Nairobi Serena Hotel

"Serena Hotel Nairobi Offers a Taste of African Opulence"

Many consider the Nairobi Serena Hotel, which boasts a 5-star rating, to be one of the finest Nairobi hotels. This is probably why, in 2008, the hotel hosted its namesake and tennis star, Serena Williams when she came to Kenya to conduct a tennis clinic and to officially open a school funded by her foundation.

This Nairobi hotel is located up the road from the city center on Valley Road, the logical upward extension of Kenyatta Avenue. The city center and many of the Nairobi tourist destinations such as Nairobi National Park, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Giraffe Center are within driving distance.

Accommodations

The 6 floors of the Serena Nairobi hotel include 184 guest rooms which comprise standard rooms and a couple of executive and presidential suites. The suites are obviously larger and have luxurious bathrooms.

Each of the rooms has a private bath, air conditioning, hair dryer, mini bar, satellite television, electrical adaptors and tea and coffee facilities. A good range of complimentary toiletries is also provided.

The rooms are themselves designed to be very quiet thanks to their double glazed windows. Free wireless internet connectivity is also available throughout the hotel precincts.

As only 66 of the rooms are non-smoking, if you are a non-smoker, remember to specifically ask for one at the point of booking. Several of the standard rooms are interconnected to enable larger groups or families to stay close to one another.

The hotel's décor is sophisticated with the lobby's and the all rooms' furnishings carrying unmistakable African themes.

Services and Amenities

Serena Hotel Nairobi's services and amenities include the following...

• Wireless internet connectivity which is available throughout the hotel precincts.

• Business travelers will appreciate the ultra modern, staffed business center that offers a range of services from photocopying to secretarial. Currency exchange services are available at the hotel although the rates offered will likely be lower than those pertaining at the forex bureaus.
• The Maisha Health Club is magnificently equipped, has a large outdoor swimming pool and offers its members and hotel guests complimentary fresh juice. The Maisha Spa offers massages, facials, detoxification, aromatherapy, wraps, and body scrubs although these are not included in the room rate.

• The Nairobi Serena Hotel offers a range of dining options. The exclusive Mandhari Restaurant is renowned for its outstanding ambience and superb cuisine. If you are looking for something less formal, try the Café Maghreb which, as the name suggests, was inspired by the beauty of Morocco.

  The Café is a great choice thanks to its elaborate buffet offerings which include some imaginative Kenyan cuisine such as red snapper fish cooked in desiccated coconut sauce.

Guest Reviews

This section highlights what real guests liked and disliked about the Nairobi Serena Hotel.

What Guests Liked

• Pleasant and efficient staff.

• Rooms are a good size with comfortable beds and air conditioning. The rooms are also very well-maintained, clean and tastefully appointed with African décor.

• Excellent food - extensive breakfast and a superb evening seafood buffet that includes lobster, crab and shrimp. The a la carte menu is also fantastic.

• The wireless internet is free. Although the reception is patchy in parts of the hotel, it is excellent in some of the rooms.

• The gym is one of the best in town. It offers state of the art equipment, a large pool and also well-trained instructors.

• The business center is well-equipped.

• Nairobi Serena Hotel has elaborate security procedures which is reassuring. All vehicles are thoroughly checked at the security barrier before being allowed to enter the hotel grounds.

• The hotel staff go out of their way to make you feel special. They are known to provide a complimentary glass of wine on arrival and if you are there on a honeymoon, you could be surprised by a bouquet of roses, chocolates and a bottle of wine.

• Good location for slipping into town and away to the airport when it's time to fly out.

What Guest Disliked

• The service in the restaurants is rather slow. When ordering from the a la carte menu, it is not unusual to wait 45 minutes for your food.

• The checkout process is unreasonably slow.

• Rooms are not designed for the physically challenged as it is difficult to maneuver around the room - especially the bathroom - in the wheelchair.

• The computers in the business center are slow and international phone calls prohibitively expensive.

• Some of the guests were offended by the requirement to show a pass chit before being allowed to leave with their luggage.

Summary

The Serena Hotel Nairobi is living proof that coming to Kenya on business or to experience the African wilderness need not mean you have to "live rough."

The rooms are clean and well-appointed and the food excellent. So, if you don't want your trip to Kenya to be ruined by uncertainties about your room and the food you'll eat, the Nairobi Serena Hotel is probably your best choice.

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