The hotel opened its doors in 1899 to great excitement but there was also trepidation and uncertainty in the air due to the impending Anglo-Boer war. Consequently there was a feverish urge to gather with friends and party at the newly opened hotel. When the war broke out towards the end of the year, the great statesmen of the time, such as Lords Kitchener, Buller and Roberts, gathered at the Mount Nelson to discuss strategy. A young Winston Churchill was also a guest as a newspaper correspondent reporting on the war.

Later the Prince of Wales arrived, followed by VIP travellers from all over the world. The hotel remains the grand old lady of South Africa and one of the most famous hotels in the world.