The Sarova Stanley

The more luxurious side of Kenya

On arrival at the hotel after 3 nights staying at The Mara Hippo in the Mara without a room (for the first night), no electricity for 2 days, cold food, flooded bathroom and no hot water we practically did cartwheels around the room when we walked into our room here! OK it's a pretty typical 5* hotel and doesn't have a very african feel to it but it was fabulous, the room was huge and beautifully decorated, the service excellent and the food good.
There is a roof top pool and several restaurants, we ate in the pool bar upstairs. There is a Thai restaurant that is supposed to be good, but after the food of the previous few days we needed something a little more basic!
Breakfast was a buffet style with all the usual items you find on hotel buffets!
There is a shopping arcade within the hotel selling souvenirs, clothing books etc (the one's I can remember as they were closed when we were browsing before breakfast).
Overall great for a more comfortable upmarket stopover, but not the place to soak up the true African atmosphere and experience the culture. We so enjoyed it though, it was worth every penny!!

Unique Quality: Huge room, comfortable beds, gorgeous bathroom without any flooding!
The best toilet we had the pleasure of using in Kenya....was spotlessly clean and had a seat!!

Nairobi Hotel

Classic, historical Hotel

I have to say that were were really looking forward to staying at this hotel. We'd heard so much hype and advertising for it all the way in Miami.
From it's famous history of the "Thorn Tree" where everyone used to leave messages to it's famous guests such as Winston Churchill and Ernest Hemmingway.

We found it a bit dissapointing, perhaps because we were expecting so much more or because we'd somehow managed to build it up in our minds to be the "Place to stay" while in Nairobi. Our unanimous opinion - for the 5 of us and 3 different choices of rooms - was that while very nice indeed, for the price, we had seen much nicer hotels and lodges throughout our 10 day stay in Kenya.
That, again, is our honest and personal opinion.

Unique Quality: There is indeed a thorntree that runs up the center of the hotel and into it's 2nd floor. A small sapling as the original had to be removed and a new one has been replanted. There is a wooden barricade now surrounding the new planting.

The rooms were wonderfully comfortable, as most 4 and 5 star hotels in Nairobi are. Spacious, comfortable beds. Larfge bathrooms complete with the "bidet"!
Internet cafe, choice of restaurants and very large breakfast which is included as part of the meal plan with your room.

It's main selling feature is also (in our opinion) it's worst. They are ideally situated smack dab middle of downtown. Easily within walking distance to shopping, numerous stores and large retail areas.
They are also, it appears, in one of the busiest sections of Nairobi because of this and the traffice right outside the door or open air restaurant is non stop! You cannot hear yourself speak because of all the noise from the pedestrians walking by or honking of horns from the heavy heavy traffic.
Our dreams of sitting back an relaxing at the outdoor cafe watching life go by became dashed and we quickly sought refuge in a quiet (and crowded) lobby of the hotel.

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average

The Sarova Stanley

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Very nice accomodations

I stayed 2 nights at the Stanley and would recommend it to anyone staying in Nairobi. It is a little more pricey but I felt very safe there and had every convience I could think of. There is a supermart across the street and they serve breakfast and have a nice gym and spa that I used one morning

Unique Quality: Good gym and spa, restaraunt looking at the city, security on every floor

One of Nairobi's best !

Superb service, selection of meals in the various theme restaurant.

Great location, practically in the centre of the city.

The Exchange Bar adjacent is where the Stock Exchange was for 40 years; appropriately the band in the evening is called Mergers & Acquisitions !!

Nice swimming pool too !

Unique Quality: Thorn Tree Cafe on the ground floor is perfectly positioned to people-watch.

The business centre is very well equipped, with state-of-the-art stuff.

City Center Hotel

Centrally positioned, its relaxing atmosphere provides reasonable quality and comfort, just metres away from the bustle of the city. This hotel has perhaps a little more character than the international chains, but over the past few years price differentials seem to have changed, making The Stanley marginally more expensive than some of the more well known hotels. After many years being owned by the Block family, the hotel is now owned by Sarova Hotels.

Unique Quality: New Stanley, a five-star hotel, built around the early part of the last century and naturally has had some major upgrades during its history. Its Thorn Tree Cafe was a well known haunt for Ernest Hemingway, writer of 'The Green Hills of Africa' . Col. J H Patterson who wrote "'The Man-eaters of Tsavo'" and Elspeth Huxley, author of 'The Flame Trees of Thika'

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average

The Sarova Stanley Photo: The New Stanley taken from Kimathi St

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Stanley

This hotel has the best roast chicken I have ever eaten. If you visit the bar on the upper level (the dark one with all the leather couches) you can order the chicken from the restaurant menu.

You can't get this dish in the restaurants on the ground floor.

Nairobi's Memory Maker

Although I only spent a week at the Stanley, it will always hold a very dear place in my heart. By the end of my stay it was sad to say goodbye to the colonial surroundings that gives the Stanley its unique 'lazy days in Africa' feel. For a timeless experience in the heart of modern day Nairobi, nothing quite beats the Stanley for its mix of colonial traditions and modern day Kenyan staff who go out of there way to impart a sense of 'Kenya' to all who pass through their doors. The facilities are of a high standard and represents the Sarova branch of hotels in a good light.

Unique Quality: The outstanding quality of the Stanely with regards to it's accomodation has to lie in the uniquely colonial lounge area with it's eye-catching ceiling fans and strange sense of calm as one gazes in silence at the busy streets of Nairobi down below.