The hotels closest in style to the Lord Nelson Hotel at the time of construction was the Van Curler Hotel at Schenectady, New York, which was built for the General Electric Company & the Newfoundland Hotel, in St. John's. The walls of the Lord Nelson are of bluenose brick with ornate frame and Nova Scotia trip, with the concrete framework being covered in by brick. The aim of the construction was to use local materials and to award contracts locally. As much as possible materials available in Nova Scotia were used, although some had to be imported.