Kenya is widely known as a preferred tourist destination, and over the years, it has revolutionized its hospitality industry to give it an undisputed unique taste. Whether you are an explorer or simply looking for a comfortable and stunning hotel to stay in, you can now stay in one of the best grand hotels in Kenya which have a feel of the grandeur to suit your desire.
Here are the top 10 best luxury hotels in Kenya.
1. Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel
Nairobi County
Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel has played a leading role in Kenya’s colorful history, and continues to be Nairobi’s finest and best-known luxury hotel. The town and later the modern city of Nairobi grew up around Fairmont The Norfolk hotel, which still has its own private tropical gardens. The hotel is still the traditional starting point for safaris and the Lord Delamere Terrace is modern Nairobi’s most famous meeting place, where drinks and light meals are served continuously from morning until midnight.
Fairmont The Norfolk was expanded in 1999 and subsequently renovated in time for its centennial, which it celebrated in 2004. The Nairobi hotel now offers accommodations in 165 guest rooms and suites, has eight conference rooms, the largest seating 175 delegates, a heated outdoor swimming pool, health club with gym, sauna and steam room, beauty salon, book shop and gift shops.
2. Fairmont Mara Safari Club
Narok County
The luxury Masai Mara accommodations at Fairmont Mara Safari Club offer a traditional safari experience with the comfort and amenities of a luxury resort hotel. The well-appointed Mara Safari Club is set by the Mara River at the foot of the Aitong Hills in the Ol-Choro Oiroua Conservation Area that borders the Masai Mara Game Reserve. All the 51 luxury tents have their own private viewing deck from where hippo and crocodile are regularly seen.
Each room has four-poster beds with pillow-top mattresses and fine linens, 3-piece en-suite facilities with solar-heated hot and cold running water, a refreshment center. in-room safe, and wireless telephone that allows you to set up dining on your deck or ensures no request is left unfulfilled. The main lodge houses a warm reception area, retail shop, library equipped with Internet access, a beautifully decorated lounge area, and a lovely dining room.
A large deck is cantilevered over the river and seats go quickly here as the joy of watching the hippos play or gazing up at the stars after a day of wonder is unmatched. Dining at The Mara Safari Club is a safari in itself, made from the abundance of fresh Kenyan produce. At the Club, the pool, al fresco buffet lunches, and nightly activities of Maasai dancing, presentations, and discussion on the Mara’s ecosystem and Maasai culture, all add up to create a truly unique experience.
Guests can choose from a wide range of activities at Fairmont Mara Safari Club resort hotel, including game drives and balloon safaris over the Mara plains capped with a champagne breakfast on the savannah or a stroll in the footprints of the hippo-trodden path escorted by a Masai Moran. The location provides a perfect base for visiting the Masai Mara, one of the world’s richest wildlife reserves, and home to an astounding array of animals including zebras, cheetahs, wildebeests, gazelles and of course the “Big Five” (African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and White/Black rhinoceros).
3. Villa Rosa Kempinski
Nairobi County
Offering the perfect fusion of European Luxury and Kenyan hospitality, Villa Rosa Kempinski is uniquely positioned between city and country – a unique destination of iconic architecture where guests can spend part of the day climbing corporate ladders and the rest of the time are free to luxuriate in relaxing surroundings. The Villa Rosa Kempinski hotel has 200 rooms and suites distributed throughout 10 floors, including a Premier Suite and a vast 4-bedroom Presidential Suite on the top floor.
In addition to Cafe Villa Rosa – the all-day dining restaurant, K Lounge on the lobby level, the main bar -Balcony Bar and a Cigar Lounge, the hotel features 88 -the Pan Asian Restaurant, LUCCA – Italian Restaurant and Deli and Tambourin which is the Levant style lounge, bar and restaurant. The hotel has a spa with nine treatment rooms, including a couples treatment room, a fully equipped fitness center with dedicated cardiovascular and weight training rooms, and an aerobics studio.
4. Nairobi Serena Hotel
Nairobi County
Justly famed for its superlative standards of efficiency, service and hospitality, the elegantly sophisticated Nairobi Serena Hotel is the proud flagship of the Serena Hotels’ fleet of world-class hotels. Considered by many to be Nairobi’s finest hotel, the Serena stands amidst lush tropical gardens with panoramic views over Nairobi’s Central Park and the glittering downtown skyline. Despite its pivotal central location, the Serena also remains true to its title and offers an oasis of serenity amidst the bustle of one of Africa’s most vibrant capital cities.
Established in the mid-1970s, The Serena Group was launched with a simple but challenging goal; to become the leading hotel group in East Africa. Today this goal has become a reality. Sensitively constructed from ecologically sympathetic materials, the interior decor of the hotel reflects a kaleidoscope of cultural influences blending Moroccan mystique and a breadth of African heritage into one elegant and harmonious whole.
5. Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Narok County
Secreted deep within the Masai Mara National Reserve, the Mara Serena Safari Lodge is the ultimate safari destination. Set high on a bush-cloaked hill, embraced by arcing vistas and washed by a sea of richly rolling grasslands, it stands centre-stage to one of Africa’s most dramatic wildlife arenas and has a ringside seat for the greatest wildlife show on Earth, the legendary migration of the wildebeest. Drawing its inspiration from the traditional Maasai cultural motif of a cluster of domed, mud-coloured huts encircled by a Bom of brushwood, the Mara Serena offers a rare blend of raw African splendour and sumptuous sophistication.
