Hemingways Nairobi enters the Kenyan capital's hotel scene

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