Cape Town’s Perfect Hot Desk Hotel: Cartel House Hotel
The Cartel House Hotel in central Cape Town is the perfect remote working hotel for anyone looking to get a few extra work hours in while in the Mother City.
It may sound like an odd offering, but (sadly) not all trips away from home are about relaxing. Thousands of executives go on business trips a year, yet practical desk space is after an afterthought in conventional hotels. Not so at the Cartel House Hotel.
Created with remote workers, hot desks and flexible work spaces in mind, the hotel is small but equipped with board rooms, hot desks and, just down the hall, bedrooms.
12 Reasons to Stay at the Cartel House Hotel
- Great, super central location.
- Provides secure off-street parking (great if you’re in a hired car for work).
- Has hot desks available in a communal area.
- Offers boardrooms if you need to meet with colleagues not staying at the venue.
- Has secure bedrooms which include a mini fridge, TV and desk.
- Hanging space for suits if you’re in town for a business meetings within or outside the hotel.
- Private bathrooms (no sharing).
- Soundproof curtains to ensure a good night’s rest even in central location.
- Breakfast included downstairs at Hemelhuis.
- Security guard on duty all night.
- Modern amenities, practical appliances (incl. aircon) and thoughtful decor.
- Fully stocked mini fridge and snacks – perfect if you don’t want to head out after dark.
Our Cartel House Hotel Review
We stayed over one Friday night and were pleasantly surprised at how quiet the hotel was – even though it’s located on the fan mile (created for the Football World Cup 2010). While centrally located, noise was not an issue at any time during our stay.
All the amenities were very clean (a MUST) and modern. The decor was on the historical/quirky side and the bed was extremely comfortable.
We enjoyed the personal touches and thoughtful (vegan, gluten free, veggie) snacks adding to the homely feel of the hotel. This is also great for solo travellers who want somewhere professional but homely.
After a great night’s rest, we enjoyed breakfast at the Hemelhuis (downstairs), which caters to a more affluent market. The food was excellent, however, it’s not a place you can really visit without a full face of makeup (unlike most hotels).
If, however, you want to take business associates out for breakfast, this is the perfect spot (make sure you bring your company credit card along with you too!).
Less Impressive Features
- There isn’t a permanent receptionist on site, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however, it is unusual. You will need to be quite confident letting yourself in and out of your hotel room.
- The cleaning staff cleaned our room while we were at breakfast even though we had explicitly left the do not disturb sign on the door. It felt invasive even though I’m sure they had good intentions.
- The hotel itself is very secure, but the fan mile can attract some tropical characters decreasing the sense of safety at some points. We advise entering and exiting via a vehicle to decrease engaging with any reprobates!
- The bathroom door kept swinging shut so I had to use an ornament to keep it open if I wanted to be able to talk while getting ready.
- Little to no counter space to put makeup/products down. The hotel does supply soaps, however, there was only a thin “shelf” to put makeup, etc.
- No bath. I was looking forward to relaxing at the end of the work week, but no luck. It’s a small, but more practical space.
Who Should Stay Here
- Solo travellers looking for somewhere central to stay within Cape Town.
- Visitors to Cape Town looking for decent work space with a focus on getting work done.
- Visitors looking to prep before meetings or wanting to meet in a central location.
- Couples looking for a night in the city for an early start in the CBD.
- Confident visitors who are comfortable travelling alone in the city.
- Visitors looking to be setup for work for a few days.
Cartel House Hotel Rates & Location
The double rooms are available from R2200 per night, with group bookings rates available upon request.
If, however, you book through third party sites you can get some deals like R1300 for solo travellers. So do some shopping to find the best rates. You can check your tentative dates on the Cartel House Hotel calendar.
Thank you to the Inner City Cartel House Hotel for Having Us!
