Sarova Stanley

The hotel served my purpose of an affordable overnight stay near Paddington Station. But it should perhaps be noted in the marketing that you can feel the vibration from trains at Paddington in your room, and the trains run from 6 a.m. to 12 midnight. The room was VERY small, but it was clean and the staff was polite.

We had a one day layover in Nairobi and were looking for a comfortable, secure and clean hotel to stay in--the Stanley fit the bill perfectly. A little on the expensive side, but it seems like you have to lay out the big bucks to get decent and secure accommodation in East Africa. We arrived at 6:30 AM and were allowed to check in to our room directly, which was great. Food was also quite good, and the hotel is walking distance to a few nice restaurants as well.

If you stay here, you must have breakfast at the Cafe Gava, near the local school. Just follow the school children and you'll find it! It is where the locals eat. You'll have your eggs cooked on the spot by the cook in the restaurant itself. The kitchen is funky but the food is handled well. I was here to do photos of people and life in Kenya. The owner and staff let me back into the kitchen itself and the staff were so friendly and played to my camera alot giving me wonderful images.

The hotel is centrally located with taxi stands right outside and other public transportations around the corner. Wifi is present but it could be spotty sometimes. Breakfast and service is great but it is a bit expensive.

good hotel, good service, however pricing too (room rates) too high compared to for example Hilton.

The Hotel combines five star design and aspirations with African charm and friendliness. Does always deliver to 5 star quality - but a marginal lack of 5 Star efficiency is more than compensated for by the positive and courteous attitude of all members of staff who were by the way all immaculately attired at all times A very enjoyable stay

The Sarova Stanley is an interesting departure from your big brands. Too large to qualify as a boutique hotel. But unique and interesting. The service is all-around is excellent. Comfortable, large room. Everything is spotless. The Thai restaurant is great if a bit pricey. Breakfast is very pleasant. Workout room is quite adequate. I found the staff to be very responsive to any request. I made a complaint about the music in the pool restaurant and they were falling over themselves trying to figure out how to satisfy me. Highly recommended.

This is right downtown in city center so it is a good location. Food, spa and room were great. The only suggestion I would make if you're looking to book here is to request a room on as high a floor as you can. We were on the 3rd and it was uncomfortably loud from the downtown hustle.

After reading all of the scary stories about Nairobi, the Sarova Stanley (the oldest hotel in Nairobi) was the best place to begin out African journey. The lobby and bar areas were full of charm and history. The staff was welcoming and the rooms were spacious, clean, with wonderfully modern baths. In addition, the restaurants in the hotel are wonderful (especially the Thorn Tree) and the bar is beautiful, definitely worth stopping by for a drink. The breakfast (included int he room price) was fantastic with both western fare, wonderful pasteries, jouices, local specialities and omelette bar. We also found the hotel to be extremely secure with guards posted on every floor and security in the lobby. The only constructive critism I have is that the beds and furtniture in the rooms is in need of update. Overall, the location (quite central), security, and charm more than make up for it. I would definitely recommend staying here for your first trip to Nairobi and especially for resting up between safaris!

We stayed at this hotel twice (a total of five days)during our latest holiday in West Africa. It was the first time we stayed there and in the future we will be sure to return. The two rooms were different from each other but both were spacious. Room to move is important when you are staying for several days. The decor has old world charm- lots of wood and historical photos of Nairobi. Our second room had a balcony with a fantastic view of the main street. There is a security guard on each floor which is reassuring. There are also good shops right in the hotel complex- souvenirs, beauty/barber shop (much needed after having been on safari!), a good breakfast selection and a very helpful concierge who arranged taxis at reasonable rates and gave accurate advice on sightseeing. The staff were very friendly and welcomed us back on our return visit. The only improvements that the hotel could make would be to speed up the table service at the bar and improve the food in the pool area. The waiter said that the chef promised to do better the next time! The avocado was brown and the shrimp was seriously overboiled! The waiter didn't chrage for the coffee so he did his best to improve the situation! We have already recommended the hotel to our friends.