The Mount Nelson Hotel first opened its doors on Monday, March 6, 1899. The first hotel in South Africa to offer hot and cold running water received rave reviews and was applauded for being "even better than its London counterparts." A quote from the hotel's first advertisement in the "Cape Times" newspaper on March 3, 1899: "This large and magnificent hotel, beautifully situated in gardens at the upper end of Government Avenue, in the most spacious and healthy part of Cape Town, offers visitors all the conveniences of a first-class hotel at reasonable expenses."

October 12, 1899: The South African War begins. The British used the Mount Nelson Hotel as their headquarters from which they planned their military campaign. Lords Roberts, Kitchener, and Buller were familiar figures in the hotel corridors, and the young war correspondent Winston Churchill, who stayed there as a correspondent during the Anglo-Boer War, described it as “a most excellent and well-equipped establishment, which can be truly appreciated after a sea voyage” (his mother, Lady Jenny Churchill, also stayed at the Mount Nelson Hotel).

The second manager of the Mount Nelson Hotel (an Italian named Aldo Renato) celebrated the end of World War I by painting the hotel a cheerful shade of pink. The trend of pink hotels was popular throughout Europe for the next several decades, and so the Mount Nelson Hotel retained its pink hue and is still known as the "famous pink hotel of Cape Town." Paint experts developed the final shade called ‘Mount Nelson Pink,’ designed to fade to a specific color between layers.

In 1919, Cape Town was devastated by a deadly influenza virus. City doctors declared the Mount Nelson Hotel a "plague-free zone."

The Prince of Wales visited the hotel in 1925. In honor of this visit, the impressive "Prince of Wales Gates" and a palm-lined driveway were built the year before.

The Oasis residential wing was added to the main building of the Mount Nelson Hotel in 1973.

A few months before his untimely death, John Lennon stayed at the Mount Nelson Hotel under the pseudonym "Mr. Greenwood." It is said that he was exceptionally tidy (he even made his own bed), meditated on Table Mountain, regularly communicated with his wife Yoko Ono, and planned to bring her to stay at the hotel the following year.

The Mount Nelson Hotel was acquired by Orient-Express Hotels in 1988. Two years later, a row of eight beautifully restored historic cottages on the hotel grounds was transformed into elegantly furnished Garden Cottage Suites.

In 1996, the Mount Nelson Hotel acquired three historic buildings adjacent to Palm Avenue and the Helmsley Hotel, and all four buildings were fully restored and converted into guest accommodations, increasing the total number of bedrooms and suites to 201. Tonton House Cottage was originally built as a guest house, Green Park was originally a dormitory for medical staff, and Hof Villa was built as a private residence for the hotel manager. Helmsley was originally the site of the first Jewish service in Cape Town (held in 1841) and later became the first Jewish community in South Africa.

Orient-Express Hotels Ltd was renamed Belmond in 2014, and at that time the hotel was renamed Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel.

Mount Nelson has been a home away from home for many writers. In 1922, Agatha Christie (not yet famous as a writer) stayed there during her round-the-world trip—she tried surfing for the first time on Muizenberg Beach and enjoyed it. She wrote her notes here. In 1925, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a guest and upset other guests by conducting seances in his room. Another literary guest was Noël Coward, who came in 1944. His plays were extremely popular in South Africa, and he was invited to the country by the wife of Prime Minister Jan Smuts. Upon arrival, he was greeted by a crowd of 30,000 people. Coward’s play "Blithe Spirit" was translated into Afrikaans as "Die Vryerige Spook" ("The Loving Ghost"). Coward spent 19 days at the Mount Nelson Hotel. Rudyard Kipling, who was in South Africa during the Anglo-Boer War, attended a luncheon of the South African Automobile Club while a guest at the Mount Nelson Hotel and gave a speech (Kipling was one of the early automobile enthusiasts). He and his wife often returned to Cape Town to escape the British winters. Rudyard Kipling lived for many years at Mount Nelson, escaping European winters. Cecil Rhodes entertained here, Herbert Wells visited, as did Arthur Conan Doyle, famed as the author of Sherlock Holmes, who practically spent most of his service during the Anglo-Boer War on Nelson Mountain.

Herbert Wells was a visitor, although he probably did not endear himself to the locals when he described the South African government as “petty white tyranny.” More recently, Nelson Mandela was an honored guest, and Alexander McCall Smith wrote about the “amazing beauty of Cape Town” and recommends the Planet Bar on Nelson Mountain as the best place to meet friends for a drink.

The book "I Had Tea at Nelly’s" (excuse me: at the Mount Nelson Hotel) is your faithful companion for tea at the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town.

In it, Andreas Augustin introduces the history of tea and the history of Nelson Mountain—from the days of Castle Line to the present. After more than 50 successful books, including "I Had Tea at Reid’s," Andreas Augustin has written another instructive book on a subject about which every great philosopher has something to say.

The Mount Nelson Hotel has always been popular with famous politicians, writers, and entertainers from around the world. Notable figures seen at the hotel over the years include: Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Marlene Dietrich, Robert Wagner, Shirley Bassey, Henry Kissinger, Simon and Yasmin Le Bon, Donald Sutherland, Al Gore, Liberace, Joanna Lumley, Nicolas Cage, Hilary Swank, Lenny Kravitz, Phil Collins, Ethan Hawke, David Bowie and Iman, Janet Jackson, Sir Bob Geldof, Margaret Thatcher, George H.W. Bush, His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, Jane Seymour, U2 and Bono, Mary J. Blige, Billy Joel, Alexander McCall Smith, John Malkovich, Paris Hilton, Mira Nair, Nelson Mandela, Charlize Theron, Oprah Winfrey, Colin Farrell, the Dalai Lama, Leonardo DiCaprio, Richard Gere, Michael Bublé, Robbie Williams, and Morgan Freeman.

Sources:

https://famoushotels.org/hotels/mount-nelson

https://www.historichotelsthenandnow.com/mountnelsoncapetown.html

https://www.belmond.com/hotels/africa/south-africa/cape-town/belmond-mount-nelson-hotel/afternoon-tea