Hemingways Nairobi Nairobi, Kenya

£274.00

Hemingways is a colonial-style boutique hotel harking back to the days when its namesake writer explored east Africa. It’s set in the leafy and secluded suburbs of Karen looking out over the Ngong Hills, with elegant grounds making for a luxurious stopover between dusty safaris.

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Description

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Location

It’s a 40-minute drive from Jomo Kenyatta international airport, depending on Nairobi’s notoriously dire traffic, and 20 minutes from Wilson Airport. While most come here to bask in doing nothing, just down the road is the home of Out of Africa author Karen Blixen, and the Giraffe Centre, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage and Nairobi National Park are all this side of the city. The 10-acre grounds roll gently down to the Mbagathi River, which makes for pleasant evening strolls.

Style and Character

Built in 2013, the hotel recreates the colonial era, with a columned country mansion painted in white and peppermint green featuring a vast balcony overlooking the manicured gardens. Rooms are housed within six complexes dotted down the hill. Despite its historic aspirations, the atmosphere is far from stiff, and guests can easily unwind in the brasserie, the sun-lit lounge or outside on the spacious patio. As the sun goes down, take a seat on the wicker furniture and watch as the hills disappear into darkness, while trees in the grounds are illuminated with fairy lights.

Service and Facilities

After the adventure of a safari, this is all about minimal activity. There’s a large, unheated, outdoor pool lined with sun loungers, a spa, steam room and sauna, and a small gym. The hotel offers a half-day city tour of local attractions, as listed above. Members of staff are warm and friendly.

Parking
Restaurant
Room service
Bar
Laundry
Pool
Sauna
Spa
Wi-Fi
Fitness centre
Steam room/hammam

Rooms

The hotel may appear bigger, but there are just 45 rooms, each named after famous people and places, in six categories: leaders, safaris, Hollywood, explorers, Kenya and writers.

Apart from two enormous presidential suites, all the rooms are of the same size and design, fronted by a balcony looking onto the gardens.

Décor mixes the contemporary and classic, featuring king-size four-poster beds, televisions that cleverly emerge from vintage-style trunks, and tripod floor lamps. Bedrooms on the first floor have high vaulted beam ceilings. More than just somewhere to sleep, I could have spent all day chilling out in my room. The marble bathrooms are gloriously huge, with two sinks, a freestanding bath, shower room and walk-in wardrobe.

Food and Drink

The informal brasserie serves up international cuisine (magret of duck, Thai curry, Moroccan tagine) and comfort foods (butternut squash soup, fish and chips, tarte tatin), and is renowned for its mighty steaks cooked in a Josper oven, the only one of its kind in Kenya. The bar offers classic cocktails as well as Hemingways’ own inventions concocted by its expert mixologist, and a there’s a small list of international wines.