With its relaxed atmosphere and tranquil gardens, the Nairobi Serena is one of Nairobi’s most popular hotels, and justly so. It has a convenient location overlooking Central Park and its various facilities mean that you don’t even have to leave the hotel during your stay. The Moroccan-style Café Maghreb is the international buffet-style restaurant. Choose a table outside by the large swimming pool, and on Fridays be sure to opt for the seafood buffet. For à la carte dining, the stylish Mandhari restaurant offers light lunches and Mediterranean-style dinners. Even if you’re not heading in for drinks, take a peek inside the Aksum Bar, where the ceiling is adorned with hundreds of gold-edged umbrellas. The comfortable rooms are traditional in style, with air-conditioning and city or garden views. A range of spacious suites are also available. After stepping off a flight or days spent on safari, the option of ordering room service 24 hours is a welcome luxury.
Hemingways makes an impression. Enter the beautiful colonial-style buildings fronted by manicured lawns and you’ll find a warm welcome, a tranquil atmosphere and a wonderfully classic interior that’s full of character, highlighted by a sweeping double staircase. It’s the perfect place to begin a Kenya safari in style. The elegant Brasserie has its sights set high, with the aim of being Nairobi’s first Michelin-star restaurant. The food here is contemporary European, and the steaks are particularly good, cooked on a ‘Josper’ charcoal oven. Breakfasts are a well-thought out affair, with four ‘breakfast profiles’ – healthy, power, energy and New York – cooked to order. The bar emulates the feel of a private members’ club, with plush dark sofas and rare whiskies alongside fresh contemporary cocktails. There’s also a pool with far-reaching views over the gardens to the hills, and a shady terrace for lounging. Large rooms are light and airy, with a classic yet contemporary design of neutral tones, beamed ceilings, dark woods and splashes of colour. All have butler service, a luxurious Italian marble bathroom with walk-in wardrobe, pop-up television, free Wi-Fi and a balcony offering views of the Ngong Hills that inspired the title of Hemingway’s work, ‘Green Hills of Africa’.
If you simply can’t wait to head out on safari as soon as you touch down in Kenya, Nairobi National Park can take you straight from arrivals to wide open plains in just half an hour. There isn’t anywhere else quite like this national park, where wildlife roams against a backdrop of city skyscrapers. Part of the eco-friendly Porini group and designed to have minimum impact on the local environment, the traditional Nairobi Tented Camp lies inside the park. It’s a great first-night-in-Kenya option if you want to avoid the city traffic and would rather get straight to the bush than relax in a city hotel before heading out to the more iconic national parks. The half-board and full-board safari packages have options including game drives with knowledgeable guides where you can hope to spot four of the Big Five (rhino sightings are incredible common); visits to the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, home to rescued baby elephants; enjoying delicious set-menu meals in the central mess tent or under the shade of olive trees; and sleeping under the stars in one of the eight tents. The tents have valley and forest views and are en suite, with hot water heated over a log fire and brought to your shower. Each tent has a double and a single bed.
The Norfolk is something of a Nairobi icon. Over the years it has played host to presidents, explorers, actors and authors. In 2007, the hotel was acquired by the Fairmont group and given a welcome refurbishment, adding a modern elegant touch to the classic glamour and charm of the 1900s. The hotel offers a peaceful base to relax before or after a safari adventure. Dining options include the iconic Lord Delamere Terrace – a classic all-day restaurant – and the fine dining signature steakhouse, Tatu. There’s also Cin Cin Bar – a permanent fixture on the Nairobi social scene – as well as a charming tea room serving high tea, a poolside bar and 24-hour room service. Other facilities include an outdoor pool and a 24-hour health club. Elegant rooms and suites are set around a tranquil courtyard of lush gardens. All have a classic neutral design and plush fabrics. Fairmont Rooms are the entry-level rooms, while Deluxe Rooms are more spacious. Suites have a separate seating area and richer décor.
A stay at Giraffe Manor is a little like staying with friends in the country – if those friends had resident Rothschild’s giraffe wandering around the grounds. This stately home is a sanctuary for a herd of these endangered giraffe, which have free reign to stroll right up to the manor from the Giraffe Centre next door. You could even wake to a giraffe peering into your bedroom window. Breakfast at the manor is fun as it’s breakfast time for the giraffe too. While you’re enjoying a generous spread in the light and airy dining room, the giraffe come to dine on tasty pellets. It’s common for these elegant creatures to swoop down and poke their heads inside the windows to receive their treats. The staff at the manor know the giraffe by name and they are incredibly well looked after. Giraffe Manor’s grounds are lush and green with sunny terraces and tranquil courtyards. The manor itself is a 1930s ivy-clad brick building, with homely touches like oversized fireplaces and hand-picked oil paintings. 12 individually designed rooms are all beautifully classic with Art Deco features, housed either in the original manor house or newer garden manor. Some rooms have four-poster beds while others have a fireplace or roof terrace. Facilities aren’t extensive – there’s a small treatment room and shop – but that’s not the reason guests yearn to visit. A stay here is all about the privileged opportunity to interact with giraffe in the comforts of a gorgeous private manor house.
Nairobi Serena
Hemingways Nairobi
Nairobi Tented Camp
Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel
Giraffe Manor
