Published in
Centurion Magazine (Online)
From the new Olare Mara Kempinski in the Masai Mara, to the buzz over
Sir Richard Branson’s new Mahali Mzuri, luxury addresses are cropping up
everywhere in Kenya this year, from the savannah to the city. The most
exciting opening of late, however, came with the debut of Hemingways
Nairobi in the lush residential suburb of Karen.
The boutique hotel held its soft opening in April, with most of the 45
suites ready for guests, and the full facilities – including a spa, an
outdoor lap pool and two presidential suites – are slated to be up and
running by June. The hotel’s rather plain stucco exterior conjures
something vaguely Caribbean – where no expenses have apparently been
spared, however, is inside. Italian marble gleams in the dual-vanity
suite bathrooms and grand hotel lobby, with its twin sweeping staircases
mirroring those at the Saxon in Johannesburg. All suites have on-call
butler service and private balconies with plush lounge chairs
overlooking the undulating landscape, and each is named for a famous
writer, explorer or actor with African ties, their individual stories
told through the decor within.
Nairobi locals, dignitaries and expats are already frequenting the
Brasserie restaurant on the ground floor, where executive chef Barry
Tonks (the only Michelin-starred chef in East Africa) and his team work
closely with local producers to source the finest corn-fed beef from
Naivasha, along with stone-milled flour, eggs and local cheeses. The
seafood is all hooked by Hemingways’ six-boat fleet at its coastal
property in Watamu. A fine dining restaurant, Dining Room, will open by
July, with contemporary European cuisine and a private chef’s table in
the wine cellar, where you can watch Tonks put the finishing touches on
your meal via a flatscreen embedded in the bottles.
The pleasures at Hemingways come in the sense of place and sumptuous
touches at every turn, such as Chesterfield furniture in the lounge, a
hidden flatscreen TV in your room that levitates from a steamer trunk
with the touch of a remote, and a fresh bouquet of roses by your
bedside. In the property’s gardens, fountains flows from the mouths of
Big Five gargoyles lit with LEDs.
It’s as easy to picture pre- or
post-safari honeymooners here as it is to envision an executive
checking in to visit the many corporate headquarters in Karen. For all,
the air is fresh, the surrounds lush and cool and the feeling utterly
escapist.
Visit Hemingways Nairobi online
