SHARKS AND DOLPHINS Project: This is an extraordinary and exciting project in a beautiful location, surrounded by white beaches and blue ocean. And two hours from the world's third favourite city - Cape Town. What more could anyone want?
• SURFING COURSES: In the buzz city of Durban.
• PARAGLIDING COURSE: Soar over the impressively beautiful Drakensburg Mountain. You'll get a licence at the end of the course which qualifies you to do solo paragliding around the world.

A ten minute walk from the centre of the bustling Cape Town CBD is the quieter, more chilled out area of Green Point. Here we use St Johns Waterfront Lodge, one of the better known backpackers’ lodges for your accommodation. It is not only close to the city, but also to the famous V&A Waterfront (5 min walk) and literally a hop, skip and jump away from the ocean. Among a host of other activities, from here you can visit the world-famous Robben Island by boat, where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for 27 years!

Apart from other Travellers volunteers, this hostel mainly attracts international travellers to Cape Town. It is uniquely built on two plots so literally has two of everything, including two pools! They are very friendly and will always help you where needed. They can answer any questions or can even help when you need some TLC because you feel a bit homesick!

The Main Lodge is the centre of all the lodges and is a meeting point for everyone. You can discuss your day in the living room, have a nice chat out on the terrace, go for a swim, watch a movie, etc. Included in the placement cost is a bed in one of the large 8-bed dormitories, so you will be sharing. However, there is an option of choosing a single or double room if you are happy to pay the difference, but we do find that volunteers staying in the larger dormitories tend to make friends easier and be a bit more social. Remember, safety by numbers is always the most responsible way to do things!

This lodge has a living room, lots of bathrooms and a two well-equipped kitchens. It also has a lovely big (recently renovated) living area with satellite TV, a cosy bar and very comfy couches. In the main outdoor area, there are two pools, the braai (South African for BBQ) area and lots of tables and benches in the beautiful garden. There is a payphone inside the main lounge and a FREE internet service. St John’s has also recently fitted a CCTV security system, so you can live with peace of mind, knowing that you are safe and sound.

Food: You will be given a food allowance to buy your own food from the big supermarket up the road.  The lodge is equipped with a kitchen with a fridge, stove, oven and microwave, and all the necessities to cook a good meal.

PLEASE NOTE: The World Cup kicks off in June 2010 in Cape Town and accommodation surcharges WILL apply during this period. We can advise you on the extra cost closer to the time.