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Our Heritage
The Early Years Mount Nelson Hotel, opened on the 6th of March 1899. It was the fruit of the imagination and determination of shipping magnate Sir Donald Currie. The hotel was designed to emulate the finest in London which was then the leading capital of refined hostelry. The reviews following the grand opening claimed that it had surpassed all expectations and even exceeded comparison with its British rivals. The first visitors to the hotel were wealthy travellers - European high society who were still enjoying the exploration fever which had taken hold earlier in the century; the nouveau riche, and those in search of fame and fortune who recognised that up-and-coming Cape Town offered a wealth of opportunities. It was a time when legends were born, nurtured and occasionally discredited, often on the hotel’s veranda... The Anglo-Boer War The hotel opened its doors in 1899 to great excitement but there was also trepidation and uncertainty in the air with the impending Anglo-Boer war. Consequently there was a feverish urge to gather with friends and party at the newly opened hotel.

When the war broke out towards the end of the year, the great statesmen of the time - Lords Kitchener, Buller and Roberts - gathered at the Mount Nelson to discuss strategy. A young Winston Churchill was a regular guest as a newspaper correspondent reporting on the war. The First World War Thankfully, the war was relatively short-lived and Cape Town and Mount Nelson Hotel enjoyed a decade of peace and stability until 1914, with the outbreak of the First World War. The hotel again saw and heard the machinations of soldiers around its dining tables. Once peace was restored, the hotel responded to the post-war jubilation by donning what was to become a trademark ‘Mount Nelson Pink’ coat of rose-tinted paint. A Royal Welcome In 1925 the state visit of the Prince of Wales gave the Mount Nelson the perfect excuse to commission a grand new entrance and palm-tree lined driveway, which was named after His Royal Highness - the impressive ‘Prince of Wales Gate’. The Second World War and After After the ravages of the Second World War (1939 – 1945), the 1950’s saw Cape Town reassert its popularity with a wave of building work and an influx of visitors to match. Mount Nelson Hotel built the first heated swimming pool in Africa and the building was extended to include more bedrooms and an elegant new dining area. Here and Now The hotel was acquired by Orient-Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises in 1988 which led to improvements and renovations in every area of the hotel. We pride ourselves on our sense of provenance and elegance, and we strive for excellence in everything we do – from exceptional service standards, to cutting-edge facilities – Mount Nelson Hotel looks forward to a successful future filled with many more milestones and happy memories.