“What is hospitality?”

Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality, once said that: “Hospitality is present when something happens for you. It is absent when something happens to you.”

Hospitality is often referred to vaguely by the layman – in reference to hotel affairs, and temperamental service delivery within restaurants.

I do believe that for most people, good hospitality can be more discernible when traveling solo – the lack of noise, presenting a more crystalline perspective of any experience.

Seasonal tourist hubs face the burden of slow periods – bustling summer locales like Cape Town, facing unerring silences in the Winter, as operations cease to a near halt.

Now, off-seasons have fundamentally transformed themselves into tantalizing draws for:

• People who realize the value in seeking out brief respites from their busy lives
• Couples who straight up adore a good deal
• The hotels, which have decided that some profit in the slow seasons, is better than the nothingness which comes with retaining a strict hold over regular prices.

Solo Travelers still get no love in any season – unless you’re on a Singles Booze Cruise!

Cape Town has hospitality options in the 10s of 100s, and I’ve decided to spend my winter as a solo traveler, engaging the curiosities & discussions underway, concerning the reimagined idyllic hospitality experience.

With AirBnB, HomeAway, Bookings.com and other such options, evolving the hospitality game, its interesting getting into the mind of a consumer to figure out how they weigh up their travel choices.

Century City is a bit of an isolated oddity within Cape Town; A surprisingly swarming  development – given how far it is from the beach and usual tourist spots –  with multiple uses that include: residential, retail and entertainment components.

Rating|Architecture|Decor|Design

The Colosseum Hotel is a 4-star luxury hotel which sits within the carefully designed suburb of Century City.

The hotels star-rating is already indicative of the higher-than-normal caliber the hotel falls under. Different countries have their own hotel star rating systems, with some focusing more on amenities & cleanliness (France), and others on customer service (United Kingdom). South Africa’s grading seems to focus on the aspirational elements of the establishments look & interior design, as well as the cleanliness of rooms in accordance with global hotel housekeeping standards.

The Colosseum Hotel greets guests with towering modern architecture overlooking spectacular Table Bay views, and the World Wonder that is Table Mountain. The foyer is chic, contained, and warm with sophisticated corporate detachment.

The person who chooses The Colosseum Hotel , does so, not for the views of the architecture though.

Inarguably, the draw of the hotel is within it – it’s in the spacious & (textured) contemporary designed suites, the ease of comfort of the bed, crisp linen cleanliness, and the absolutely wonderful & diligent 24/7 service delivery.

I have a deep and abiding obsession with textures and patterns – and the suites at The Colosseum Hotel, have a heady amount of light & dark wood in sharp contrast, baroque patterning on rich upholstery, and simple, but interesting individualized lighting fixtures.

Food & Drink

If you’re lucky enough to ever visit The Colosseum, head to CinCin Restaurant and enjoy their rather perfectly made cocktails.

‘The Colosseum Signature’ cocktail, is something to write home about.

Smart travelers know to be polite to hotel staff, if for no other reason than the fact that they’re the keepers of so much hidden knowledge and benefits. CinCin Restaurant has a gem in their waitress, Rayle, who has thee best dinner menu & cocktail recommendations – of which my palate approves!

While the Oxtail at the hotels CinCin Restaurant, is memorable(and the seating is flexible enough to not make solo travelers feel uncomfortable about their lonesomeness), guests wouldn’t drive hours to stay for the food alone.

Breakfast and dinner are flavorful and satiating, but so are a fair few places in the city. The proximity to the juggernaut of a mall, known as Canal Walk, makes food choices more abundant and varied anyway.

Savvy travelers know that if one is lucky enough to have kitchenette’s in their rooms, to consider a balance of in-room, self-made, and dining out options. The well-equipped Colosseum suites kitchenettes, which make up part of the living room area of the hotels suites, has: a bar fridge, microwave and cutlery.

Prepare, store or dine within that area, for convenient enjoyment.

…or wake up ravenous, and have breakfast in bed!

The Colosseum Hotel makes itself trusted because of its:

• Room option availability – offering rooms & suites
• 24-hour hotel access
• Ever present on-duty staff
• Conferencing venue space
• Secure parking
• En-suite bathrooms
• 24-hour room service

The Colosseum Hotel disavows:

• Capped Wifi
• Having a gym
• More than 12 television channels
• Having a swimming pool

The Colosseum Hotel is elevated as a unique 4-star establishment, due to its:

• Location – While residential options within Century City exist, the hotel is one of very few in this suburb.
• Apartment/Suite(s) which is available to be rented.
• Spa – The Colosseum Hotel is pretty secretive about this little nook of heaven pricing between R500 – R900, within their property. Livwell Massage Studio offers up a menu of treatments (such as Pregnancy Massages, and Indian Head & Neck Messages), which leave guests rejuvenated and relaxed. The specials available to visitors, include 45min Swedish Massages for R500
• In-house restaurant – there is a difference between in-house dining, and having a solid fully-fledged restaurant, which outsiders can come solely for, without being a guest.
• Fully-equipped Kitchenette
• Perfectly controllable Air Conditioning.
• Expansive Work Desk
• Huge bath tub with sequestered toilet and shower facilities.

Value for Money

You get what you pay for, in: the service, views, pristine facilities, comfort, and the bathtub.

The beds alone, are a dreamy cloud worth gushing about.

One gets their value for money also due to the size of the interior spaces.

There are no missing touches, as even small things, like individualized welcome letters & daily weather notes, are made available, to ensure guests are content and prepared.

…More bottled water in the rooms, would not hurt though!

As far as being a Solo Winter #Staycation option: It’s worthwhile for a night!

The Colosseum Luxury Hotel

Corner of Century Way and Century Blvd, Century City, Cape Town, 7441, South Africa

Tel: +27 (0)21 526 4000
Email: info@colosseum.co.za

Website: colosseum.co.za/