Travel Operations & Guest Experience Coordinator

Tourismupdate; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

The Travel Café in Cape Town is seeking an experienced Travel & Property Operations Coordinator to support our Cape Town travel team and oversee the operational coordination of Starry Starry Night Cape Town, our boutique property.

You will assist Senior Travel Designers with bookings, suppliers, itineraries and travel documentation, while ensuring the Cape Town property is beautifully prepared for every guest. This is a hands-on role requiring proven organisational skills and a proactive mindset.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in travel, tourism, hospitality, reservations, property operations or high-level administration.
• Exceptionally organised, accurate and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent written and spoken English; strong computer literacy.
• Proactive and resourceful; good at following up and resolving issues.
• Warm, personable and attentive to detail in hospitality settings.

Responsibilities

• Make and manage accommodation, restaurant, transfer, guide and activity reservations.
• Liaise with suppliers, follow up confirmations and keep booking information accurate.
• Support Senior Travel Designers with quotations, itineraries and travel docs.
• Assist with invoices, payments, records and back-office administration.
• Coordinate cleaning schedule and guest turnaround at Starry Starry Night Cape Town.
• Ensure linen, amenities and supplies are organised and replenished.
• Ensure the property is clean, presented and ready for arrivals.
• Communicate clearly with guests, suppliers and colleagues.
• Keep on top of moving parts and take ownership to resolve issues.
• Contribute proactively as roles may overlap in a small team.

Skills

Travel industry experience

Organisational skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Problem solving

Hospitality mindset

Multitasking

Guest relations

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Travel Operations & Guest Experience Coordinator

City:

Cape Town

Province:

Western Cape

Country:

South Africa

Contract Type:

Permanent

Industry Sector:

Tour Operator Regional (SADC)

Availability:

Immediately

Negotiable based on experience + incentives

Required Qualifications:

We are looking for someone with proven experience in travel, tourism, hospitality, reservations, property operations or high-level administration.
The right person will be exceptionally organised, accurate and comfortable managing multiple priorities at once. You should be confident dealing with suppliers, bookings, guest information, schedules and detailed administrative work.
You will need excellent written and spoken English, strong computer literacy and confidence using Microsoft Office and online booking/administration systems.
Most importantly, you should be proactive and resourceful. When something needs sorting out, your instinct should be to investigate, follow up and find a solution rather than wait for somebody else to take over.
You should also be warm and personable. Our work is ultimately about hospitality, whether you are speaking directly to a guest or making sure everything behind the scenes is exactly as it should be.
Attention to detail is essential. We need someone who notices the incorrect date, the missing confirmation, the room that is not quite ready or the supplier who has not replied — and deals with it before it becomes a problem.
And we are looking for someone ambitious in the right way. You do not need to be chasing titles or the top job, but you should want to become excellent at what you do. Coasting does not come naturally to you.

Description:

The Travel Café is a boutique, founder-led travel company creating thoughtful journeys through Southern and Eastern Africa. We believe travel, when done well, can be a genuine force for good — connecting people, supporting local communities and conservation, and leaving both travellers and the places they visit better than before.
We are looking for an experienced Travel & Property Operations Coordinator to support our Cape Town travel team while taking day-to-day responsibility for the operational coordination of Starry Starry Night Cape Town, our boutique accommodation property.
This is a varied, hands-on role for someone who genuinely enjoys making things run smoothly. You will support our Senior Travel Designers with bookings, suppliers, itineraries and administration, while also ensuring our Cape Town property is beautifully prepared and ready for every guest.
This is not an entry-level position. We are looking for someone who has already worked in travel, tourism, hospitality, reservations or a similarly demanding coordination role and can bring proven organisational skills, good systems and practical experience from day one.
Your responsibilities will include:
- making and managing accommodation, restaurant, transfer, guide and activity reservations;
- liaising with suppliers, following up confirmations and keeping booking information accurate and organised;
- supporting Senior Travel Designers with quotations, itineraries, travel documentation and guest files;
- assisting with invoices, payments, records and general back-office administration;
- coordinating the cleaning schedule and guest turnaround at Starry Starry Night Cape Town;
- ensuring linen, amenities and household supplies are organised and replenished;
- checking that the property is clean, beautifully presented and ready for arriving guests;
- communicating with guests, suppliers and colleagues clearly and professionally;
- keeping on top of multiple moving parts without needing constant follow-up;
- spotting problems early and taking ownership of getting them resolved.
We are a small team, so roles occasionally overlap. We value people who see what needs doing and get on with it rather than waiting for every task to be assigned.

Additional Information:

This is a full-time, Cape Town-based position working across both The Travel Café and Starry Starry Night Cape Town.
The role suits someone who enjoys variety and takes satisfaction in being the person who quietly keeps everything organised behind the scenes. One moment you may be following up a safari lodge confirmation for a Travel Café guest; the next you may be checking that the cleaning team has prepared the property correctly for an arrival.
We care deeply about warmth and hospitality, but we also have high standards. We are looking for someone dependable, practical and accountable who takes pride in getting the details right.
If you love travel and hospitality, are naturally organised, enjoy supporting a busy team and already know how to make operations run smoothly, we would love to hear from you.