Coworking at Cartel House - 113 Loop Street
August 2021
Words – Chantal van Baalen
Pictures – Cartel House
Cartel House – 113 Loop Street, an initiative by Ideas Cartel. A coworking space and hotel in one, and boy oh boy how this makes us happy. With two locations in town and one in the 30-minute drive Muizenberg, we have picked the venue in the city center to investigate. And it was a good choice. A digital nomad heaven, ready to be amazed?
Welcome to Cartel House
In the city center on Loop Street you will find Cartel House, disguised in the 11-floor Ideas Cartel building. It’s very easy to find, due to the fancy entrance. Loop Street is a long and fun street, with loads of little shops, bars and restaurants around every corner. A lovely and bustling area, and just like every big and busy city center, always watch your belongings. In the street there are several bus stops that will take you anywhere in town, so it’s also extremely easily accessible! Coming by car? You can park around the corner for free in a large parking lot, or you can even make use of the valet parking service.
After being welcomed at the reception at the entrance by two very friendly and well-dressed gentlemen, I was checked in and ready to go to the Cartel House coworking space on the third floor. At the next reception desk another extremely warm welcome was awaiting me. I was given a detailed tour through the venue, which gave a good impression already of the kind of space I found myself in. And this was a good first impression. The option was given to work either on the third or the top floor, where the flex-desks are. After getting a solid cappuccino at the bar I found a spot at the big coworking table on the top floor with, of course, the best view.
"A modern design, tastefully decorated with lots of different elements and details, without getting messy"
Desks at Cartel House
Coworking hot desks can be found on the third and the tenth (the top) floor. The third floor has a dedicated area for the hot desks that is quiet, a little darker and secluded. This in order to get your concentration level sky high and be as productive as possible. There is a big wooden table as well as small private desks with desk lights and power plugs for every seat. Instead of office chairs, there are decorative and comfortable chairs. The tenth floor is a cozy, bright area with large windows all around that almost give a 360 view of the city. This area also leads to a large outside deck to get some fresh air. There are large shared tables as well as cozy seating and lounge areas. The whole area is decorated with cozy chairs and other stylish details. Enough plugs can be found, but for some an extension chords is required. The WiFi is very strong throughout the entire building, with a download speed of 90 mbps and an upload speed of 94 mbps. I nestled myself in a seat with Table Mountain view in my back and the rest of the mother city in front with even a glimpse of the Blouberg Bay and the ocean in between the buildings. Not too bad right?
Other rooms
Cartel House offers two meeting rooms with all facilities provided. Several soundproof phone booths also can be found to make more private calls. The rest of the building is filled with private offices and whole floors dedicated to businesses. One floor of the 11-storey building covers the Cartel House Hotel. At the ground floor the BRUNCH Café can be found, offering gorgeous breakfasts and lunches, which is also open to the public with a 2-hour time slot for coworking. Throughout the building there are multiple lounges to relax or to have an informal meeting. There is a Cartel Café on the third floor to get a fancy coffee, and the tenth floor has another café to get a well-deserved drink after work and connect with other coworkers, which has become a daily event!
Cartel House vibes
From the moment you walk into the building of the Ideas Cartel, you can feel that a dedicated designer has had a good time here. The industrial and somewhat dark steampunk interior design on the ground floor gets lighter and more colorful the higher you get. All the floors have large windows throughout, providing much natural daylight. A modern design, tastefully decorated with lots of different elements and details, without getting messy. Well done!
An extremely friendly vibe is set by the staff, which is projected on the coworkers. Everyone is keen for a little chat and it is therefore easy to meet new people as well. Especially at the ‘social’ coworking top floor. On this floor, awesome tunes are played throughout the day, from French romantic ballads to deep house tunes later on the day. The level of comfort makes you feel at home instantly and it is the perfect balance between formal corporate and informal homey vibes.
Cartel House services
On the third floor there is a communal kitchen that can be used to make (your own) coffee and tea and to warm up meals. As a Cartel Member, you can make use of all the cafés within the venue, as well as the gorgeous pool area at the upper deck, which is a really cool extra. This area is also very suitable to work from and provides stunning views. There is also a gym available to get a work-out and clear your mind. This of course goes hand in hand with the availability of the showers at the venue to freshen up. Some memberships also give you full access to the other Cartel Ideas venues and all its facilities. Definitely worth checking out!
Multiple informative and recreational events are hosted at the lounge of the Cartel House. Some of these come with the membership, and others require a contribution. It’s easy to register through the Ideas Cartel app. This app also makes your life at the Cartel House easier in so many ways. You can order drinks and food that will be brought to you, book facilities and much more. Don’t forget to register your credit card before ordering your favorite meal!
Memberships
The Ideas Cartel offers daily passes for very reasonable prices at all the venues. You can make use of all facilities during the day and enjoy a productive day of working. Want to make use of the gym? For a small extra fee the place is all yours! The different venues come with different monthly memberships. These range from a ‘Flex Membership’ with a hot desk for two days a week, to unlimited access to a hot desk at one venue or all of them. A membership for dedicated desks is only available at The Old Foundry location. All venues have private offices that can be custom made in all different sizes. These offices are leased by the year.
Did we get you excited? You can find more information and book a desk through their website.