[1] Wells is believed to have lived on the opposite corner to the Sailor's Return in the present day Lord Nelson until 1842, when the liquor licence for the hotel was granted.

Most notable for their lengthy occupation were Robert Drysdale, John H. Ferguson, William Adams and Patrick Powell.

[1] The property was resumed by the Minister for Public Works in 1901 and vested in the Sydney Harbour Trust Commissioners in 1911 There were numerous proprietors of the hotel after the turn of the century, particularly during the period from 1901 to 1911.

[1] In 1931, Tooth and Co. Ltd, leasing the hotel, reported considerable losses in trade from the high rent payable to the Sydney Harbour Trust.

The general manager of Tooth and Co. wrote to the Solicitor for the Sydney Harbour Trust Commissioners and stated that for the last 12 months, trade had been continuing to decline.

[1] In October 1937, the District Licensing Inspector, Mr Sharples, specified for extensive remodelling of the interior to be carried out on the building to bring it into compliance with the Liquor Act of 1912.

[1] In August 1958, the architect Ian Smalpage prepared a Schedule of Painting and Repairs to make good defects from fair wear and tear on interiors, exteriors and services at the Lord Nelson Hotel for Tooth and Co Ltd.[1] In 1963, the MSB leased the property to Percy Cheers for five years.

[1] On 1 July 1988, the lue from the ground floor fireplace caused a fire in the building, which affected part of the second-floor accommodation area.

[2][1] The Lord Nelson Hotel is a smooth faced, three storey sandstone building in the Old Colonial Regency style.

The roof cladding is not original and is partially concealed by a decorative parapet and moulded capping, which extends around both facades along the full length of the building.

[1] The building has a splay corner, featuring a central arched doorway with paired timber doors and a fanlight at ground level.

The ground level facades to both Kent and Argyle Streets contain a large, fixed, timber paned window on either side of the splayed corner respectively.

This is a service hatch allowing beer kegs to be directly loaded from the street to the basement and vice versa.

The southern half of the floor comprises the restaurant seating area, extending from the western wall through to the eastern.

The north eastern section, comprising part of the original "L-shaped" plan contains the main stair, a small store and male and female w/cs.

The north western infill section contains the galley kitchen and bar, opening to the restaurant, and a sheltered deck area/landing area leading to the service stair.

It was only one of only two hotels in the immediate area to be retained by the Sydney Harbour Trust when Millers Point was resumed during the time of the plague in 1900.

It also has significance as part of a network of corner hotels in the northern end of the city that provided social and recreational venues and budget accommodation.

[5][1] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

[5][1] The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

[6][1] The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

The building is representative of the prominent corner hotels which held an important place in the social structure of the city, and particularly in the Millers Point and waterfront area.