City Center
COST: $$$$
From the T+L 500
Colonial 1899 hotel on a 9-acre garden estate in the heart of Cape Town's cultural center that seamlessly blends traditional décor with modern amenities, including an innovative restaurant and spa.
| Score | 85.00 |
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| Stats | 201 rooms; 2 restaurants; 1 bar. |
| Rooms to Book | No. 638 has lovely views of the garden and of Lions Head Mountain. |
| Insider Tip | Get a spa treatment that incorporates African plants at the new Librisa Spa. |
| Cost | Doubles from $610, including breakfast. |
| Amenities |
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New to the T+L 500 |  |
High-Speed Internet | |
Gym | |
Pool |
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Spa | |
Tennis |  |
Golf |  |
Outdoor Activities |
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Water Activities |  |
Fishing |  |
Kids' Program | ||
Since 1899, this pink-faced colonial beauty—just a stroll away from the Company Gardens—has been the reigning queen of Cape Town’s hotels. Originally built by a shipping magnate to host wealthy Europeans, “The Nellie” today is operated by Orient-Express and hosts celebs like Richard Gere and Paris Hilton. The property includes nine acres of sweeping lawns and rosebushes, burbling stone fountains and swimming pools; the 201 high-ceilinged guest rooms are sophisticated aeries, decked out in white and cream–colored damask, dark-wood antique furnishings, and (in many cases) dramatically canopied or swagged beds. Colonial-era tradition is observed during afternoon tea service in The Lounge, while modern-day decadence abounds at the new (opened in 2008) Librisa Spa.
Insider Tip: To get a real taste of swinging white-collar Cape Town, hit the hotel’s swanky Planet Champagne Bar on a Friday afternoon from 4 p.m. on.
Room to Book: The gorgeous lodging options here are in the outlying gardens. Room 907 in the Garden Cottage (1,500 square feet) is a romantic dream with a living-room fireplace, chinoiserie wallpaper, and a striped marble Deco bathroom.
As Featured In...
From Travel + Leisure, Jan 2005
“'I love staying at different hotels, experiencing the new and unfamiliar,' says Menzel, who unpacked at the Mount Nelson Hotel. 'The best part—whatever you ask for, no matter how crazy, they will always bring it.'...” MORE>>
lastArticle = 1/2005 and lastAward = 01/2008