The essentially ethnic decor also draws on a vibrant colour-palette of sun-burst colours, embellished by a unique selection of Maasai art to create the look and feel of a traditional bush encampment. The lodge features individual rooms, each with their own balcony and view of eternity, a sky-blue swimming pool and a spectacular restaurant, overlooking a water hole where a fantasia of creatures collect to drink.
6. The Sarova Stanley
Nairobi County
The Sarova Stanley, Kenya’s first luxury hotel, situated in the heart of the city, opened its doors in 1902. Since then it has been making history; hosting royal safaris, business events and legendary personalities such as Edward Prince of Wales, Ernest Hemingway and Frank Sinatra. Today, as the hotel enters its second century, while maintaining its unique heritage it continues to provide state-of-the-art services and facilities for business and leisure travelers.
This includes private meeting rooms, WIFI and fitness facilities. Take a seat in the legendary Thorn Tree Cafe with its famous message board, and, like Hemingway, watch the world go by. 217 guestrooms, including 23 suites, each a luxurious blend of Victorian grandeur and modern comfort. Club Rooms offer pure indulgence of deluxe amenities. Executive Rooms have an en-suite lounge and cloakroom. The opulent Presidential, Penthouse and State Suites are the pinnacle of luxury.
Conferencing facilities for up to 400 people, heated pool, health club (with aerobics, massage, a sauna and a steam room), an elegant shopping arcade for curios, suits, eyewear, leather articles, books and a chemist. Visit the Thorn Tree Cafe, East Africa’s most famous meeting place, the Pooldeck for Al fresco buffet and Thai Chi the Thai specialty restaurant situated next to the Exchange Bar, original home of the Nairobi Stock Exchange. Refreshing African hospitality.
7. Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club
Nanyuki County
With magnificent views of majestic Mount Kenya, the Fairmont Safari Club’s 115 luxuriously appointed guest rooms, set in over 100 acres of landscaped gardens, offer a unique blend of comfort, relaxation and adventure. Originally the retreat of movie star and Club founder, William Holden, the Club’s illustrious former members have included Winston Churchill and Bing Crosby. For those who wish to spend time relaxing at the Club, there are many recreational activities available such as horseback riding, golf, croquet, a putting green, a bowling green, table tennis, swimming, a beauty salon, an animal orphanage and much more.
To be able to relax and appreciate the superb setting, the personal attention lavished on all our visitors, the numerous activities and superb cuisine, one night is just not enough. Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club is the ideal base for a truly superb holiday in Kenya. With some of the country’s finest attractions on the doorstep visitors can enjoy an enormous range of excursions and activities without spending hours and even days travelling between each.
8. Intercontinental Nairobi
Nairobi County
Choose your own brand of entertainment. Intercontinental Hotel, a superbly equipped hotel has all the usual leisure facilities including gymnasium, sauna, jacuzzi, Turkish bath and massage service. It also offers the outdoor pursuits of tennis, cycling and golf. However, guests who are a little more adventurous can enjoy a more exotic pastime and embark on a safari into Nairobi’s National Park.
9. Sarova Mara Game Camp
Narok County
Sarova Mara Game Camp is an ideal choice for those seeking a richer experience of the Maasai Mara that goes much beyond just game drives. By virtue of its location and layout, the Camp offers an unparalleled plethora of activities and experiences from luxury tented living to bird-watching, mini golf, sport fishing and a unique insight into the Maasai culture at the adjoining Maasai village. The Camp is uniquely laid out over the sprawling grounds that include rolling manicured greens, a virtual mini forest of indigenous shrubs and exotic trees, a large pond stocked with fish, mini bird sanctuary and an authentic Maasai village adjoining the Camp.
The Camp includes 20 club tents, 51 standard tents, 2 family tents, a main restaurant, bar and many bush dining options. The free form swimming pool has its own pool bar. In addition, it has its own fleet of well-equipped safari vehicles with excellent guides. There are meeting rooms and numerous outdoor venues for dining and leisure. The entire Camp is surrounded by a 24 hour security fence.
10. Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Kajiado County
Featuring a Mount Kilimanjaro backdrop, the luxury Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge is located within the Amboseli National Park. There are two game drives daily, and elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards, and rhinos roam the area. Close to the Tanzanian border, Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge provides an upscale setting with a swimming pool, dining area, lounge, campfire bar, and activities, including sundowner excursions to Observation Hill, bush meals, traditional dance performances, and tree-planting programs.
There are 92 guest rooms and suites, including family accommodations. Set within a single-story building, accommodations have doors that directly open to the outdoors. All rooms feature Maasai manyatta themes with hand-painted walls and frescoes, ceiling fans, and mosquito nets. Reachable via a timbered bridge set over a melt-water stream, the hotel’s restaurant offers a variety of meals, along with breakfast boxes, and picnic lunches.
There’s a lounge with indoor seating as well as an outdoor terrace with a fire pit. Guests can also enjoy breakfast on the plains and dinner in the bush. Recreational options include a free-form outdoor pool, two daily game drives, traditional dance performances, and guided nature and bird-watching walks. There are three family rooms available, along with babysitting services, and children’s dining options.
