Tag Archives: room service

Cape Town’s new Liquor By-law not an April Fool’s joke!

The City of Cape Town has reminded hospitality establishments that its new Liquor Trading Days and Hours By-law will change on 1 April, and will impact on restaurants, bars, clubs, and accommodation establishments, and all categories of liquor licences that they hold.  The sale of alcoholic beverages has been restricted to 18h00.

A media release issued on behalf of the City of Cape Town quotes Garreth Bloor, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic, Environmental and Spatial Planning: ‘As part of our commitment to building both a Caring and an Opportunity City, the by-law has sought to consider the needs of all stakeholders in the city and to strike a balance between the social effects of alcohol abuse, potential disruption (especially in residential areas), and the reasonable sale of alcohol for the hospitality sector‘.

Describing the hospitality sector as an ‘important economic multiplier’, the City amended its draft regulations to allow currently licensed establishments, which are now obliged to stop selling alcohol at 2h00, to apply for an extension to trade until 4h00, on condition that the establishment is zoned for business or industrial use.

The By-law allows the sale of alcohol on all days of the week, within the following hours:

*   ‘Guest accommodation establishments’, business premises, places of entertainment, and sport and community clubs

#   11h00 – 23h00 in residential and neighbourhood business areas (sport and community clubs an exception, until 24h00 in local or neighbourhood business areas)

#   11h00 – 2h00 in general business, industrial and ‘agricultural‘ areas

*   Hotels and casinos

#    11h00 – 2h00 in all areas

*   Wineries

#   11h00 – 24h00 in small holding or rural areas

#   11h00 – 2h00 in agricultural areas

*   Ad hoc mobile entertainment vehicles for tourists: 11h00 – 24h00.

The difference between ‘agricultural’ and ‘small holding or rural area‘ is not defined in the media statement.

The following additional exceptions have been written into the By-law:

*   special event permits will have the trading hours specified

*   licensed hotels and guest establishments may sell liquor via room service 24 hours of the day

*   sparkling wine may be served between 8h00 – 11h00 for ‘champagne breakfasts’, if access is controlled to functions.

The City has urged the hospitality industry to apply for licence extension until 4h00 as soon as possible, so that they are covered from 1 April onwards.  Should they not have applied by then, they will have to stop selling liquor by 2h00 until they receive permission for the time extension.

Compared to the original By-law outline made public a year ago, the City has shown great understanding and flexibility in accepting feedback from its publics, and making suitable changes to the benefit of the hospitality industry.

POSTSCRIPT 13/3: Food24 provided further details about the new liquor legislation, highlighting that each municipality in the country may now set its own regulations, which no longer are uniform per province.  The City of Cape Town has banned the sale of alcoholic beverages in retail outlets on Sundays (and these outlets must close at 18h00 on the other days, as above), Caroline’s in the V&A Waterfront motivating these changes as the reason for closing down its branch in the V&A.  Wine estates may sell wines on Sundays. In Hermanus retail outlets may sell alcoholic beverages on Sundays. Further restrictions are:

1.  One may not buy more than 150 litres of alcohol at a time, even if it is for a function, if one does not have a liquor licence.

2.   One may not stock more than 150 litres (200 750 ml bottles) of alcohol in one’s home without a liquor licence.

3.   One may not drink alcohol in a moving vehicle, even if one is not the driver!

4.  No school function may serve alcohol, whether the function is at the school or at a different (even licensed) location.

Asking Anton Groenewald, Executive Director of TEAM in the City of Cape Town, at the CAP40 talk about the complaints on Twitter today about the Sunday sales ban in retail outlets, he replied that they may relook the regulation, giving the overwhelming criticism, and the negative effect this may have on tourism.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Champagne breakfasts in Cape Town become legal again!

The City of Cape Town yesterday approved the amended Liquor by-law, which originally came into effect in January 2011.  The most silly of the previous clauses, namely that Champagne Breakfasts were not allowed to be served before 11h00 due to alcohol not being allowed to be sold before 11h00, has been relaxed to allow the sale of sparkling wine from 8h00! Winetastings are also allowed, having been prohibited previously.

Mayor Patricia de Lille said that she had to carefully balance ‘many social pressures, business concerns, individual rights and governmental responsibilities’, reports the Cape Times.   The by-law is clear that the sale of alcohol after 2h00 is prohibited, but the consumption of alcohol after this deadline is not prohibited.  The by-law amendment appears to allow nightclubs and other establishments to apply to sell alcohol after 2h00, reports the Cape Argus, especially if the sale is not related to disruptions.

