Corner of Kenyatta Avenue and Kimathi Street, P.O. Box 30680, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Amenities:
Babysitting, Banquet Hall, Bar/Lounge, Business Center, Concierge, Conference Room, Dry Cleaning, Family Rooms, Fitness Center, Free Breakfast, Free Parking, Internet, Meeting Rooms, Non-Smoking, Restaurant, Room Service, Self-Serve Laundry, Shuttle Bus Service, Spa, Suites, Swimming Pool, Tennis Court, Wheelchair Access, Wifi
Expert Review
I stayed at the Sarova Stanley Hotel in the Central Business District of Nairobi this past May. I loved its location because it...
I stayed at the Sarova Stanley Hotel in the Central Business District of Nairobi this past May. I loved its location because it was in walking distance from numerous places — food, lounges, tech and clothing stores. This is a five-star hotel and based on reviews, it is ranked #6 of all of the hotels in Nairobi.
The first thing I noticed of course is that the hotel was very secure. When you drive up, they stop you at the gate and check the car. After arrival, they check your bags through a security belt and you walk through the metal detectors. I was happy to go through those precautions. After all, you wouldn’t want anyone coming in and potentially hurting innocent people and tourists. Security is definitely like this all over Nairobi.
While the decor of the nearby Sarova Panafric was more contemporary, the Stanley was definitely more elegant and classic. This is an older hotel that famous people such as Ernest Hemingway, Frank Sinatra, etc. used to stay at. This hotel has a ton of history and I love how they kept the period decor, but added modern amenities.
I always get nervous in other countries when it comes to the rooms. Most of the time the hotel room standards as far as size are not like American hotels. But the rooms here were very spacious and cozy. With enough space for us to spread our items around, it was perfect for two people. I will say I was definitely surprised to have so much space. The beds were super comfortable and I got a great night’s rest every single night.
The staff was EXTREMELY nice and looked out for us all of the time. If we needed to go to the ATM, they would send security with us. If it was raining and we wanted to go eat, someone would walk with us with umbrellas to our destination. If we needed suggestions on places to go, they directed us to great spots. They even gave us advice on places to not go which might be unsafe for tourists. It doesn’t get any better than that. I have literally never been to a place with such great hospitality and I have stayed at hundreds of hotels in my lifetime. They were attentive to everyone’s needs.
While most of the hotel’s guests were people who looked like they were on business, I didn’t see many families and children (which was fine with me)! You never heard people being loud late at night, or any parties. I would say this is definitely a hotel if you are visiting for vacation and want to be in a great area that is walking distance to various places. It wasn’t too far from the airport either.
Expert Review
Arriving in East Africa after hours and hours in an airplane is made easier by booking the Sarova Stanley as...
Arriving in East Africa after hours and hours in an airplane is made easier by booking the Sarova Stanley as your first hotel in Nairobi. The chain (which operates eight hotels in Kenya and the United Kingdom) has a kiosk in the middle of the arrivals area where you can stop to let them know you’re ready for their airport collection service to whisk you downtown in an air-conditioned van.
The hotel, established in 1902, has welcomed celebrities, dignitaries and just plain tourists for decades. The moment you pass through the century-old revolving doors, you enter another world: the hassle of the modern gives way to cool, almost stuffy, Victorian elegance. The woodwork is dark, the color scheme trending toward maroon and gold.
Then there’s the staff, which couldn’t be more gracious. Each day at 5 p.m., the Brand Ambassador gives a tour of the property, highlighting its history. Dominic (who was on duty when I was there) showed the historic photographs of famous guests — Teddy Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway, Lord Baden-Powell of Boy Scout fame — and told stories of the early years. He also cautioned me not to ring the bell in the hotel’s Exchange Bar (whosoever does that, buys a round for the house).
When I said that I wanted to spend the next day touring the Nairobi National Park and other local sites, Dominic put me in touch with a tour company vetted by The Sarova Stanley.
The hotel’s buffet breakfast is served in the Thorn Tree Room which houses the successor tree to the original. When the town was just a railroad workers’ camp, people posted messages on that first thorn tree — called the “original post office of Nairobi”. (Today’s messages read more like love notes to the hotel.)
There’s in-room Wi-Fi, a fully-equipped business center, a heated pool and a health club with gym, steam, sauna and massage facilities.