Located in the lovely area of Karen, an ideal stopover for either business travellers or for those on their way to safari, Hemingways Nairobi is a beautiful and spacious hotel.
Overview
The aesthetic is finely considered: fresh flowers, high ceilings, marble bathrooms and details such as televisions in the bedrooms which slide out of old-fashioned steamer trunks at a flick of the remote control, referencing the colonial style. Photographs and biographies of characters associated with Karen and the history of the area dotted around the hotel are a nice touch, as informative as they are beautiful to look at.
Food & service
Hemingways hope to be the first venue to gain Michelin star status in Nairobi and with their excellent chefs this looks likely – our own Hannah Rayner reports eating the ‘best steak ever’ during her visit. The menu is contemporary European and the hotel restaurant has an in-house bakery and serves locally grown produce. The Hemingway chefs pride themselves on making their own homemade pasta and offer four breakfast ‘profiles’ – ‘healthy’, ‘power’, ‘energy’ and ‘NY’!
Rooms
There are 45 rooms, including two ‘presidential suites’. Upper rooms have views of the gorgeous Ngong Hills, while the wonderfully managed hotel grounds provide a calming vista for ground level rooms. All accommodation is luxuriously styled and fully-equipped, and guests are assigned a personal butler; here the emphasis is on the ease of your stay.
Please note that meeting rooms are available, that there is a spa offering all kinds of relaxation and beauty treatments, and a small outdoor pool. Free and strong Wi-Fi is available across the hotel.
Activities
Location-wise, Nairobi city is vibrant and provides great shopping opportunities. Close to the hotel are the Karen Blixen Museum and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, whose elephant orphanage is supported by Hemingways.
Impact
Conservation
The hotel operates an excellent sustainable waste management system.