LIFE BY LEXUS 42


BELMOND MOUNT NELSON,


CAPE TOWN Cape Town’s famous “blushing” hotel sits nestled in the heart of Cape Town at the foot of Table Mountain. In 1890, part of the Van Oudtshoorn


garden was purchased by the Cape Land Company and earmarked for a hotel. Sir Donald Currie, Chairman of the Union Castle Shipping Line, felt that there were no hotels in the area which could meet the standards of wealthy British visitors. The Mount Nelson opened its doors


in March 1899, the only hotel in SA at the time to offer hot and cold water. Its first advertisement, published in the Cape Times, stated: “This large and splendid hotel, beautifully situated in the gardens at the top of Government Avenue, in the most airy and healthy part of Cape Town, offers to visitors all the comforts of a first-class hotel at reasonable prices.” When the South African War began


later that year, the British used the Mount Nelson as headquarters and a young war correspondent named Winston Churchill described the venue as “a most excellent and well-appointed establishment, which may be thoroughly appreciated after a long sea voyage”. It was only in 1918 that the hotel was


first painted the iconic blush pink, in celebration of the armistice which ended the First World War that year. Over the years, it’s discreetly hosted


a number of celebrities and dignitaries, including Beatle John Lennon, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, crime novelist Dame Agatha Christie, Hollywood stars Marlene Dietrich and Morgan Freeman, the Dalai Lama, rock star and social activist Sir Bob Geldof, American statesman Al Gore, rock star David Bowie and his wife Iman, as well as talk show queen Oprah Winfrey. Here you’ll find the graciousness of


a bygone era intertwined with quirky, modern touches. Did you know? You can book your favourite spot at the pool up to six months in advance. Guests can request a diagram of the 300-odd loungers and poolside configuration, and mark the spot they want. Your name and booking date are then printed on the back of the lounger, securing your spot when you arrive. Just ask Pool Manager Kyle Lewin, who was quoted by the New Zealand Herald as saying: “We know where our regulars like to sit, so we automatically reserve their spaces.” www.belmond.com/hotels/africa/ south-africa/cape-town/belmond-mount- nelson-hotel


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