Read on to see how Farrah got on in the eclectic Protea Hotel Fire and Ice hotel in Cape Town

When I told my brother that Cape Town was on my list of destinations, he almost cried in hysteria. I didn’t quite understand why until today. My preconceptions of Cape Town only went as far as what we saw in the media during the World Cup earlier this year. A week of taking in new architecture and artificial land had me at the climax of modernisation. Today I was brought back to earth – literally.

A city mapped around mountains and two oceans, breathtaking landscape with trees almost everywhere. The scenes as we drove from the airport into the city reminded me of back home, Kashmir. It felt unquestionably romantic. Table Mountain is the centrepiece here, its name given to it due to its flat top – charming.

The hilly streets and steep roads manoeuvre across the city, offering unparalleled views from all over. Cape Town has been a hub for tourists recently due to its balance of maintaining angelic landscapes and modern city life.

My first hotel here is in the entertainment centre, although its exact location is a little backstreet. I’m not sure I felt the safest when walking around the area, but the hotel itself was more than safe. There is just one word to describe it – funky!

This place is mad and exactly what it says on the tin – Fire and Ice – hot and cold. Innovative and ground breaking design, hanging chairs in reception, bright spotlights in various colours, themed lifts – yes, themed lifts. One was dressed as a cable car going up in the mountains, one was a shark cage… a little scary I hear you say. Wait until you hear what the third one was – black curtains. Sounds elegant? No. It wasn’t. As I was moving up to the third floor, I was constantly waiting for someone to pop out from behind the curtains to scare me… it didn’t happen, but you never know. I later found out that they are still working on it and just put the curtains up as a decoy. Maybe just don’t put the curtains up? Just a thought.

My room was even funkier. The shower and sink were in my bedroom, and my toilet was separate. This meant that when I had my shower today, all the mirrors in my room steamed up.

Service was pleasant at times, with concierges and doormen being the most polite. Reception wasn’t all that great. They were not keen on giving me a late checkout as they had to ‘ask the manager’ who wasn’t in. And when I asked my question of the day ‘Where does the name Fire and Ice come from?’ I didn’t get any answers. I was told I would be given a number and I could call them (head office) and find out. How about no thanks, do I have the time? When I probed further, they claimed they did know the answer but weren’t allowed to say in case I misinterpret and sell in to the media. So, I took a stroll and decided to ask others about what exactly is in a name…it seems the two opposites denote the type of place it is and the feelings and energy it creates.

The bar was extremely cool, I have to say (excuse the pun) with ice all around the bar area, it was trendy and happening, and the staff there were fantastic, posing for pictures, asking me where I was from, eager to converse and make me feel welcome. It was then that I figured out what the ‘fire’ meant – the fun of course! This place prides itself on being fun and pushing boundaries. Quite hot, don’t you think?

There’s a pool on the first floor with a Jacuzzi and the views are stunning with the city in the foreground and the gorgeous landscape of the mountains in the background. There is also a gym, a restaurant and 24hr room service with local South African dishes. The only thing my room was missing was an iron. But perhaps I will just hang my clothes and they’ll get steamed when I have a shower.

As I walked into this hotel it was freezing – as cold as ice – but the fun welcome from some of the staff warmed me up nicely. And with the funky furniture, random lift design and bathroom and bedroom in one, I can see why this has caused a bit of a stir. Maybe I should have used the stairs, as the lifts really are too much for me. See you soon guys.