It would appear that the City’s law enforcement’s officials will act when alcohol consumption comes with noise and other disruptions.  A call has been made by City Councillor Anwar Adams for Long Street to be more strictly controlled, given its many clubs and bars, intermixed with mosques and churches. Councillor Ganief Hendricks said the amendments would make Cape Town the ‘drunk capital’, and foresees an increase in the number of alcohol-induced accidents as well as crime.

The tourism claim that Cape Town is a ’24 hour’ city weighed heavily in the amendments made.

The Cape Argus has reported that the number of South Africans driving after drinking is decreasing, according to market research conducted to measure the impact of responsible drinking and driving advertising campaigns, encouraging ‘Drive Dry’.  The newspaper has assisted in the campaign for responsible drinking, by publishing the names of motorists who have been sentenced in Cape courts for drinking and driving.

POSTSCRIPT 3/3: Other welcome amendment to the Liquor by-law is that hotel room mini-bars and Guest House/B&B Honesty Bars may be stocked for 24 hours per day.  Hotels may also serve drinks until 2h00 instead of the previous 23h00, and all night in the room via room service.  Wine estates may trade and do winetastings on Sundays.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter:@Whale Cottage

Restaurant Review: One&Only Cape Town ‘High Tea’ good value, but confusing and amateurish

I have evaluated the High Teas at Grand Provence and at the Grande Roche, and popped in at the One&Only Cape Town earlier this week, having noticed their High Tea stand when I went to interview Reuben Riffel about his recent American visit.   The weekday High Tea at the One&Only Cape Town is the best value I have encountered so far, but its service and execution appeared amateurish, with no Vista Lounge/Bar manager visible throughout my visit, and it is a complex offer.

My Twitter friend Michael McKenzie has sent me links to show that it is incorrect to refer to High Tea, as it means our definition of supper, but I prefer ‘High Tea’ to the more correct ‘afternoon tea’.  The One&Only Cape Town does call it “Afternoon Tea” on its website.   One cannot fault the location of the One&Only Cape Town’s High Tea, in their beautiful Vista Lounge just down from the entrance, with a beautiful view onto Table Mountain.  The problem, however, is that one is seated in the lounge area of the hotel, and this means that one sits uncomfortably when eating, as the table is too low for the couch which I chose to sit on.  At the Grand Roche and Grande Provence one sits at restaurant tables and chairs.

The biggest disappointment of all is that the High Tea seems to be an after-thought at the One&Only Cape Town, as it is not featured in the Room Service-type menu which the waiter brought to me.   There is no explanation as to what is included in terms of tea/coffee, nor the names of the treats, which the Grande Roche presents so beautifully in their special gold-ribboned High Tea menu.  The waiter told me that in the High Tea price of R145 a cup of tea or coffee is included (but not a cappuccino!), and that the High Tea treats can be ordered for two persons to share at that price.   At both the Grande Roche and Grande Provence the High Tea costs R95, inclusive of a cup of tea or coffee, and one gets the impression that it is a price per person, and that one is not meant to share.   At R 72,50 per head if one is sharing on weekdays, the One&Only Cape Town High Tea offers the best value of the High Teas I have tried, each person enjoying about 13 treats, even if one has to pay R 16 extra for a cup of filter coffee and R 22 for a cappuccino, bringing the total cost close to the R95 of the other two High Teas, but with a larger variety offered.  The catch is that tea and coffee are excluded during the week, an odd inconsistency, which I only discovered when I read the website to write this review after my visit!  On weekends the High Tea is laid out as a buffet, and one can help oneself to as much as one likes, making this High Tea more expensive as it is charged at R145 per person, but includes tea and coffee.   The One&Only Cape Town serves the High Tea daily, while it is only available over weekends at the Grande Roche and at Grande Provence.   Given the complexity of the offer, here is the hotel’s description of its “Afternoon Tea” on its website:

“An Afternoon Tea stand with carefully selected “sweet pleasures” is served on a classic tree (three?)-tiered cake stand from Monday to Friday each week. The confectionary (sic)selection includes chocolate delice, baked vanilla bean cheese cake, caramel and gold leaf éclairs, tea loaf and macaroons, to name but a few, which is accompanied by individually prepared tea sandwiches of complementing flavors and fine buttermilk scones accompanied with traditional clotted cream and strawberry preserve. All items are prepared in the unique style of the One&Only, originating from the classic French art of patisserie, with our local innovation and inspiration. The Afternoon Tea stand will be offered from 14h30 – 17h30 each day, at R145 per stand which is exclusive of all beverages. A full Afternoon Tea buffet will be available on Saturday’s (sic) and Sunday’s (sic) from 14h30 – 17h30, at R145 per guest, inclusive of selected Tea’s (sic) and Coffee’s (sic)”. 

