Karen takes its name from Karen Blixen, and her old farmhouse, now a museum, is only a short drive from the hotel. Hemingways Nairobi opened in 2013 in this leafy suburb south-west of the city centre, and its suites look out over sloping gardens. At dusk the Ngong Hills turn to a dark line beyond the lawns. It suits a single night either side of a safari flight.
At dusk the Ngong Hills turn to a dark line beyond the lawns.
A butler is on call around the clock, checking guests in and out in their suite. Dusty safari bags are unpacked, shirts pressed, and everything packed again before the drive to Wilson Airport, typically 20 to 30 minutes outside peak traffic. The house is painted white and pale green, and a fountain splashes on the terrace.
The Deluxe Suites take the ground floor, each 80 square metres, with a terrace that steps straight out onto the garden. Beyond them, the lawns slope gently down past flowerbeds and ponds. Upstairs, the Executive Suites keep the same footprint under vaulted ceilings, their balconies turned towards the Ngong Hills. Two larger suites are named for Karen Blixen and for the hotel.
Beyond them, the lawns slope gently down past flowerbeds and ponds.
Bathrooms are lined in hand-cut Italian marble, wardrobes are walk-in, and the television rises out of a trunk only when wanted. The other suites take their names and framed pictures from the theme of their wing, so a night in the Hollywood wing might be spent among photographs of a film star. Mornings begin with tea or coffee, carried in on a tray by the butler.
Between a long-haul arrival and a safari flight out of Wilson, the hours here go to getting back on your feet. The heated outdoor pool runs 15 metres, with birdsong carrying over from the surrounding garden. The spa has a sauna and a steam room, and there is a gym for anyone stiff from hours folded into a light-aircraft seat. Afternoon tea comes out onto the terrace in the hours before dinner, and when the far wings feel a long walk away, white golf buggies run guests back and forth to the main house.
Dinner is served in the Brasserie, indoors or out on the verandah, with the Ngong Hills on the skyline beyond the terrace. Steaks come from Morendat farm near Naivasha and are cooked in a Josper charcoal oven. Everything else on the menu is kept simple, the kind of food a jet-lagged appetite wants after an overnight flight. A private dinner can be laid in the glass-walled wine cellar, which seats eight. Afterwards, the bar has deep leather armchairs and a balcony over the gardens, with the same hills in view.
At the AFEW Giraffe Centre, Rothschild giraffes are fed from a raised platform.
Nairobi National Park is a short drive away, and the concierge arranges a vehicle and driver-guide for a game drive in the morning or the afternoon. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust opens its nursery for orphaned elephants to visitors for an hour from 11:00. At the AFEW Giraffe Centre, Rothschild giraffes are fed from a raised platform. Karen Blixen’s former farmhouse, now her museum, is nearer still, and Karen Country Club has a golf course for anyone who packed their clubs.
The building takes its lines from a plantation house, and the tone is set at the door by a grand lobby and an imperial staircase. The interiors lean ornate, all polished wood and colonial-style furniture, with framed photographs and posters on the walls. Anyone who prefers a pared-back look may find it heavily dressed. For guests leaving Kenya on an evening departure, a day room covers the hours between the last bush flight landing at Wilson and the drive out to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
accommodation
All 45 are suites. Deluxe Suites of 80 square metres take the ground floor, with private terraces. Executive Suites of the same size are upstairs under vaulted ceilings, with balconies. Two larger suites honour Karen Blixen and the hotel. Each has a marble bathroom, walk-in wardrobe, ceiling fans and a butler on call.
activities
Game drives in Nairobi National Park go out by day on the park's roads, in a private vehicle with a driver-guide. Also arranged: the Sheldrick elephant nursery's late-morning visit, Rothschild giraffes at the AFEW Giraffe Centre, the Karen Blixen Museum and golf at Karen Country Club. On site: heated pool, spa and gym.
dining
The Brasserie serves all three meals: a made-to-order breakfast with free-range eggs and smoked salmon bagels, then steaks from the charcoal oven, house-made pasta, Watamu prawns and ginger crab, with the Ngong Hills in view. Afternoon tea on the terrace runs from three until five, with scones, pastries and prosecco. Hemingways Bar pours classic cocktails, and the glass-walled wine cellar seats eight for a chef's tasting menu.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
