Hotel Review: Hemingways Nairobi

There’s something about having a personal butler that just screams luxury. You hear the word – butler – and all of a sudden, you want to stand a little straighter, annunciate a little clearer, and perhaps add a little accent. Hemingways Nairobi is the newest luxury property to hit the boutique market in the high end Nairobi suburb of Karen.

The 45-room boutique not only upholds the luxury expected for discerning travelers heading out on once-in-a-lifetime safari experiences, but has also elevated the standard of luxury service in the area by leaving no detail overlooked. Each room is uniquely designed to give a certain flair and style to the approachable luxury. You have all the comforts and amenities of home and quite possibly more, but yet, you are so clearly not home. Home doesn’t smell this way, look this way, sound this way, or feel this way…

There is nothing – absolutely nothing – like going on a safari in East Africa. As an entrée to the rich feast of memories that a safari brings to one’s life, Hemingways Nairobi is perfection; luxury Kenyan hospitality at its best. Have a Dawa cocktail in the bar before dining in the lovely dining room. The food and drink is on par with the best, not just in Kenya, but anywhere in the world.

Foodies, take note: the Brasserie features a Josper oven, an indoor barbecue and the only one of its kind in Kenya, specially imported by Hemingways to produce the best steaks sizzling at 800F. Their beef and lamb is also exclusively farmed for Hemingways, grain fed for 180 days and hung for 21.

Though a 40-minute drive from Jomo Kenyatta airport (which recently completed its rebuild after a devastating fire in the international terminal just over a year ago), once you arrive on the property, the earthy aromas exude from the surrounding forest and lush Ngong Hils. You hear animals in the distance, and feel immediate welcomed to the Kenyan hospitality and adventure that awaits.

What we liked: Design. Comfort. Service. Food. People. The details. It was quite simply perfection.

What we didn’t: Some may find its distance from central Nairobi and the Westlands to be a negative, as that is where many of the best restaurants, shopping, and nightlife are found; drivers are available when booked in advance, but it’s still a good 45 minutes there and back.

Getting there: Approximately 40-60 minutes drive from the international airport; entirely dependent on the time of day, however. Traffic in Nairobi can be brutal.

Amenities: Personal butler service, which includes in-room check in and check out; Packing/Unpacking service; 24-hour pressing service; Shoe shine service; Wake-up call with tea or coffee; In-room dining; Personal shopper and shopping guide; included Wi-Fi; Comprehensive concierge services; Full service spa and salon on property; luxury designer Anna Trzebinski shop on site

Hot tips: Plan your drive times and allow the hotel concierge to help you! You’ll avoid a lot of time spent in traffic if you wait until non-peak driving times. Stay in Nairobi a little longer, or head into town a little earlier or later. Also, plan your days of exploration, both in Karen and Nairobi accordingly. You won’t want to drive into town and back to the hotel and then there and back again.