It took about 15 minutes for the cappuccino and water to arrive, and I started getting worried.  I loved the fancy ‘cup and saucer’ in which the coffee was served.  Three miniature Hillcrest jams were brought to the table, but oddly no butter and cream for the scones (despite the promise of cream from the website above).  A sideplate with a serviette and Robert Welch knife and fork was brought to the table.   Another waiter was instructed by my waiter to write down the names of all the treats, which I received hand-written from American-sounding Congolese waiter Paul on a till slip, even indicating which of the items contain pork and which are vegetarian.  Sharon made her appearance from the kitchen, wearing a Lindt apron, and she asked me if I had been informed of all the names on the High Tea stand.  She talked me through all of them again, and it emerged that Paul had left some out.  She explained the time delay, in that the Banqueting department has to make the savoury part of the High Tea fresh when ordered, whereas the pastries from her side are ready to be put on the stand when the kitchen receives the order.  Sharon was very efficient, and it is clear that she loves her job.

I must have waited for half an hour to receive the High Tea stand, and it is an overwhelming presentation of about 27 items spread over three tiers.   The savoury items cover one of the three tiers, and include brown bread salmon sandwiches, mini chicken hamburgers, feta cheese sandwiches, and bacon and spinach quiches.   The sweet treats are marble cake, a fruit scone as well as a plain scone, macaroons, a butternut biscuit, an Ameretto cookie, a delicious buttermilk panacotta (but served in such a tiny glass that the teaspoon could not get into it – no teaspoon is served for this treat at all, and I used my coffee spoon), passion fruit delice, caramel eclair served with a gold leaf, Tiramisu in a glass (also served in a glass without a spoon, but served in a wider glass which I could access with my coffee spoon), One&Only cheesecake with cocoa crunchies, koeksisters, peanut butter cookie, and white chocolate mousse and chocolate curd slice.  I must praise the scone, which was perfect when I cut it, and did not crumble and fall apart as scones like to do!  In general, the sweet treats were of a far superior quality to the savoury ones.

While I was eating the two items in glass cups, which I could not take home with me, and the scone, Diana Romburgh recognised me and came to say hello.  She and her husband Alan owned the Relais Hotel group, and she said that they are delighted to have sold their business to Tourvest before the World Cup.   Diana was asked by One&Only Cape Town GM Clive Bennett to come and assist him as Guest Relations Manager, and I saw her standing just off the entrance, welcoming hotel guests.    Even though she must have told the staff to not charge extra for the cappuccino, which they did not do on the original bill, a waiter who did not serve me came up to me afterwards, and asked for the payment of the cappuccino, there clearly being communication problems amongst the waitering staff, and misunderstanding about the weekday and weekend High Tea pricing and inclusions/exclusions.

POSTSCRIPT 1/3: Today I received an e-mail from Manley Communications, Communication Consultants to the One&Only Cape Town, to inform me that following this review, the hotel has reverted to an Afternoon Tea Buffet seven days a week, with immediate effect.

One&Only Cape Town, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town.  tel (021)  431-5800. (The switchboard at the hotel is a nightmare, or more accurately, the departments they put one through to do not answer!)  http://capetown.oneandonlyresorts.com/default.aspx  R145 per stand weekdays excluding tea/coffee, R145 per person on weekends, inclusive of tea/coffee.  Monday – Sunday 14h30 – 17h30.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com    Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Tourism Grading Council apologises to accommodation industry

The recent attempt by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa to completely overhaul its grading assessment criteria, and then to withdraw most of the proposed changes due to the outcry from the accommodation industry, is the biggest PR gaffe of the body that has been tasked by South African Tourism to set accommodation quality standards.  The Tourism Grading Council’s charming Chief Quality Assurance Officer Thembi Kunene admitted that an error had been made in presenting the first draft to the industry.

We wrote recently about the final decisions the Tourism Grading Council made, relative to the draft proposal, in its new accommodation grading assessment criteria.   At a presentation to the Cape Town accommodation industry at the Cape Town International Convention Centre earlier this week, Ms Kunene was commendably honest in her feedback about the effect the draft proposals had, and that the potential loss of many accommodation establishments from the grading system led to a rethink, and a delay by about four months, in introducing the new assessment criteria.  

