Luxury Hotel · South Africa
Belmond Mount Nelson
Tailor-made, always
Every trip built from scratch around your dates, pace and preferences.
Your own specialist
One named person and a 24-hour number while you travel.
Hundreds of five-star reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot across ten years of LGBTQ+ luxury travel.
At a glance
The Belmond Mount Nelson is one of Cape Town’s finest luxury hotels. Painted pink in 1918 to commemorate the end of the First World War, the impossibly opulent Mount Nelson has since become one of Cape Town’s most iconic landmarks.
With its plush interiors, warm hospitality, and magical rose gardens (where John Lennon led a meditation), it’s been a magnet for many famous people visiting South Africa over the years. What sets the Belmond Mount Nelson apart from other properties in its category is the unmatched attention to detail that guests will experience from the moment they step across the threshold.
With 196 individually designed rooms and suites, all offering different views, it’s hard to top the Belmond Mount Nelson. Guests will find a sumptuous interior design ethos, inspired by traditional colonial styles complimented with decidedly modern flairs. No amount of design could compete with the landscapes surrounding the hotel, and guests will find a magnificent array of outdoor spaces including the oasis pool and swathes of manicured gardens.
Highlights
- The hotel offers both walking and car tours
- Venture out into the famous Cape Winelands
- Oasis Pool
- Yoga sessions
- Pool-side Service available from November – April
Accommodation
Deluxe Rooms
Most Deluxe Rooms have a walk-in wardrobe, a marble bathroom with a separate bath and shower, and a balcony with courtyard views.
Superior Rooms
These spacious Superior Rooms feature one King-sized bed or two twin beds.
Garden Cottage Suites
Each Garden Cottage Suite sits behind a scented rose garden with a white picket fence. It’s ideal for a romantic hideaway or honeymooners.
Honeysuckle Cottage
With a hint of 18th-century opulence, the Honeysuckle Cottages were decorated by Graham Viney, with Indian prints and a modern luxe space.
Further information
Dining
Dining at Mount Nelson spreads across the gardens and the historic main building. Amura serves seafood from Michelin-starred chef Ángel León, while The Verandah handles seasonal South African dinners. Afternoon tea in The Lounge has run for more than 30 years. The Fountain by Planet Bar plates Mediterranean food al fresco, The Red Room leans Asian, and Planet Bar pours the hotel’s signature Pink Lady cocktail.
Wellness
Librisa Spa occupies a row of restored Victorian houses, with eight treatment rooms, including couples’ rooms, plus a conservatory, sauna, steam bath, and plunge pool. Treatments use Africology and other skincare lines. Beyond the spa, there is a salon, a gym, two heated garden pools, a floodlit tennis court, and garden yoga, a practice John Lennon kept up during his own stay here.
Location
Mount Nelson stands on nine acres of gardens at 76 Orange Street, in the Gardens quarter at the foot of Table Mountain. The grounds, reached by a palm-lined avenue, look toward Lion’s Head and Devil’s Peak. Kloof Street is a few minutes’ walk from the Company’s Garden, Long Street, and the city center. Cape Town International Airport is around 20 kilometers away.
South Africa
South Africa occupies the southern tip of the African continent, bordered by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and sharing land borders with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Eswatini. The country spans eleven official languages and an extraordinary range of landscapes, from the winelands of the Western Cape to the bushveld of Limpopo and the dramatic coastline of the Garden Route. Most itineraries begin in Cape Town, one of the world’s great cities.
Our Experts
There's no better way to appreciate the natural world than by taking part in a South African safari. You'll have the chance to see the Big Five whilst never compromising when it comes to luxury.
The cosmopolitan hub of Cape Town is often overlooked as a fantastic travel destination. It has a palpably vibrant character and a flourishing food scene. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to experience something completely different.
Stellar service. Stellar products. Stellar people and it gets so much better when you pick up the phone and call.
Anthony S.
Super client centred service. From first contact I have had warm, efficient, friendly and flexible service.
John
I’m confident in giving Out Of Office a 5-star review! They are one of the leaders in this space without a doubt.
Tiberiu
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Frequently asked questions
What does Out Of Office do?
Out Of Office is a luxury LGBTQ+ travel company specializing in tailor-made vacations and extraordinary journeys around the world. We create bespoke luxury vacations, LGBTQ+ honeymoons, safaris, cruises, beach escapes, private tours and group trips, with every itinerary designed around you. Our travel specialists combine global expertise, first-hand destination knowledge and trusted local partners to create seamless, highly personalized experiences.
Is Out Of Office a gay travel agency?
Out Of Office is an LGBTQ+ owned and run luxury travel specialist, with particular expertise in gay and LGBTQ+ travel. We understand the additional considerations that can come with traveling as an LGBTQ+ person or couple, from local laws and customs to finding genuinely welcoming hotels and experiences.
We welcome every traveler, including friends, families and allies. Many of our clients are not members of the LGBTQ+ community, but choose Out Of Office for our luxury travel expertise, personalized service and discretion.
Do you create tailor-made LGBTQ+ vacations?
Yes. Every tailor-made trip with Out Of Office is designed from scratch around your interests, travel style, budget and the way you want to experience a destination. We can arrange luxury hotels, private transfers, flights, guides, excursions, cruises and special experiences as part of one personalized itinerary. The journeys shown on our website are there to inspire you rather than restrict you; only clearly identified group departures operate as fixed itineraries.
How do you choose LGBTQ+ friendly hotels and destinations?
We combine first-hand destination knowledge with trusted local expertise to recommend luxury hotels, resorts and experiences where LGBTQ+ travelers can feel informed and welcome. We also consider the laws, customs and attitudes of each destination, because LGBTQ+ rights and experiences differ around the world. Our team regularly visit many of the properties we work with and where a destination requires greater awareness, we give you clear and considered advice so that you can make an informed decision about where and how you travel.
We plant trees for every booking
For every booking made with Out Of Office we commit to planting trees in your name to help reduce the impact of travel on future generations. You'll even get a link to see where your trees are planted in the world via our partner Ecologi.
We donate to Rainbow Railroad with every booking
Rainbow Railroad helps LGBTQ+ people escape state-sponsored violence and persecution. A donation goes with every trip we sell, funded by us and never added to your price.
Start Planning Your Trip
Tell us where you would love to go, when you are thinking of traveling and what kind of trip you have in mind. One of our LGBTQ+ travel specialists will create a tailor-made itinerary designed around your destination, style and preferences.
One named specialist, first inquiry to homecoming. No call center, and nothing is charged until you decide to book.