Nestled at the foot of Table Mountain, “The Nellie” has been Cape Town’s grandest address since 1899. Painted its now-iconic blush pink to mark the end of World War I, the hotel has hosted everyone from Winston Churchill and John Lennon to Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama, who once addressed 500 guests in the ballroom. Now part of the Belmond collection, the 198-room hotel is known as much for its warmth and long-serving staff as for its grandeur—pillared verandas, tropical gardens, and views of the mountains at every turn. That legacy is now paired with more contemporary voices, most notably a suite designed by South African fashion designer Thebe Magugu, drawing on Afro-Modernist themes. Guests come for the famous afternoon tea, the spa and swimming pools, and the choice of exceptional restaurants set among the gardens. The mood is relaxed, the setting lush, and the sense of place unmistakable.

Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town
76 Orange Street
Gardens
Cape Town
South Africa