The Tourism Grading Council was criticised for only setting up the meeting in Cape Town in November, the city with the largest number of graded establishments in the country, when it had done presentations in Hermanus and Franschhoek, for example, in September already.   The Tourism Grading Council is clearly sensing a concern, and is doing a road show throughout the country during November, to reassure its clients.   The only problem was that the meeting was set for 8h00 – 12h00, the busiest time of day for accommodation establishments – the smaller they are, the more likely it is that the owners are hands-on in their establishments in making breakfast and checking out their guests, and therefore were unable to attend the meeting.  Ironically, an establishment owner said that the only reason why he was able to attend was because he had no guests in his guest house!

What is not understandable, despite the fact that Ogilvy PR handles the public relations for the Tourism Grading Council, is that no PR campaign has been launched to repair the damage caused to its image amongst its clients through the draft assessment criteria document, which was sent to all star-graded properties.  No current star-graded establishment has received any communication to explain that the bulk of the proposed controversial assessment criteria have been scrapped.  Assessors also seem to have been overwhelmed by the controversial process and the number of calls they had to field about the proposed changes, that they themselves have not been proactive in informing their clients about the dramatic turnaround in the new grading assessment criteria.

A sensitive issue is that the Tourism Grading Council has chosen a new formula for the calculation of its annual fees, by weighting the average room rate and number of rooms to come up with the new fee.  In an example provided for a 2-star guest house in Soweto, the fee increase was shown to be 10 %, whereas it was a far larger increase for a larger higher-starred guest house.  The fee increase in excess of the inflation rate attracted strong criticism amongst the attendees, when accommodation establishments have frozen their rates, some as far back as 2007 already.  The fact that a breakfast was provided was raised by Ms Kunene, as if the establishment owners should have been grateful for the mediocre Convention Centre breakfast, consisting of fruit, cereals, yoghurt, rolls and cold meats, and that it should justify the fee increase!   Ironically, Ms Kunene talked about her new iPad, and one wonders why such a R9000 purchase was necessary!   Each attendee also received a gift on departure, unusable to most and thus a wasted expenditure.   One also wonders why KPMG was contracted to handle the revision of the grading criteria assessment, and how much they were paid, for a proposal that has dented the image of the Tourism Grading Council, and with it that of SA Tourism!

We have written previously that technically very little has changed in the assessment criteria.  It was interesting to hear which of the proposed assessment criteria changes attracted the largest industry criticism:

*  airconditioning – an “air temperature control system” is now acceptable as an alternative to airconditioning, but must have adjustable controls, to be set for the level of comfort of the guest.  

*   dinner service – whilst the criteria say that such a service must be made “available”, it is meant that one must make bookings at restaurants for guests, or allow Mr Delivery access to the establishment for food delivery

*   room service and hours – this only applies to hotels now

*   statutory requirements – each province has different requirements for rezoning, trading etc, and therefore a full list had been supplied.   Now the directive is that the applicable provincial requirements must be adhered to.

*   armchairs – this had led to a debate of the exact definition of such chairs, and therefore the criterion was redefined to be a ‘seating space’ per person

*   shower over bath – a glass partition must be made available for 4 and 5-star establishments

Lesser issues in terms of feedback received related to security requirements (scrapped), room dimensions (scrapped), size of TV screen and initial directive that the TV be a flatscreen one (now dropped), down pillows (scrapped), master switch next to bed (scrapped), wardrobe size (scrapped), number of basins in 5-star bathrooms (scrapped), size and placement of mirrors (scrapped), number of clothes hangers (scrapped), breakfast duration (scrapped), and private toilet in open-plan bathrooms (criterion retained).

Another issue was the application form – yes, no matter how long one has been graded, one has to register from scratch.  Here a number of onerous and off-putting information requirements led to further controversy.  They were justified by the Tourism Grading Council as being necessary if one wants to offer accommodation to Government officials.  These information requirements have now been dropped, yet establishments have not been informed of this recent change. 

Whilst the Tourism Grading Council demonstrated its willingness to listen to its customers, the graded establishments of South Africa, its image is severly dented, and it needs to regain the trust and respect of thousands of graded establishments who are considering not renewing their grading or who were inconvenienced by the drama surrounding the attempted changes to the assessment criteria. 

Ms Kunene called me the morning after the presentation, to personally thank me for my contribution to the meeting during question time.  She impressed with her openness and willingness to hear her customers, and requested that I assist the Tourism Grading Council in spreading the word about the fact that barely any changes have in fact been made in the new grading assessment criteria, which we have already done through our previous blog post.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Twitter @WhaleCottage