69 Best Hotels in Kenya

The spacious thatched-roof rooms of this Italian-run mid-range resort near the Vasco da Gama Cross are filled with handcrafted furniture such as huge Zanzibar beds. Some can sleep up to four, making it a very affordable place to stay and good for families. Day couches are scattered around the exotic gardens where there are four swimming pools. The good beach is a short walk down a narrow path and has sun loungers and thatched umbrellas for Scorpio's guests as well as the Coco Beach bar that serves cold drinks and pizzas at lunchtime. The buffet meals have a wide selection of dishes, and staff are friendly and eager to please.

Nestled right by a postcard-ready beach in a neatly manicured green garden fringed by towering palm trees, this is one huge mansion with six en suite double rooms, a rooftop bar, and an intimate restaurant that sits just 35. The kitchen whips up a delicious mix of Kenyan, Indian, and seafood cuisine, reflecting the heritage of the owners and the property's idyllic setting. On the rooftop is the only seaside cinema in town, where you can hang out with friends and play movies or music videos projected onto a large blank wall. One of the executive suites has both a sunrise and sunset view, another has a jacuzzi overlooking the beach, while some of the other patios have hammock chairs that you can sink into while being lulled to sleep by the waves. The saltwater pool is only open to guests and there's a fire pit right on the beach, where you could get a bonfire going while relaxing with friends in the evening. 

This gorgeous resort at Shanzu Beach, about 30 km (19 miles) north of Mombasa, was built to resemble a 13th-century Arab town. A visit here will transport you to another time and place with its courtyards brimming with fountains, narrow twisty lanes, and hand-carved balconies. Spacious rooms have an old Swahili ambience with hand-carved wooden furniture and hand-woven rugs. Set in lush tropical gardens next to an improbably blue sea, it's ideal to enjoy a full-on beach holiday. Food is excellent with lots of fresh fish, seafood, and vegetables flown in daily. There's plenty to do here, including day excursions to Shimba Hills National Reserve, the Arabuko Sokoke forest, the Kipepeo Butterfly Project, or the haunted ruins of the ancient town of Gedi. There are all manner of water activities available, too, but a trip in a glass-bottomed boat to the nearby coral reef is a must.

A 45-minute drive from Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is a luxurious paradise bush lodge in a seemingly remote and hidden valley. In earshot of the roars of the Nairobi lions, the Emakoko offers spacious, beautifully designed rooms with huge verandahs built into the side of a valley on the Mbagathi River. Game drives are included in the room price. The owners are experts on Kenya and its wildlife and could be the best advisors you encounter on any of your travels. It is also easily accessible for visits to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to see baby elephants or the Giraffe Centre. The lodge bar and communal dining area overlooking the swimming pool is a good place to relax after the rigors of a long flight.

One of the finest boutique resorts in Kenya, Maji means "water" in Swahili and the first thing you'll notice on arrival is the "lazy river" swimming pool that winds in a semi-circle across the main building, wrapping itself through palm trees and lounge areas, all in view of the beach. Once you’re done fantasizing about jumping in the pool, you’ll notice the art—every nook and cranny has stunning original work from both traditional and contemporary African artists and the entire hotel is one big gallery. Each of the 15 rooms has sky-high ceilings and is uniquely designed with hand-carved furniture and local textiles. The Maji Moto Bar and the Kahawa Tamu Coffee Lounge provide ideal spots for relaxing or simply bag a giant luxury daybed overlooking the beach. Dinner is a delight and tables are set up in romantic spots all around the house and pool and menus feature beautifully-presented Swahili, Indian, and Mediterranean specialities with an accent on fish and seafood.

The rooms in this spectacular hotel are in three villas, and as each has a sitting room with white couches, antique Swahili furniture, and African paintings and sculptures, you'll feel as though you're staying in an ultra-stylish private beach house. Two of the villas have swimming pools in front, and all look out onto the beach. Rooms are large with spacious en suite bathrooms, and the Royal Suite has magnificent views and antiques. The whole property suggests a designer with a gifted eye for detail. The food is excellent, with a focus on seafood, and because the owner is Italian, there's always a pasta course. Nonguests can book for lunch or dinner, and it's worth making the short trip here from Shela just to immerse yourself in the surroundings.

Guests here are practically doted on from the moment they cross the threshold of this architecturally stunning beachfront property. Your personal valet escorts you to your exclusive nyumba (house). These superb accommodations are simply some of the most integrative spaces imaginable, uniting open-air splendor and private luxury under one makuti (thatched) roof. The living area, adorned with the same artisanal Swahili furniture that's found throughout the property, spreads to a verandah overlooking a private beach garden and enclosed outdoor shower. Relax island-style and stroll your personal grounds wearing your complimentary kikoy wrap. Schedule your meals whenever and wherever—poolside, on the beach, on a dhow—you like, and you'll dine on some of the freshest seafood on the island. Fishing boats returning with their daily catch are intercepted by Red Pepper staff before they even reach the market.

This rustic bush camp is named after the flat-topped Acacia tortilis trees that surround the main thatch-roof open bar, lounge, and dining room, which also overlooks a waterhole and has superb views of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru in neighboring Tanzania. Your large tent sits under a huge thatch canopy and is raised up on a small platform with wooden floors, a king-size bed, and an en-suite bathroom with hot showers and flush toilets. If you want to catch up on your journal or bird and mammal lists, then relax on the comfortable furniture on your personal sitting area, or laze by the pool in between activities (such as game drives or guided bush walks, which the camp provides at an extra cost). There's also a family house with one double and one twin-bed room if you don't fancy splitting up between two tents. The tasty food is made with homegrown herbs and vegetables and the menu features both European and local dishes. While Tortilis borders Amboseli, it sits within its own private conservancy, which means that game walks with a Masaai guide are possible. The price includes the conservancy but not park fees.

This sleek and urban business hotel sits in the new wing of one of Nairobi's leading malls, The Village Market in the suburb of Gigiri, where you can find clothing and jewelry stores, two food courts, a bowling alley, art gallery, wine, cheese and chocolate shops, trampoline park, and more. Plus, there are always fun activities such as salsa dance mixers that you can participate in. Trademark's two dining outlets, Harvest and Hero, offer excellent cuisine; the former has a live kitchen where you can watch the chefs plating your steaks and seafood, while the latter has incredible sushi. Unlike a lot of other lodgings in the country, rates are standard for both residents and non-residents. It's sister property, The Tribe Hotel, sits on the opposite end of the same mall and shares the Kaya Spa; guests have access to facilities in both hotels.