Property & Guest Experience Manager
Cape Town, South Africa · Permanent · Lodge Management
Imagine managing a beautiful boutique aparthotel overlooking Cape Town Stadium for summer, while creating an exceptional home for students during the academic year. The Exhibition is unlike any other property in Cape Town. For ten months of the year, we operate as premium student accommodation. During Cape Town's peak tourism season, we transform into a 44-room boutique aparthotel welcoming guests from around the world. We're looking for someone who enjoys creating exceptional experiences, thrives on organised operations, loves solving problems, and believes that the little details matter. This is a hands-on leadership role where no two days are the same. About the Role The Exhibition is a unique hybrid property. From December to January, the property operates as a boutique aparthotel, welcoming leisure and business travellers from around the world. From February to November, it transitions into premium student accommodation, while this role also provides operational support across Proper Living's wider portfolio of student accommodation properties in Cape Town. This creates an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys variety and wants to develop experience across both hospitality and property operations. No two seasons, or two days, are quite the same. What You'll Be Doing November & February | Transition Operations Coordinate the annual changeover between student accommodation and boutique short stay operations Plan and oversee room inspections, maintenance, deep cleans and property preparation Support pricing, inventory setup and operational readiness for the upcoming season Coordinate contractors, housekeeping and internal teams to ensure a smooth transition Assist with early arrivals, reservations and guest communication during the changeover period December & January | Boutique Hospitality Lead the day-to-day operations of our 44-room boutique aparthotel Manage reservations, guest enquiries, check-ins and departures Coordinate housekeeping and ensure rooms are guest-ready Deliver exceptional guest experiences and help maintain outstanding review scores Work closely with our revenue and operations teams to maximise occupancy and guest satisfaction Maintain the presentation, quality and operational standards of the property March to October | Student Living & Portfolio Operations Manage the day-to-day operation of The Exhibition as a premium student residence Support student arrivals, departures and resident engagement Assist the Operations Manager to coordinate maintenance, inspections and preventative maintenance programmes across the portfolio. Assist the wider Operations team across Proper Living's portfolio of student accommodation properties when required Help improve systems, processes and operational efficiencies across multiple properties Build strong relationships with residents, contractors and internal teams We're Looking For Someone Who... Has experience in a boutique hotel, guesthouse, aparthotel, or similar hospitality environment. Is confident using a Property Management System (Cloudbeds, Opera, Mews or similar). Enjoys creating exceptional guest experiences. Loves improving systems and finding smarter ways of working. Can comfortably switch between guest-facing hospitality and operational problem-solving. Is highly organised and takes ownership without waiting to be asked. Thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. Why Join Proper Living? At Proper Living, we're building more than accommodation. We're creating spaces where people genuinely enjoy living and staying. You'll join a collaborative team that values initiative, curiosity and continuous improvement. We believe the best ideas can come from anyone, and we're always looking for better ways to improve our properties and our guest experience. This role offers the rare opportunity to gain experience across both boutique hospitality and large-scale property operations, making it an excellent next step for someone looking to grow into a senior operations or hospitality leadership role.