This article has been updated since publishing.

Cape Town’s iconic President Hotel, which reopened its doors in 1998 by former President, Nelson Mandela, following an impressive refubishment, debuts its newest renovations this month having added modern design, décor and amenities for guests.

Hailed as one of the oldest properties on the Atlantic Seaboard, the hotel now offers a new children’s play area, reception, The Point Lounge and Deck, Owners’ Lounge and Deck Bar, and refurbished rooms.

The design looked at putting a modern spin on African cultural influences with bespoke finishing and sustainable details, with the story of the design aiming to stay true to the hotel’s history, considering all materials used, and bringing the space to life with kinetic furniture and art pieces.

Interiors have been enhanced with locally sourced modern lamps in the bedrooms along with a hand-blown glass-beaded screen in the reception area that takes its heritage from traditional African cultures. The hotel also has wireless chargers in the waiting area, and a new group arrival area that can be transformed into a cinema room where the in-house streaming service, HotelFlix, can be cast on to the screen.

The hotel has six floors, with each showcasing a different theme of photo art that includes landscapes, ocean, fauna, flora, culture and Madiba. Large-scale wallpaper photos line the corridors with tags indicating where each photo was taken, with framed images in the individual rooms and suites.

Shareholder and Manager of the hotel, Jeremy Clayton, says: “Today’s travellers crave authentic experiences rooted into the places they visit. Our goal was to update the President Hotel’s spaces and offerings by developing an interconnected design that reinterprets leisure in a modern way and pays tribute to our incredible city and surroundings.”