16 Best Hotels in Kenya

Known for its beachfront location in Shela, lovely accommodations, and superb food, there's an atmosphere of total laid-back charm at Peponi. Anything goes here, but don't be fooled, the hotel is impeccably run by the matriarch Carol Korschen whose family opened the property in 1967. You'll sleep in a sea-facing room with polished honey-color mud floors, whitewashed ceilings with beams of old black wood, a massive four-poster bed, and kelim rugs. On your sea-facing veranda, get comfortable on lie-out chairs and watch the boats bobbing out to sea. The food is legendary, and the restaurant is one of the most popular in Lamu—try the giant prawns in butter sauce or a traditional Swahili-style meal around a big brass platter on the floor.

This family-run property has four villas, each with a private en suite bedroom; the villas can be rented individually or as a group. Decor is sourced locally but also draws inspiration from the owner's travels around the world. There is a communal dining area and bar, as well as various nooks and crannies with an adjacent pool overlooking the garden and sea. There's also an iconic pink-colored three-story tower that has a rooftop terrace perfect for sundowners or even sleeping under the stars. The menu is seasonal and features a lot of Kenyan coastal dishes such as Swahili fish curries with plenty of vegetarian options, but can be tailored to your preferences. The main draw is the ambiance, as well as that pristine stretch of beach perfect for frolicking.

This grand old colonial lady will take you back to the heady early days when settlers, adventurers, colonial officers, and their ladies arrived in the capital to make their names and their fortunes. Built in 1904, the Norfolk was one of Nairobi's first hotels and quickly became the meeting place and waterhole for everybody who was anybody in the colony. The hotel is now part of the Fairmont chain of hotels, but the original mock-Tudor facade and colonial opulence still remain, so you can easily imagine yourself back in the early days as you sip your G&T—it's always called G&T, never gin and tonic—or an excellent local Tusker beer on the Lord Delamere Terrace or in the leather-chaired bar. If you're there on a Sunday, do not miss the lavish high tea.

Set against the dunes in Shela village, Fatuma's Tower is a beautiful, cool, calm escape. The magical homestead was built in the late 1990s on crumbling ruins, and looks like it's been there for centuries. Bougainvillea clamber up the concrete walls, and a giant tortilis acacia watches over the back garden, where healthy, fresh-cooked meals are served in its shade. The rooms are large and airy and furnished with Swahili antiques and local textiles and have solar-powered hot water. A big draw for staying at Fatuma's Tower is its yoga space where very accessible classes are available every afternoon.

One of the world's most Instagrammed hotels—yes, giraffes really do pop their heads through the windows and bat their eyelashes at you at this stately old look-alike gabled Scottish hunting lodge. Built of honey-color sandstone and set in a forest in the Nairobi suburb of Langata, it's 30 minutes by road from the city center. It's a haven of peace and tranquility, unless you reckon curious giraffes and snuffling warthogs as stressful. Rare, endangered Rothschild's giraffes roam freely through the estate, and you can find out more about the species at the adjacent Giraffe Centre. If possible, choose a honeymoon master bedroom with an Art Deco bathroom. There's also a family suite with two rooms that can sleep two adults and up to three children, and the Karen Blixen suite that's got a courtyard garden.

You'll find nostalgia, history, and romantic surroundings at this family-owned boutique hotel. Set in lush gardens, it's 20 minutes from downtown Nairobi in the quiet suburb of Karen. It was here that the notorious Danish womanizer, man-about-town, and wannabe coffee farmer, Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke, brought his lovely young wife, Karen. It was also here that Karen met and fell hopelessly and helplessly in love with the English hunter and adventurer Denys Finch Hatton—their tragic romance was brought vividly to life in the movie Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. The hotel, a colonial-style villa with two wings, is family-owned and -run (Waine is an acronym comprising the initials of family members’ names). Colonial ambience mixes comfortably with modern luxury in the beautifully appointed guest suites, each uniquely decorated in vivid colors with elegant furniture and a marble en suite bathroom. Fresh and wholesome lunches and dinners with daily changing menus are served, and there's a comfortable lounge and bar where a welcoming roaring fire is lit on cooler evenings.

