A view of Nairobi City, the capital city of Kenya
Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, is the main point of entry for most people travelling to Kenya. Whether coming for a safari, a business trip, or you are on transit through Nairobi to another destination, you’ll most likely arrive through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
Sometimes you may not need to spend more than a few minutes in Nairobi, especially if you are proceeding on safari immediately. Other times however, you may have to spend a night or two. With its wide choice of hotels, Nairobi will not disappoint you.
Some of the best known five star hotels in Nairobi include the Nairobi Serena hotel, the Hotel Intercontinental Nairobi, Panari hotel, Nairobi Hilton hotel, and the Fairmont Norfolk hotel . There are several other hotels ranging from five star luxury hotels to budget hotels. So whatever your budget, you’ll definitely find suitable accommodation for your stay in Nairobi.
Lately, several new hotels have been constructed in Nairobi, perhaps an indication that the Kenya travel industry is recovering from the woes of the recent past. The three most notable of these new hotels are Ole Sereni, Crowne Plaza, and Sankara Nairobi hotel.
• Ole Sereni
In the Maasai language, the word “ole sereni” means tranquility, and this is what this hotel aims to be, a place of tranquility. The hotel is strategically placed near the Jomo Kenyatta International airport, making it an ideal resting place for travellers on transit. The other hotel near the airport is the Panari hotel.
Ole Sereni hotel lies just at the edge of the Nairobi national park, so you get a unique chance of viewing wildlife from the bar or restaurant of a hotel in Nairobi. For a hotel that is relatively new, Ole Sereni has had some remarkable reviews at tripadvisor, if that is anything indicative.
• Sankara Nairobi Hotel
Well, as I write this post (April 2010), this hotel is yet to fully start operating, but it is already causing ripples in the Nairobi tour industry. By all indications, when it officially opens its doors to guests in June 2010, it will be a major player in the Nairobi.
Sankara Hotel is situated in Westlands, one of the upmarket surburbs of Nairobi. The westlands area is home to a few other hotels among them Jacaranda hotel, The Holiday Inn, and Wasini Luxury Homes. It is also in Westlands that you’ll find some of the biggest shopping malls in Nairobi, among them Sarit Center, UKAY, The Mall, and Westgate. You can find more information about Sankara Nairobi from their website.
• Crowne Plaza Hotel
Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts is a well known international hotel chain, part of the Intercontinental Hotels group. Their new hotel in Nairobi is located in Upperhill, an upmarket commercial area hosting several multinational companies and some diplomatic missions. The hotel is conveniently close to the central business district, yet far enough away from the noise of the city. When there is no traffic jam on the Nairobi roads, it takes only about 20 minutes to get to JKIA Airport from upperhill.
Considering the great strength of the Intercontinental Hotels group worldwide, the new Crowne Plaza is obviously going to be one of the major hotels in Nairobi.
How to Book Hotels in Nairobi
Most reputable hotels have websites where you can book online direct with the hotels. However, from personal experience, you may get cheaper rates if you book through travel agents instead of approaching the hotels directly. This is because the hotels give travel agents discounted rates because of their volume of business. Some of the online Kenya travel agents you can have a look at include Shoor travel and Africapoint. Alternatively, you can compare the rates you get from online reservation websites like expedia, kayak, travelocity, and hotels.com.
Sifting through the plethora of Nairobi hotels to pick the best one for your needs can be quite challenging. There are many types of hotels in Nairobi categorized as budget hotels, house Hotels, tourism hotels, Nairobi romantic hotels and Nairobi holidays hotels. Admin thank you for this new hotels review.