The Sarova Stanley

The moment you pass through the century old revolving doors, you enter another world, the heat and bustle of modern Nairobi left behind as you tune into the cool Victorian elegance of Sarova Stanley.

A spacious foyer, with its patterned marble floors, chesterfields, old clocks and ancient photographs all come together to transport you to another era.

Sarova Stanley, which is one of the eight hotels owned by Sarova Group of hotels, Resort & Game Lodges, offers a wide range of accommodation and services with all rooms elegantly furnished with an ambience that remains as friendly and welcoming as it has always been since its humble beginnings in 1902.

Sarova Stanley has 217 guest rooms over eight floors in different categories including Heritage Suites, Executive Suites and Club Rooms. Dining facilities include the legendary Thorn Tree Cafe, Thai Chi Restaurant which has been awarded as the most authentic Thai restaurant in East Africa, Exchange Bar which was once the venue for Nairobi’s first stock exchange, Pool Deck Restaurant and 24 hour In-room Dining.

Business facilities include wireless internet, fully-equipped business centre, meeting rooms in varying capacities and secretarial services. The heated pool on the 5th floor adjoins a fully equipped health club with gym, steam, sauna and massage facilities. Sarova Stanley’s mini shopping arcade houses Gift Shops, Newspaper Stand, Bookshop, Boutique, Curio shop, Chemist, Optician, Locksmith, Art Gallery and Car Rental outlets.

Guests can also ask for a Historical Tour of the hotel to view old photographs and heritage suites. The hotel also organises for guests to go on a Heritage Walk around the hotel to view some of the oldest and most historical buildings in the area.

More about this hotel

Facilities

Health Club

Situated on the fifth floor, adjoining the swimming pool, The Stanley Health Club includes a gymnasium and exercise studio. You’ll also find respite from the outside world in our spacious sauna, steam and relaxation rooms.

Swimming Pool

Sarova Stanley has an open-air heated swimming pool on the fifth floor where you can relax with a swim and lounge by the pool-side with a drink and food from the Pool Deck restaurant.

Gymnasium

For the fitness minded, the gymnasium offers a range of state of the art exercise equipment including cross trainers, exercise cycles, free weights, multi gym, rowing machines and treadmills, free of charge to guests. There are also highly qualified instructors on duty at all times to assist you in your workout.

Yoga and Aerobics

If pumping weights and exercise machines are not your speed, separate from the main gymnasium is a studio for yoga and aerobics classes, led by enthusiastic and experienced instructors.

Chakacha African belly dancing

This is a rare opportunity to learn the traditional art of sensual Kenyan belly dancing from a famous local practitioner who takes classes at Sarova Stanley.

Shopping

Nairobi is probably the best place in East Africa for buying African curios, souvenirs, traditional fabrics, beads, pottery, rugs, weaving and wool. There are several good local crafts markets, featuring pieces from Kenya and as far afield as West Africa. One of the most unique shopping experience is the Maasai market. This is where over 350 craftsmen traders and artisans dorned in rich maasai cultural dressing sell unique arts and crafts. The abundance and quality of their artistic pieces is unrivalled, allowing both tourists and residents to appreciate Kenya’s and Africa’s finest works. The maasai market is opened on different days at diverse venues. The key market days you should look out for are:- Tuesdays- its at the upper parking at Westgate shopping centre in Westlands, Wednesdays-Capital centre on Mombasa road, Friday- upper parking at village market, Saturday- Nairobi high court parking in town, Sunday- Nairobi high court parking and yaya centre parking.

If you are looking for just about anything else from clothing to electronics, Nairobi boasts of a number of excellent modern shopping centres, malls, supermarkets and department stores. Nairobi has modern shopping experiences from the following major malls: Sarit centre and Westgate shopping centres in Westlands, Nakumatt Junction, Yaya Centre in Hurlingham and Capital Centre on Mombasa road. If you are looking for supermarket brands then you can go for Nakumatt, Tuskys, Uchumi and Chandarana supermarkets.

Sarova Stanley’s Shopping Arcade houses Gift Shops, Newspaper Stand, Bookshop, Boutique, Curio shop, Chemist, Optician, Locksmith, Art Gallery and Car Rental outlets also offer fantastic shopping experiences within the victorian elegance.

Meetings and Events

Sarova Stanley, a luxury business hotel in Nairobi, offers all business facilities such as wireless internet, business centre with secretarial services, nine fully equippedmeetings and conference rooms with state of the art technological advancements. In combination, the following rooms can house over 800 people.

Accommodation

Suites

The Suites at Sarova Stanley offer the most distinctive experience amongst accommodation options in Nairobi.

The Windsor Suite

Located on the eighth floor, our penthouse suite ‘The Windsor’ was so named to commemorate the attendance at a ball in the hotel in l928 of the Prince of Wales (who later and briefly became King Edward VIII) and the Duke of Gloucester. It comprises a beautifully furnished bedroom and expansive sitting room with its own private terrace which makes it an ideal venue for high-profile cocktail and dinner parties.

The Stanley Suite

This Suite, which also serves as the Presidential Suite, is named after the explorer. Henry Morton Stanley, as was, no doubt, the hotel itself. It includes a spacious sitting room with dining area, powder room, large bedroom with dressing room and a well-appointed bathroom with jacuzzi. Decorated in shades of green with period furniture pieces, antigues and old etchings, the suite exemplifies heritage elegance.

