Hotels in Nairobi
 

Looking for recommendations for one night stay before and after our travel in other parts of Kenya. We have stayed at the Sarova Stanley and enjoyed our stay very much, but might try the Fairfield this time. Two of our group need to catch a Kenya Airways flight the next morning and it looks like it leaves from the Jomo Kenyatta airport rather than Wilson. Is the Fairfield relatively convenient for NBO or is there another that you would recommend? We have experienced the traffic in Nairobi and realize that it takes a while to get anywhere.

Thanks!

The Fairview is a decent choice.

For a completely unique experience in a major city anywhere, check out the Emakoko in Nairobi Park.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...o-Nairobi.html

What time and day of the week is the flight and where are they flying to? The Fairview (is that the hotel you mean?) isn't exactly close to NBO (there are others that are much closer) but depending on the time/day, it may not matter.

Thank you for your help.

We are arriving early afternoon and can choose whether to catch a flight to Kisumu in the late morning or early afternoon (on a Friday).

Our friends - arriving before and after us - were also thinking of staying at the Fairfield but will be get car transportation (with friends) to the orphanage and school we are visiting.

We will end our trip with a few days in Masai Mara so we are unlikely to opt to stay in the Nairobi National Park (as someone suggested) but that does sound like an interesting option for folks.

Traffic will be heavy Friday morning or afternoon so you may want to opt to stay closer or allow plenty of time.

There are several hotels closer to JKIA than the Fairview (although I really enjoy that hotel!) Check out Ole Sereni Hotel, Boma Hotel, Eka Hotel and the Panari Hotel. Our group will be staying at the Ole Sereni Hotel when we arrive in August. They can set up a taxi transfer to and from the airport (about $25 each way, payable to the hotel.)

Like AKR1, I would highly recommend The Emakoko - close to the international airport but on the south side of Nairobi National Park, it's more like a boutique safari lodge than a city hotel. Fantastic food, great hosting, nice pool and beautiful grounds, complete with plenty of birds and occasional wildife sightings. Plus you get use of vehicles and lodges drivers for game drives in the park, and all transfers are included.

Richard Trillo
Author: The Rough Guide to Kenya
Kenya Programme Manager: Expert Africa

I just stayed at the Eka for an overnight when I arrived in Nairobi. It is very close to the airport and is nicely appointed with a great breakfast. It's a typical business hotel. I will warn though that the bathroom isn't really separate from the sleeping area other than some frosted glass, so sharing with someone you're not too close with may be a bit embarrassing.

We're also staying at the Emakoko, but it's expensive. If you're simply looking an overnight stay near the airport, this might not be the best choice.

Panari Hotel, very near the airport. Some rooms have a view of Nairobi National Park. Stayed there 2x, all was good.

Emakoko rather expensive, not a hotel, rather a tented camp.

If you have a flight out of JKIA, best to stay at the few hotels near the airport (about a 15/min drive) - EKA, Boma, Ole Sereni or Panari.

Thank you for all of the suggestions. I have narrowed the list down to the Sarova Stanley or Fairfield (downtown) and Boma and Ole Sereni closer to the airport. Does it make sense for our friends who will be driving out of Nairobi (through Narok) to stay downtown so they can get through Nairobi more quickly the next morning?

Our Kenya Airways flight is in the early afternoon on a Friday so there would be time to get to the airport but it might be more relaxing to stay closer to the airport. Very grateful for the recommendations!

Two more questions. First, a friend traveling to Nairobi in July 2013 (arriving the night before the fire) had his hotel room cancelled and his driver took him to the relatively new Longview Suites (which he said were fine). How often does this kind of thing happen in Nairobi? We experienced it in Accra, Ghana but were transferred to another hotel. I don't want to arrive in Nairobi and not have a place to stay!

Second question: Two of our group are arriving at the airport around 9 pm on a Friday evening. How long might it take them to get through customs, pick up their luggage and be driven to a hotel like the Fairfield? Would they still be able to get dinner? Or should they stay somewhere closer to the airport and leave earlier in the morning for the next leg of their trip?

One last thing, if any of you have stayed in a hotel around Kisii or Ogembo, I would be interested in any recommendations you might have.

Thank you!

I think you mean the Fairview, not the Fairfield. It's one of my favorite hotels in Nairobi. If your friends are arriving at 9pm and leaving the next morning, they might be better off staying closer to the airport at the Boma or Ole Sereni hotels. If they are arriving on an international flight, they will most likely have had dinner on the flight, so I wouldn't think they would need dinner after their arrival.

I had one experience where my hotel was changed at the last minute in Nairobi. We were booked at the Fairview, but had to stay the first night at the Intercontinental. The Fairvew had been fully booked and one of their guests decided to stay over a night. They made alternate arrangements at the Intercontinental and treated us to a fine dinner at their best restaurant the next evening.

ShayTay, thank you so much for your response. Yes, I meant the Fairview. I am glad to hear that the Fairview made alternate arrangements when they were unable to give you a room. It is always unsettling to find "your room" unavailable but it sounds like Fairview handled this very well. Good point about dinner being given on the flight.

These friends who are leaving the next morning are hiring a driver and heading northwest out of Nairobi - not going back to the airport. Does the make staying somewhere like the Fairview overnight a good option?

I think they will have traffic, no matter where they stay. If they don't need to go to the airport in the morning, perhaps the Fairview would be good for them, since it's in a fairly central location. Their prices are also reasonable.

With the current situation in Nairobi, I am back to ask whether folks have an opinion about the security at Boma Nairobi and at Ole Sereni when one wants to stay overnight near the airport for a flight the next day?

I hear good things about security at the Fairview and some of our group will stay there, but we have a flight to catch after our overnight stay.

Thanks!

I would imagine most of the Nairobi hotels, which already have security, will be extra careful right now. I'm still planning on being in Nairobi and Kenya in August and September, including a couple of nights at Ole Sereni.

Depending on budget, the hotels near the airport - Ole Sereni, Boma, Eka, Panari - don't come cheap compared to the Fairview. Just something to verify.

Regarding traffic, with the exception of Sunday morning, a non-work day, and when most residents are at Church... there's always traffic, so you have to allow time and hope there isn't much whenever you have to travel. Usually easy prior 6am or after 9pm, any other days. Just the way it is.

If seeking other than the Fairview at an even lower cost is the Country Lodge, which is a sister' property of the Fairview on the same grounds. The Country Lodge has access to the Fairview services - restaurants, shops, pool. Rooms are a bit smaller but with all the same amenities, good beds, flat screen TV, and full bathrooms. Inquire.