On Friday, October 21, 1927, construction on the Lord Nelson Hotel began at the corner of Spring Garden Road and South Park Street, on the old Dwyer property.

The main entrance to the hotel is on South Park Street and originally featured a semi-circular driveway with trees and shrubs.

The Georgian style has been incorporated in the construction of the hotel, featuring special decorations pertaining to Lord Nelson.

From the lobby a large mural of Nelson addressing his men on the deck of his flagship HMS Victory, just before the Battle of Trafalgar, can be seen.

A young student, Oswald Schenk, won a contest for suggesting the name of the hotel, which opened during the early days of radio.

Its height made CHNS, which began in 1926, move its broadcast studio from the old Carleton Hotel to the roof of the new Lord Nelson in 1928.

[5] The Lord Nelson also inspired the fictional hotel featured in the award-winning 1998 novel The Museum Guard by Howard Norman.

Famous guests who have stayed at the Lord Nelson Hotel include the Rolling Stones, Anne Murray, Keith Urban, the White Stripes, Jerry Seinfeld, Ozzy Osbourne, Paul McCartney, and Willem Dafoe.