Located right on the waterfront in Shela, Kijani Hotel offers rooms in three converted Arab merchant houses grouped around a pretty central garden (kijani is Swahili for green) with swimming pool. They are furnished with antiques sourced in Lamu and Zanzibar, including high Swahili beds with colorful kikoi bedspreads, woven mats, and charming shutters over the windows. Although the rooms don't have any amenities, there's a tranquil, relaxed air to the place; all rooms have a safe, and free Wi-Fi. The restaurant is one of the best in Shela for seafood and pasta, and they serve excellent cocktails too; try the molten lava cake for dessert. Excellent breakfasts are included. The hotel can arrange dhow trips on the Shaba Dhow complete with meals prepared aboard, and tours of Lamu town.

Only a short walk from the serene Karura Forest, this hotel seamlessly merges modern luxury and Kenya's rich cultural heritage which is woven into its architecture and decor. The name 'Kwetu' means 'our home' in Swahili, and that perfectly reflects the personalized service that makes one feel at home here. The hotel features two exceptional dining options: Meko Restaurant located by the stunning pool, serving Mediterranean-inspired dishes, and Upepo, the rooftop bar and restaurant, offering South East Asian cuisine (try the Japanese nasi goreng if available on the menu). Both have quickly become popular destinations for locals and visitors alike, particularly with DJs and saxophonists on rotation in the evenings or weekends to serenade guests. Take in the forest from your room's large windows, or arrange a complimentary excursion at the reception.

This resort sits on a large lakeside property and oozes historical character as it dates back to the 1930s when it served as a staging post for a flying boat service between Durban and Ireland; today's Country Club has received a massive overhaul and now features lavish public areas, although the original rooms themselves by modern standards are very small. There's a dining room, a choice of bars, a resident’s lounge with a cozy fireplace, a snooker room, and a gift shop. The highlight is to dine on the lawns in the shade of the beautiful giant fever trees and watch zebra, wildebeest, and various antelope wander by. Numerous activities include bird-watching walks, hippo and sunset cruises on the lake, and day trips to the local attractions.

The rooms in this boutique hotel, located next to the Donkey Sanctuary on Lamu's waterfront, are all different, but each one is superbly decorated in traditional Swahili style and has a separate dressing room and a terrace looking out either onto the water or the town. The communal areas in the inside courtyard of the hotel are comfortable and tranquil, and there is one large pool and a plunge pool for cooling off. Don't miss the gift shop attached to the hotel, which sells gorgeous soft kikois, sandals, bags, and kaftans. The hotel's restaurant, Moonrise, is open to nonguests and is one of the best in town. You can order fish of the day steamed in a banana leaf or pan-fried with a tamarind sauce, or lobster, tuna, sailfish, pasta, chicken curry, or a good vegetarian dal. The hotel offers mid- to long-term rentals on high-end apartments in Lamu.

This stylish city hotel is conveniently located in Westlands, close to a number of restaurants and malls, although you will find all you need for a relaxing stay in the hotel itself. Striking contemporary East African art decorates both the rooms and public areas, and the rooms themselves are comfortable and modern, with panoramic views, marble bathrooms, and all possible modern conveniences. There's a patisserie, which turns into a cheese and wine bar at night, a brasserie serving global cuisine, and a New York–style steak house, plus rooftop dining next to the pool (check out the glass panel on the floor of the pool, which looks down onto the street hundreds of feet below). The Angsana Spa is exquisite, and the hotel boutique has specially commissioned, high-end souvenirs.

The city's oldest hotel was established in 1902 but has switched owners and undergone major upgrades through the years; the Stanley was named after the journalist Henry Morton Stanley who immortalized himself by discovering a long-lost Scots explorer with one of the best sound bites in history: "Doctor Livingstone, I presume?" A lot of history lies within these walls which have hosted African presidents, author Ernest Hemingway in the '30s, Frank Sinatra and his wife, Princess Elizabeth just before she became Britain's sovereign, and even a young Barack Obama. A Heritage Tour provides insight into Nairobi's history (Nairobi's Stock Exchange was, for instance, established in 1954 at the once popular Long Bar which is now The Exchange Bar). At the hotel's famous outdoor Thorn Tree Café, named for the acacia tree at its center, early travelers would pin notes and messages for fellow travelers to the tree, and it was regarded as Nairobi's first post office. Today, there's an Internet café where the communication tradition continues, and you can get light meals and live music. Public areas retain a trace of the elegance of times past and rooms offer all the standard amenities of a modern business hotel—soundproofing (useful in central Nairobi), blackout curtains, satellite TV, and coffee-makers. Rooms vary in price, from the basic right up to presidential suites in the VIP wing.

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 seats 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 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.