Blue Train / Belmond Mount Nelson Upgrade

Blue Train / Belmond Mount Nelson Upgrade

Why not combine your journey on one the world's finest trains with an upgraded stay at Cape Town's most prestigious hotel with this Blue Train / Belmond Mount Nelson Upgrade?

Blue Train / Belmond Mount Nelson Upgrade

The Luxury Train Club offers Members a complimentary upgrade on reservation when booking Belmond Mount Nelson through the Club, whether or not they are also planning a luxury train journey.

The Blue Train / Belmond Mount Nelson Upgrade is subject to availability and must be booked via the Luxury Train Club.

Hotel Room Upgrade Options

Pay for Superior Room / Upgrade to Deluxe Room

Pay for Junior Suite / Upgrade to Deluxe Junior Suite

Pay for One Bedroom Suite / Upgrade to Deluxe One Bedroom Suite

Belmond Mount Nelson

Experience timeless indulgence below Table Mountain

Set in the vibrant heart of Cape Town, Belmond Mount Nelson offers easy access to all that's happening in this dynamic city.

Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel is one of Cape Town's top five star hotels. It offers the perfect combination of leafy tranquility and contemporary buzz.

ACCOMMODATION 198 rooms and suites - the Rovos / Belmond Mount Nelson Upgrade is applied on reservation for peace of mind

DINING Restaurant, bar, chef's table, Oasis Bistro, afternoon tea, garden picnics, harvest table

FEATURES Librisa Spa, two pools, two tennis courts, children's centre, nine-acre garden, scheduled shuttle to the V&A Waterfront

ACTIVITIES Historic tours, winery and classic car excursions and yoga in the gardens

Belmond Mount Nelson: An History of Excellence

'a most excellent and well-appointed establishment which may be thoroughly appreciated after a sea voyage'. Winston Churchill, 1899, war correspondent

3 August 1806 the land on which the hotel now stands was advertised in The South African Gazette as ‘Mount Nelson’, taking inspiration from Cape Town’s Table Mountain and Lord Horatio Nelson. He had visited the Cape as a young midshipman and had died the previous year at the Battle of Trafalgar.

1890: The Mount Nelson was purchased by Sir Donald Currie, owner of the Union Castle Shipping Line. His dream was to build a hotel as stylish and elegant as those in London for the Castle Line’s First Class passengers.

1899, 6 March: Mount Nelson Hotel opens on Monday, 6 March. It was considered ‘even better than its London counterparts’. 12 October: The South African (Boer) War began. The British used the hotel as an headquarters.

1918: Mount Nelson Hotel’s manager, Aldo Renato, celebrated the end of the First World War by painting the hotel pink.

1925: The Prince of Wales visited the hotel. The ‘Prince of Wales Gate’ and palm-lined driveway dates from 1924 in honour of his visit.

1928: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a keen spiritualist, outraged other guests and the Cape Town public by holding seances in his room.

1980: John Lennon stayed under the pseudonym ‘Mr Greenwood’. He was very tidy, making his own bed every day. He meditated on Table Mountain.

1988: Mount Nelson Hotel was bought by Orient-Express Hotels, now Belmond.

1996: The hotel acquired Helmsley Hotel, the site of the first Jewish service in Cape Town, before becoming the first Hebrew Congregation in South Africa.

1999: the Dalai Lama addressed over 500 people in the ballroom, teaching on ‘The Four Noble Truths’.

2008: Librisa Spa opened in April, offering modern treatments in a sublime historic Victorian house; it is one of the country’s leading wellness centres.

2018: Mount Nelson launches ‘100 Years of Pink’, a celebration of the hotel’s history and future to commemorate the centenary of its famous pink makeover.

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The Blue Train

The 2-night journey on the renowned Blue Train between Pretoria and Cape Town is memorable and luxurious, fitting naturally into your touring plans for South Africa. The added attraction of the Blue Train / Belmond Mount Nelson Upgrade make a journey on the world-famous Blue Train difficult to resist.

The Blue Train - History

The heritage of the Blue Train begins in 1923 with the Union Limited and Union Express trains, linking Johannesburg and Cape Town for travellers on the ships of the Union Castle and other lines. The Union Express introduced a dining saloon in 1933 and air-conditioned carriages as early as 1939.

The Blue Train Suites

Each suite is a spacious lounge by day and a bedroom sanctuary by night with goose down duvets and pillows.

Private bathrooms have marble floor and wall tiles, marble basins with gold fittings, along with a shower/bath and under-floor heating in both the bathroom and bedroom.

All the suites have a writing desk, ideally positioned next to the window. Also provided are air-conditioning, radio/movie channels and a link to the driver's-eye-view camera. The GPS map on an overhead monitor means you can keep track of progress.

There are two types of suites.

The Luxury Suite has either twin or double bedded options with a long, deep bath for slow, luxuriant soaking - a rare treat on a train. The Luxury Suite extends the choice of radio and movie channels even further, with a private digital entertainment centre and a selection of music CDs and big-screen movies on DVD.

The De Luxe Suite features twin beds with shower, or a double bed with bath tub and hand held shower.

Note that De Luxe double bed suites are limited in number, and cannot be guaranteed.

The Cape Town Journeys of The Blue Train

CAPE TOWN TO PRETORIA 3 days/2 nights.

The Blue Train leaves Cape Town at 16:00hrs (registration at the Blue Train lounge from 14:30hrs) and arrives on the third day in Pretoria at 10:30hrs.

Day 2, the Blue Train arrives at Kimberley Station in the afternoon. The bus transfers guests to the Open Mine Museum for a tour of the mine, a visit of historical sites and then onto an enclosed ramp at the edge of the Big Hole. Back at Kimberley Station guests are greeted with a glass of sherry. The sherry glass is engraved with The Blue Train logo and is a memento for guests to keep.

After this exciting tour, guests are welcome to refresh themselves and enjoy aperitifs before dinner.

Day 3 breakfast is served before arrival in Pretoria.

PRETORIA TO CAPE TOWN 3 days/2 nights.

The Blue Train leaves Pretoria at 16:00hrs (registration at the Blue Train lounge from 14:30hrs) and arrives on the third day in Cape Town at 10:30hrs.

Day 2: the Blue Train at Kimberley Station. The bus transfers guests to the Open Mine Museum for a tour of the mine, a visit of historical sites and then onto an enclosed ramp at the edge of the Big Hole. Back at Kimberley Station guests are greeted with a glass of sherry. The sherry glass is engraved with The Blue Train logo and is a memento for guests to keep.

After this exciting tour, guests are welcome to refresh themselves and enjoy aperitifs lunch.

High tea is served later allowing you to relax before pre-drinks and dinner.

Day 3 breakfast is served before arrival in Cape Town.

The Luxury Safari Club

Our expert colleague Joanna French at the Luxury Safari Club can offer many suggestions for safaris, tours and related accommodations / transfers.

Contact

Contact us to find out more about the Blue Train / Belmond Mount Nelson Upgrade.