In Cape Town, everybody knows ‘The Nellie’. Whether you’ve been there for the Afternoon Tea, or gone celebrity-spotting in the glam Planet Bar, the Mount Nelson Hotel, a Belmond hotel, has long been a favourite for both savvy locals and well-heeled travellers.
When it opened in 1899 it was the first hotel in the country to offer hot and cold running water in the rooms, and ever since has set the bar high for elegant luxury in the heart of the Mother City.
The hotel has also enjoyed a flush of new energy in the last few years, with a renewed energy when it comes to embracing the culinary and cultural vibrance of the city. There’s art on the walls and fashion shows at afternoon tea, while the Red Room by Chef’s Warehouse has once again made the hotel a destination for fine dining. The recent arrival of Luke Lawrence Barry as the new executive chef is also set to once again place the Nellie as the place to dine in the city.
So little wonder that when the World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024 were unveiled in London on September 17, the Mount Nelson Hotel clocked in at #28, making it the best hotel in Africa! La Mamounia, in Marrakech, was next up at #31.
Judges praised the Mount Nelson’s 198 rooms and suites scattered across the historic main building – ‘charmingly crooked floorboards and soaring, sconced ceilings’ – and in the newer Green Park wing and butter-hued Helmsley Annex. Planet Bar is dubbed ‘the spot for classic cocktails in Cape Town’ while highlighting the fact that ‘despite its grand credentials, service is far from stuffy and light-hearted and personality-filled’.
'Our daily focus is on how we make our guests, and our staff feel,' adds Tiago Moraes Sarmento, Area Managing Director, Belmond Southern Africa. 'We have the ability to influence that narrative by creating unforgettable moments that epitomise slow luxury for the modern traveller. We are so thrilled to be recognised for the passion and dedication of our extraordinary colleagues who continue to craft magic for our guests and make people smile!'
Rooms don’t come cheap, but the Mount Nelson has always welcomed visitors who might pop in for a coffee on the terrace, or cocktails in the Planet Bar. With summer on the horizon, now’s the time to tip your hat to the grande dame of Cape Town.
The Mount Nelson Hotel also cracks our list of the best hotels in Cape Town!