The Karen Blixen Suite

This suite commemorates the Baroness Blixen, Nairobi resident between 1914 and 1931, author of Out Of Africa and Shadows on the Grass who frequently lunched at The Stanley. The suite comprising a spacious sitting room, large bedroom, powder room and bathroom with jacuzzi, is decorated with photos spanning Karen Blixen’s life in Kenya and reproductions of her famous paintings Juma and The Kikuyu Girl.

The Lamu Suite

This Suite is named after the exquisite Swahili/Arabic archipelago and island of Lamu,
off the Kenyan coast. The suite’s decor is reminiscent of the island’s romantic ambience, boasting a four poster bed, antique Lamu style furniture including a Planter’s recliner, Lamu chests and persian rugs. The Suite has a spacious sitting room, powder room, large bedroom and a luxurious bathroom with a his and hers counter sink and jacuzzi. The Lamu Suite is especially popular with honeymooners.

Double Suites

The Stanley has three double suites, each with two bedrooms connected through a common sitting room all overlooking the Atrium. Ideal for families and those who like a little extra space, the suites are well appointed with elegant furnishing but with all modern facilities and services. These are:

The Connaught Suite is named so to commemorates the first visit of a British royal family to Kenya – the Duke and Duchess of Connaught in March l9O6.

The Tate Suite is a fitting tribute to Mayence and Fred Tate, the founders of not only the hotel but also the country’s hotel industry.

The Delamere Suite pays homage to Hugh the Third Baron Delamere, a colorful, unconventional pioneer and social leader who was a significant figure in the development of modern Kenya.

Executive Suites

Executive Suites feature a spacious bedrooms with separate dressing area, en-suite
lounge with powder room and well-appointed bathrooms. The decor reflects classical elegance with a contemporary touch. These suites make for an ideal home away from home and are particularly popular among regular and long-staying guests.

Rooms

Guest rooms at Sarova Stanley offer a blend of Victorian elegance and comfort, combined with all the practical, executive amenities of the modern age. In addition to the Suites, there are two categories of guest rooms all of which feature:

An outdoor or atrium view, Air-conditioning, black-out curtains, sound-proofing, Satellite TV, tea/coffee facilities, mini-bar, safe-deposit box Direct dial telephone with VOIP, wireless internet connectivity. Private bath, shower and WC, hair dryers Voltage of 240 volts and 50 cycle razor outlets operating on both 220 and 240 volts.

Club Rooms

Club Rooms offer a very comfortable stay featuring elegant interiors and amenities such as a fresh fruit basket on arrival, a floral arrangement in the bedroom, fluffy white terry toweling robes and slippers, daily newspapers, free internet access and 42 inch flat-screen televisions. Club room guests also enjoy evening canap’s on the house followed by aromatic candles and chocolates for Turn Down service.

Deluxe Rooms

Deluxe rooms at Sarova Stanley offer the rare luxury of space, the largest in their category in the city, having been built at a time when space was never a constraint. The rooms are done up in classical style with chintz furnishings and plush carpeting.

Gastronomy & Bar

Thorn Tree Cafe

The Thorn Tree Cafe is a legendary open-air, bistro style pavement cafe and is most famous for its message board located at the centre of the restaurant. Legend purports that the Thorn tree cafe – named for a single centrally situated Acacia tree – became a makeshift post box for travelers who left mail pinned onto its trunk. ‘Tree mail’ endures despite email and the Thorn tree Cafe flourishes as the crossroads of Africa.

From time immemorial the cafe has been the perfect meeting place for friends and offers a remarkable dining experience in the central business district. It has a deli counter, serves pizzas from a wood-fired oven, fresh juices, beers, the widest range of coffees and a varied menu which includes popular continental and nouvelle dishes.

Thai Chi

A small piece of Thailand in Nairobi, Thai Chi has been awarded as the most authentic Thai restaurant in East Africa. With its traditional Thai decor and delectable Thai specialties prepared by experienced chefs from Thailand, Thai Chi is one of Nairobi’s most elegant dining establishments.

The Exchange Bar

History comes to life at The Exchange Bar, once the site of Nairobi’s first Stock Exchange, from 1954 until 1991. In 1922, The Long Bar,the Stanley’s precursor to The Exchange Bar, famously took delivery of the first ever order from the newly formed Kenya Breweries, makers of such famous local brews as Tusker and Pilsner, and now the largest brewery in the country.

The Exchange Bar retains the feel of a traditional English Gentleman’s club with its decor while exuding a casual elegance and warm atmosphere that provides a lively meeting place for people from all walks of life. A perfect place to enjoy a single malt and fine cigar or sensational cocktails accompanied with a variety of bar snacks.
The Exchange Bar stocks all major international newspapers and in keeping with its origins there is also a Reuters screen with the latest news and movements from major stock exchanges of the world.

Pool Deck Restaurant

The Pool Deck Restaurant on the fifth floor is a little bit of the coast in the heart of the city. It’s a light, bright, buffet style restaurant with al fresco dining by the swimming pool. It serves Kenyan specialties as well as popular continental and Asian dishes.On Sundays there is a special Barbeque Lunch (12.30pm – 3pm).