Luxury Hotels in Kenya: A Detailed Review

Nov 07, 2025 0

Kenya offers a plethora of luxurious accommodations for discerning travelers. During a recent visit, I had the opportunity to stay at several 5-star hotels, each offering a unique experience.

Nairobi Hotels

Sarova Stanley Hotel

The lobby of the Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi.

Built in 1902, this historic property is located on a busy street, but my room wasn’t noisy. It was the place where the late Queen of England gave her first public address as Queen and the home of the first stock exchange in Kenya. Since it was my first hotel during my time in Nairobi, they arranged for a car to pick me up at the airport and transport me upon my arrival. After a 14-hour flight, there’s comfort in seeing someone standing there with your name on a card.

My stay there was very comfortable, although the building is quite old, so you won’t find any USB ports in the room. Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful hotel with a lovely breakfast room that served traditional Kenyan dishes cooked over hot coals one morning. All of the food served at the hotel was excellent. A staff member at the Sarova Stanley made traditional triangular, deep-fried bread called mandazi for our breakfast. The service at this hotel was also extremely fine. One day, I left before breakfast, and one of the hotel’s staff noticed and worried about me.

The lovely Thorn Tree Cafe where breakfast is served at the Sarova Stanley.

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An opera cake from the bakery and coffee counter at the Sarova Stanley.

Villa Rosa Kempinski

Villa Rosa Kempinski,Nairobi - Hotel Tour 2017

A view of the entrance of the Villa Rosa Kempinski from the property’s front door.

This beautiful property is pink with a sculpted garden at the entrance and a small, narrow garden in the back. The interior is large, and it has a lovely cafe in the lobby from which I got a croissant in the mornings. The room was more modern than the Sarova Stanley, and the food was very fine. The staff at this hotel was also very attentive and helpful.

Fairmont The Norfolk

The lobby at Fairmont The Norfolk.

This property is also historic. Built in 1904 in a Tudor style, it incorporates a few buildings with a gorgeous garden in the center. The garden contains vintage rickshaws from the early days in Kenya, as well as a vintage car. The Fairmont’s lobby includes a piano. The lobby of the main building is stunning with a piano, a bar, and lots of lounging couches and chairs. There are three restaurants, and the breakfast buffet is especially fine with many choices, including pancakes and eggs made to order. My room was also lovely with a small balcony containing a table and two chairs. Again, the staff was exceptionally attentive, and the food was wonderful. My only complaint is a drawback to that special garden - mosquitos in my room. I felt the need to wear deet on my face overnight, yet I still got a couple of bites. But every time I visited that garden, I decided the mosquitos were worth it.

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A portion of the garden at Fairmont The Norfolk.

Other Luxurious Accommodations in Kenya

Kenya boasts a variety of other luxurious accommodations, each offering a unique experience:

Suyian Lodge: The latest opening from &Beyond, achieving impressive sustainable conservation through responsible tourism. This remote bush camp, designed by filmmakers, makes an artform of safari with lavish tents and retro styling.
Eco-Friendly Boutique Lodge: Sits on Mughwango Hill overlooking the Meru plains, offering spectacular views over Meru National Park.
Angama Mara: Balancing high on the Great Rift Valley overlooking the Maasai Mara plains, offering utterly mesmerising views and blending contemporary design with tribal art.
Spectacular Tented Camp: Set in its own 15,000 acre conservancy, with vast wooden decked tents, 24-hour butler service, a Maasai village-inspired spa and swimming pool.
Giraffe Manor: Famous for its friendly neighbours - a herd of Rothschild giraffes that delight in sticking their long necks through the windows to be fed treats.
Enaidura: A luxury six-tent camp positioned close to several river crossing points used by the Great Migration wildebeest herds, in the heart of the Maasai Mara.
Richard Branson’s Safari Camp: Breaks away from traditional tents and brings modern comforts to the Maasai Mara.
Hemingways: A colonial-style boutique hotel harking back to the days when its namesake writer explored east Africa.
Serian: An elegant, modern camp with Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve on the doorstep and easy access to the Mara River crossings.
Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club: Set in 100 acres of landscaped gardens, with fantastic mountain views.
Medina Palms: Combines Arabic and Mediterranean influences in a palatial retreat that is popular with honeymooners and families alike.
The Gaudi-esque Treehouse: An unusual and enchanting hotel, as tranquil in ambiance as the blanket of emerald forest and pristine beach that envelops it.
Italian and Swahili Architecture Villa: A fort-like villa on a quiet spot on Kenya’s Watamu beach.
Coconut Tree-Studded Home: A home from home in a prime position on Kenya’s finest beach.

Hotel Rating Overview

Here's a general overview of how hotels are typically rated:

Category	Description
Location	Proximity to attractions, accessibility, and surroundings.
Style and Character	Hotel's aesthetic appeal, uniqueness, and overall ambiance.
Service and Facilities	Quality of service, amenities available, and overall guest experience.
Rooms	Comfort, cleanliness, and features of the rooms.
Food and Drink	Quality and variety of dining options.
Value for Money	Overall assessment of whether the hotel provides good value for the price.

Security is intense throughout Nairobi. At both the Villa Rosa Kempinski and the Fairmont, cars were searched before they were allowed to drive up to the entrances. At the Kempinski, they even used a car-sniffing dog. The Sarova Stanley did not have a drive-up entrance.