Staying at AHH affords us an intimate and comfortable introduction to African art. Alan's 40 year museum quality, art collection from all over the continent is displayed throughout the house and bedrooms. What a beautiful, tranquil house he has built for himself, and for his guests to enjoy. And Alan's gracious hospitality is much appreciated. Being near the airport is such a convenience for arrivals or departures. And the local driver he uses, (Gideon tel. +254 (0)720-170754) to ferry us to the airport, charged us $20 each way - half the fare we paid to our tour operator, when we came back later to Nairobi for our safari. Breakfast is included in the rate, and lunch and dinner is on offer, taken on the terrace overlooking Nairobi National Park. Try looking out for game in the park, if you spend time on the terrace. Extensive grounds, a swimming pool and lots of places throughout the house to hang out and read a book, or just to rest and contemplate.
Wish there was a fan in the bedroom for the warm nights we were there.

This is a must for those who like out of the ordinary. Alan's home is on the edge of the Nairobi National Park and one of the coolest places that I have ever stayed in. Our room was on the third floor, we had several beds to chose from all with mosquito netting, we chose to have dinner there each night and enjoyed wine as the sun set. The house is filled with artifacts from all over Africa and Alan is so gracious, after 3 weeks on Safari we really enjoyed a day relaxing around the pool and watching the animals from the decks. Alan also arranged a driver to show us the city for our last few days in Africa.

We used African Heritage House as our base during our travels throughout East Africa - we stayed 4 nights over a 3 week period. Firstly in making arrangements i dealt directly with Alan (before he took his holidays) and he was very responsive and helpful. It is a very unique place and very interesting to see. As many have mentioned it is like a museum of African history - Alan's recall of all his collection is impressive. One of the main reasons to stay here is to get Alan to give you a tour (with your drink of choice in hand!) - but allow a few hours to really do it justice.

Alan's staff provide very good personal service with very good meals served in a variety of different spaces in the house depending on weather conditions. The house is located very handy to the airport and is very quiet being set well back from Mombasa Road.

The rooms are all pretty unique and interesting as well as spacious. Ours had an open air bathroom which was still pretty functional. Mosquitoes can be a problem so be prepared. The beds are a bit small being antique frames around the size of a modern double bed. Electricity may not be available overnight but this tends not to be a big deal i think. There is no aircon or fans but there is good natural ventilation mosquitoes not withstanding.

If you have one or two nights to spend in Nairobi and want a unique experience then this a great alternative to formulaic hotels.

First, the house itself is unbelievable. It has grand proportions and interesting architecture everywhere you turn. Alan has furnished and decorated the place with 40 years worth of collected art from across the continent. Though the term "museum" comes to mind, the house is absolutely comfortable and we never felt as though we couldn't sit on furniture, touch the sculptures, or examine the art.
Second, the setting was gorgeous. My mother took the amazing Lamu Suite. It has a small garden/greenhouse inside the bathroom! I took the upstairs room on the roof. From the ample balconies and terraces we looked out over the Nairobi National Park as we had morning tea and sundowners. Somehow, we were 15 minutes from downtown Nairobi, but in the middle of a huge open park. The house is a much more convenient journey to and from the airport than any "in-town" hotel and far more relaxing.
Third, Alan is the consummate host. No details are overlooked. His advice on logistics (travel times, places to see, etc) were spot on. Meals were ample and delicious whether taken on the terrace, by the fireplace, or in my room on the top floor. The tour of the house, which took us about 2 hours, was really interesting and far from a "canned" speech. Alan put us in touch with a fantastic driver, Gideon, who was, himself, a font of valuable information. Alan also directed us toward some excellent wholesalers of African textiles and crafts. We skipped uncertainty of searching out over-priced shops and the mayhem that is Nairobi shopping. The icing on the cake was the private concert Alan provided. A group of 20 or so guests were having a professional retreat for the day and we got to join them as Alan's long-time friend Ayub Ogada played and sang on the roof deck at sundown. It was picture and pitch perfect.
African Heritage House is the type of place you can stay if you are doing just a few days travel in and around Nairobi, or if you are looking for a base for an extended tour of the area. It was just perfect.