Nairobi Serena Hotel

“Amazing hotel”

Everything in this hotel was spectacular from the rooms to the food to the service. Everyone is incredibly friendly and helpful. The rooms are so comfortable with beautiful bathroom products. The bed was so comfortable and the room was incredibly clean. The food was delicious. So far I have had a... more

Everything in this hotel was spectacular from the rooms to the food to the service. Everyone is incredibly friendly and helpful. The rooms are so comfortable with beautiful bathroom products. The bed was so comfortable and the room was incredibly clean. The food was delicious. So far I have had a club sandwich, Thai prawns, a chicken stew, prawn and avocado and the best mutton biryani I have ever had. I will not hesitate to recommend this hotel to anyone coming to Nairobi or stay again should I return. While it is expensive in comparison to other hotels I found it worth the money as a treat for myself (particularly after 10 days of game drives and camping)

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“Excellent Service”

The consistency of standards is always recommendable! For this Particular Visit, I would like to commend Elizabeth from Banqueting, who served us wholeheartedly from a recent meeting we had. She is natural, cared for our requests. She has a natural flair for the industry & deserves promotion or a... more

The consistency of standards is always recommendable! For this Particular Visit, I would like to commend Elizabeth from Banqueting, who served us wholeheartedly from a recent meeting we had. She is natural, cared for our requests. She has a natural flair for the industry & deserves promotion or a raise! Thank you Elizabeth!

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“A fantastic experience for our first trip to Nairobi”

After such long flights from Texas to arrive at this beautiful hotel was a wonderful experience. We were there for 3 nights before departing on our once in a lifetime safari trip. I have never met such polite, caring and professional staff in all my travels. They genuinely go out of their way t... more

After such long flights from Texas to arrive at this beautiful hotel was a wonderful experience. We were there for 3 nights before departing on our once in a lifetime safari trip. I have never met such polite, caring and professional staff in all my travels. They genuinely go out of their way to welcome and assist you. The spa is first class. We ate dinner at the Mandhari restaurant, it was so good the first night, we went back for our second night. It did not diappoint, the chef sent out a special appertizer of seafood. Delightful, the flavors of our pasta were spot on. We cannot remember all the names but, Robert was our super concierge, Mike was patient with my lack of knowledge with my new camera, and Flo gave Michael an excellent shampoo post hair cut by a very talented barber. Superb on all levels.

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“Well-managed, friendly hotel in the heart of the city”

We stayed at this hotel at the very start and end of a Safari expedition. This is not a hotel where one would simply walk out and explore the neighborhood. There isn’t much of obvious interest within walking distance of the hotel, anyway. Security is quite tight. Business men or politicians arriv... more

We stayed at this hotel at the very start and end of a Safari expedition. This is not a hotel where one would simply walk out and explore the neighborhood. There isn’t much of obvious interest within walking distance of the hotel, anyway. Security is quite tight. Business men or politicians arriving in a convoy dressed in formal attire and accompanied by were not an uncommon sight. We had made some separate tour arrangements outside of the official Safari itinerary. Our independent tour guides picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel. As such the location of the hotel within the city is less critical but the Serena centrally located about equidistant from the Nairobi National Park to the south and the Karura Forest in the north. The National Museum of Kenya was not too far away to the north. The hotel was modern, well-maintained and clean, featuring furniture and an interior design that was clearly intended to provide a sense of location, not a generic, contemporary look. There were many display cases in the hallways and lobby featuring artifacts and handicrafts of some of the 40+ tribes or ethnic groups of Kenya. Of course this was further exemplified at the hotel’s 2 primary dining establishments, Mandhari Fine Dining and Cafe Maghreb. Incidentally the service was generally efficient and friendly. The room was spacious, the bed comfortable and closet space sufficient. We were treated to a small fruit platter when we checked in. Robes, slippers and even a large umbrella were available for our use. A shoehorn and a shoe mitt for buffing dress shoes were available. The hotel offered same-day laundry service which we took advantage of. Our freshly-laundered clothes were returned to the room in a leather-bound box, carefully wrapped in a cloth. We slept very well; even though the hotel was just off the extremely-busy Kenyatta Avenue little or no traffic noise made it to our room. The staff at the front desk and lobby were a pleasure to deal with. They took our messages and kept an eye out for our guides when they arrived to pick us up. Those manning the reception were appreciative and complimentary of my efforts at greeting and thanking them in Swahili. I took a swim but found the pool too warm given the warm temperatures and sun beating down on me. Many others, however, seemed to enjoy the water. My wife and I enjoyed our deep tissue massages at the hotel spa/fitness facility, Maisha (Swahili for “life”) on our return at the end of our journey. Post-safari massages are quite popular and we made sure to book our slots ahead of time. From the birding perspective we immediately noticed Robin-sized yellow-and-black birds that hung around the pool area and outdoor dining areas. These Baglafecht weaver birds showed almost no fear of humans. Also spotted in the shurbs by the pool, a Variable sunbird. The hotel has a large lawn in the back surrounded by many tall trees. We spotted White-eyed slaty-flycatcher, White-bellied tit, and many Speckled mousebird high in the branches. In the sky above we observed low-flying marabou stork (probably flying to or from the city dumps where they are known to scavenge), a mob of Pied crows swirling overhead, and a Black Kite. It was a pleasure to have the gardens to stroll through, a chance to be outside. Overall we enjoyed our stay at the Nairobi Serena.

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