Vyn Guest House
where luxury meets sustainability
Our dream of a guest house in Cape Town
We would like to share our motivation with you. Cape Town has captivated us from the start with the magnificent beauty of its nature and the immense diversity of its people and cultures. You can enjoy beautiful beaches between rugged rock formations, experience mountains with unique vegetation, and explore fascinating maritime wildlife right on your doorstep, so to speak. The Cape’s culture is as diverse as the people who live here. There are original markets with local products and of course modern shopping centres, magnificent wine estates with centuries of tradition that are among the best in the world – as well as a plethora of outstanding restaurants. Cape Town has been the scene of the country’s impressive history, which you can be experienced at first hand and is home to countless galleries and museums. At the same time, the climate is always very pleasant due to its location near the sea and the Benguela Current that passes by here.
In Hout Bay, Cape Town – the place where we feel at home – we found the most beautiful location in South Africa to realise our project
So where is the best place for a house in South Africa? It was clear to us that it had to be by the sea – that was always our dream. Yet there are quite a few beautiful, almost magical places near the sea in South Africa – and everyone is sure to have their own preferences.
In the end, Hout Bay captivated us. The sheltered valley at the back of Table Mountain with its diverse communities, the breath-taking Chapman's Peak Drive, the magnificent beaches from Llandudno to Noordhoek in the immediate vicinity, Constantia with its wineries just across the road and, last but not least, the proximity to the Mother City – all these aspects finally convinced us to find our future home here.
We took a leap of faith and set out to realise our dream of a contemporary and sustainable guesthouse
People who hear that we are building a house in South Africa in order to open a guesthouse probably think of a thatched mud hut rather than a modern house according to European energy standards, with sustainable electricity and water supply and many pleasant features. We have noticed that the building industry in the Cape is highly professional and in no way inferior to that in Europe. In some areas, it is even ahead of the game.
Nevertheless, the entire project is an adventure – and this is only possible with people who share our dream and put their heart and soul into it. We are very grateful to all of you for your support in making our dream come true.
We are grateful for the wonderful people who accompany and support us in our project
The construction of the house is one thing, but the running of the guesthouse is another. Even though we have brought in all our skills in business and dealing with customers and our own experience from a guest's point of view, we are fortunate to have an experienced team on board. First and foremost, there is Portia Shbozo-Katshu, with her many years of experience in running a guesthouse. She takes care of all the guests' needs and the operation in the background alongside Martina.
We are delighted that Vuyo Dillan Sbhozo will strengthen our team, too. He is a calm and charismatic person who loves seeing other people smile and laugh. He is currently studying Human Resource Management and it´s his dream and aspiration to finish university and to move out of Imizamo Yethu with his family to a better environment.
Klaus will enjoy to support him developing his potential for his further career.
You can read Martina's blog about the many experiences we had on our journey
If you want to find out more about how it all came about, what we experienced and are still experiencing, and what special tips we have in store, then head over to Martina's blog.