Sarova Stanley Hotel

Top choice in Nairobi

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A Nairobi classic. The original Stanley Hotel was established in 1902 – past guests include Ernest Hemingway, Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and Gregory Peck. The latest version boasts large and luxurious rooms and a timeless lobby characterised by plush green leather banquettes, opulent chandeliers and lots of dark-wood trimmings. Rates drop slightly from Friday to Sunday.

A highlight is the Thorn Tree Café, which inspired the name of Lonely Planet’s online community. Rates vary considerably with the seasons and availability, and are generally cheaper at weekends.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Locals and tourists enjoying the Sheldrick Trust Elephant Orphans Project on a cloudy day in Nairobi, Kenya.

    David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

    7.19 MILES

    Occupying a plot within Nairobi National Park, this nonprofit trust was established in 1977, shortly after the death of David Sheldrick, who served as the…

  • Zebras in a field at Nairobi National Park with Nairobi city in the background.

    Nairobi National Park

    4.68 MILES

    Welcome to Kenya’s most accessible yet incongruous safari experience. Set on the city’s southern outskirts, Nairobi National Park (at 117 sq km, one of…

  • Entrance of Nairobi National Museum.

    National Museum

    0.93 MILES

    Kenya’s wonderful National Museum, housed in an imposing building amid lush, leafy grounds just outside the centre, has a good range of cultural and…

  • A Masai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchii aka Kilimanjaro giraffe) and her calf in Nairobi National Park with the city in the background. 945049802 giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchii, kilimanjaro giraffe

    Giraffe Centre

    8.22 MILES

    This centre, which protects the highly endangered Rothschild’s giraffe, combines serious conservation with enjoyable activities. You can observe, hand…

  • The Karen Blixen house

    Karen Blixen's House & Museum

    8.9 MILES

    If you loved Out of Africa, you'll love this museum in the farmhouse where author Karen Blixen lived between 1914 and 1931. She left after a series of…

  • Karunguru Coffee Estate

    Karunguru Coffee Estate

    17.37 MILES

    This estate has been cultivating coffee since 1928, and its five-hour tours (which must be pre-booked) are outstanding, taking in an explanation of the…

  • Making pottery at Kazuri Bead Factory, Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa 1045644384 making pottery, beads, kazuri bead factory

    Kazuri Beads & Pottery Centre

    9.22 MILES

    An interesting diversion in Karen, this craft centre was started by an English expat in 1975 as a place where single mothers could learn a marketable…

  • Go-Down Arts Centre

    Go-Down Arts Centre

    1.43 MILES

    The Go-Down Arts Centre, a converted warehouse in Industrial Area, contains 10 separate studios and is a hub for Nairobi's burgeoning arts scene, bringing…

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Nearby Nairobi attractions

1. Jamia Mosque

0.16 MILES

Amid the clutter of downtown, Nairobi’s main mosque is a lovely building in typical Arab-Muslim style, with all the domes, marble and Quranic inscriptions…

2. National Archives

0.2 MILES

Right in the bustling heart of Nairobi is the distinctive National Archives, the ‘Memory of the Nation’, a vast collection of documents and reference…

3. Khoja Mosque

0.22 MILES

Looking for all the world like a colonial-era post office, this stone mosque for the city's Ismaili community was built in the 1920s and is one of…

4. Holy Family Cathedral

0.25 MILES

The main Catholic church in the city, this is a key downtown landmark and one of Nairobi's most important churches.

7. American Embassy Memorial Garden

0.43 MILES

This well-tended walled garden occupies the former site of the American embassy, which was destroyed by terrorist bombings on 7 August 1998. It’s a lovely…

8. Parliament House

0.43 MILES

If you fancy a look at how democracy works in Kenya, it’s possible to obtain a free permit for the public gallery at Parliament House when parliament is…