The locals call it the Nellie. Some call it the Pink Lady. No matter what you call it, there is no question about it, this is a Grand Dame. It first opened in 1899, and when the First World War ended, the hotel’s Italian manager decided to paint it pink to signal a new era.
It may not be for everyone. For us, it will always be in our hearts. Simply because the staff is the soul of this hotel. Honest, personal, and always sincere, with a smile that never feels rehearsed.
Our last visit was eight years ago, and we still remember some members of the team. That says a lot about a hotel.
So it was a no-brainer to book it again. Sure, we looked at the alternatives, as we did last time.
Ellerman House (13 rooms & suites + 2 villas) is perhaps the strongest contender, but it sits a little away from the city. The Silo Hotel (28 rooms & suites) is, well, the Silo, striking from the outside and, one suspects, rather hot on the inside once the Cape Town sun kicks in. Not for us.
Cape Grace (113 rooms & suites) has that old silver fox profile, guests from the big country across the Atlantic. One&Only Cape Town (131 rooms & suites). A resort hotel, but ultimately not our style. Too big, too impersonal.
The Nellie, on the other hand, delivers something far rarer.
Charm, in abundance.
“Our Corner”
Once you check in, you are in good hands. Eight years since our last visit, and they welcome you with a sincere “welcome back”. It is not a line they deliver, you can tell they mean it. Like seeing an old friend. You are home. Only Raffles Singapore can pull this off too.
We had survived the long Swedish dark months and landed back in Cape Town with the sun on our faces. We found our corner in the bar after check-in, waiting for the room to be ready, the same spot we sat all those years ago. Our favourite corner, just at the step to the terrace where it feels both inside and outside at once. A glass of Mount Nelson Rosé in hand and, if we are being honest, a tear in our eyes.
The grand piano playing softly in the background, a gentle breeze coming through. This is the Nellie at its finest.
Room 504
We stayed three nights, then drove off to Franschhoek and Stellenbosch before returning for two more. Both times we received room upgrades, from a One Bedroom Suite to a Deluxe One Bedroom Suite.
The first stay was in the Helmsley building, Room 504 on the ground floor with a small terrace out front. We had read it was “far away”. It isn’t. I timed it, one minute and ten seconds to reception. So you do not need an Uber.
The second time, Room 332 in the Main building. Some rooms speak to you the moment you step in. This was a dream.
With nearly 200 rooms, the Nellie is one of the biggest hotels in town. It was almost fully booked when we arrived, but it did not feel like it.
Room 332
Not the thread count, not the minibar, not the size of the television. It is the people who make this hotel great.
One of the waiters at Planet Bar told us he had been at the Nellie for 11 years and never once thought of it as work. The friendliest smile we have come across, and a sense of humour that is spot on. You cannot teach that.
And how they handle the unexpected. We saw a walk-in for afternoon tea on a Saturday. A birthday party, 14 or 15 ladies in beautiful dresses, pink wrapped presents. At any other hotel, a group of that size without a booking would be turned away at the door. But not here.
The staff arranged something on the terrace within minutes. The girls started to mingle with drinks in their hands, probably buying the team enough time to set something up. Not a single guest felt inconvenienced. That is what it looks like when a hotel truly cares and its staff are professionals.
Helmsley building
The reception team were a joy. For them it is important to call you by your last name. Ours was difficult, so I just said call me Mr B. From that moment on, we were Mr B and Mrs B. They thought it was funny. They even made restaurant reservations in that name.
And then there was Oscar. When they dropped us off at the airport on our last day, we had no idea someone would be standing there waiting for us. Oscar was The Man.
He navigated us through the airport with a smile, knew everybody, skipped the long queues. We felt like rockstars. Without him, there would have been a real risk of us missing our flight. We wrote to the hotel afterwards, because that kind of service deserves to be acknowledged.
Oasis, Breakfast Room
Breakfast is a large buffet, decent enough, and they also have a menu to order from. Service sometimes inconsistent. But nothing major. Two things Belmond has in common with too many hotels in the world. Breakfast music that has no idea what time it is. And staff who clear tables by throwing cutlery into bins like they are emptying a dishwasher at home. It is morning. I just want to enjoy my coffee.
We ate in the Planet Bar on a few occasions, classics like a club sandwich and a burger. Hotel standard, nothing more, nothing less. But the Nellie offers more than that. There is the Chef’s Table down in the kitchen, which was excellent on our last visit, and Amura, the new restaurant backed by three-Michelin-star chef Ángel León. We did not get to try it this time. Perhaps next time.
Planet Bar
We did also eat at The Red Room, more on that in a separate post. But we did not come to the Nellie for the food. We came for everything else. And yes, we are coming back.
What makes the Nellie special is not one thing. It is the staff and the guests together. They bring it all to life and create this Grand Dame. And if you are just a regular guest checking in, passing through, perhaps it is not for you. And do not forget, a guest’s smile costs so little.
Middle of March
2 (first visit eight years ago)
5 (3 + 2, with a drive to Franschhoek and Stellenbosch in between)
Deluxe One Bedroom Suite (upgraded from One Bedroom Suite, both stays)
Yes, first room changed due to noisy air conditioning. No problems.
Ok
85%
Big buffet and menu to order.
OK
Without question. The Nellie is not just a hotel for us. It is a feeling.
Yes
