Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel
What We Love
- In the shadow of Table Mountain and a 10-minute walk from the city center
- Old World charm, from high tea service to sundowners by a marble fireplace
What To Know
- The excellent restaurant serves a gourmet take on African game
- Free WiFi
- The V&A waterfront is a shuttle ride away
Amenities
- Babysitting
- Bar
- Free WiFi
- Gym
- Handicap Accessible
- Kids Club
- Parking On Site
- Pool
- Restaurant
- Spa
Overview
The Look
If you’re going to paint your hotel pink, you better be ready to deliver in the style department. Luckily, the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel — or the Nellie, as it’s affectionately known — has been packing more than enough panache to go around since 1899, and it’s the place to stay in the Mother City (the guest registry includes Oprah, Kate Moss and Colin Farrell). Old World glamour reigns supreme here, from the high tea served daily on the hotel’s veranda to the two tennis courts, on which everyone wears Wimbledon whites. Spread over nine garden-filled acres in the shadow of Table Mountain, the buildings that make up the complex are filled with fresh-cut flowers and antiques.
Bed and Bath
In keeping with the overall style of the hotel, the 198 guestrooms are elegantly decked out with period details, floral fabrics and antiques. They’re all individually styled; some are done in pastel shades and bright white furniture, while others have sturdy dark wood furnishings and deeper hues. The higher room categories (Deluxe Rooms and above) are located in the original part of the hotel, and many of the Suites have grand four-poster beds.
Beyond
The spa is all about bringing traditional healing techniques and treatments rooted in Africana into a modern context. Hydrotherapy baths use pouches filled with indigenous plants and herbs, including rooibos and African potato, along with herbal oil blends, and the yoga studio offers regular classes. The Nellie’s bars and restaurants are favorites among locals. At the fine dining outlet, Planet Restaurant, guests can try a selection of unfamiliar tastes, like cured springbok. After your meal, tap into the city’s nightlife scene by grabbing a flute of champagne at the Planet Bar, where Cape Town’s well-heeled pretty young things mingle well into the night.
In the Area
The Cape Town dining scene is on fire, with chefs (including the Nellie’s Rudi Liebenberg at Planet Restaurant) putting innovative spins on distinctly African ingredients. Ask the concierge for recommendations. Journey out to the Cape’s wine region to sample the region’s famous Pinotage. It’s an easy daytrip; in fact, it’s only a 45-minute drive to the charming town of Franschhoek, where tasting rooms, top-notch restaurants, art galleries and gourmet food shops provide plenty of diversions. Visit the Old Biscuit Mill, a restored factory in the formerly gritty and now hipster-filled industrial neighborhood of Woodstock, to check out the city’s best fashion and furniture designers. The surrounding region has plenty of sandy options — after all, you can see the confluence of two oceans from the Cape. Be sure to visit different spots to see and feel the variations in water temperature and color between the Atlantic and Indian Ocean sides.
How to Get There
Reviews
Hotel was in a good location to move around the city by uber or taxi. The breakfast was very good with a large selection and great service. Rooms were large and we were given a complimentary upgrade to a suite since we booked with amex FHR. We were also given a tasting menu at the chefs table as part of FHR that was delicious.
Such a lovely old hotel below Table Mountain. It’s old style 5 star with great service and food. Excellent morning, high and evening tea. A really nice small gym with spa, sauna and steam. It also has a courier drop to waterfront.
Very comfortable rooms.
My husband and I spent our last night of our holiday in South Africa and Cape Town in this iconic hotel and could not have been happier! Every single thing about this hotel is fabulous and regrettably it has established a new expectation for us going forward. The KS bed is possibly the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in! Thank you to everyone for making our stay so memorable. The concept of the adult only area swimming pool was genius and I had a lovely afternoon cooling off away from the crowd and their lively kids enjoying themselves..
We dined at the Lord Nelson Restaurant during our stay and enjoyed a delightful meal in an amazing dining setting with Kevin looking after our every need.
The hotel is not inexpensive, but the memories will last for a long time!
I recently stayed at this hotel and it is an excellent venue and you will be very impressed when entering the main entrance of the hotel. The reception staff are very polite and attentive. The bedrooms in the main building are lovely in particular the bedding and towels which are truly 5 star in quality. The breakfast room service was good but sometimes inconsistent in terms of the set up of the tray despite the same order requested several days running which was a little disappointing. On arrival in room there were several things that did not work for example bathroom scales needed a battery and window would not open. The most frustrating thing for someone who wants to dry their hair in front of a mirror this is impossible and therefore I needed to ask for a free standing mirror which was supplied. The main pool was not working during our trip due to a leak which was a shame as the grounds around the pool are wonderful. I had dinner in the restaurant on Sunday evening and unfortunately my main dish was cold on arrival so needed to be sent back which was a shame. Would I stay this is a 5 star hotel ... yes in certain aspects but they needed to focus on the small things they are currently missing to be truly top class but I would definitely recommend as a lovely placed to stay
Set in the hills above Cape Town, this is a beautiful property. The common parts reminded us of the set of an Agatha Christie movie: comfortable, beautiful and replete with old world charm. Our room was well appointed and spacious. Our bed was one of the most comfortable we have come across. The lovely bathroom had a very large old fashioned bath (we did not take advantage in order to respect the plea for saving water) and a great separate shower. Concierge and reception team were excellent. Large, with a good shape for laps, swimming pool, but cold due to broken heating. Breakfast was fine but service was a bit slow. All in all, highly recommended, although expensive.