I stayed here the last night in Kenya.. We hoped to go the the nairobi national park, carnivore and catch our early morning flight. We made the carnivore and our flight, but ran out of time for the national park.

The location was excellent for our plans. Good room, nice atmosphere. Nice restaurant and bar, small swimming pool and some nice play area for children. Added bonus is all the small aircraft which take off and land right next door.

The aero club is however also next to a major high way, which you do really hear at night.

For our second trip to Kenya, we decided to forgo the luxurious downtown hotel for the overnight stay before leaving for the bush. Why fight Nairobi traffic early in the morning to get to Wilson Airport and why pay international hotel prices when you can be comfortable and be at Wilson Airport? Plus, the role of aviation and bush pilots in the modern history of Africa made one feel a bit more like an adventurer rather than a pampered safari guest!

The main lodge of the Club is comfortable and has a lovely old-world feeling with propellers and aviation photos on display. Our room, in an adjacent building, was spacious and comfortable, with high ceilings, air conditioning, and a clean bathroom and shower. TV had local channels only - much more interesting - and there was no internet as far as I could tell. We could have walked to the passenger terminal but Safari Link picked us up.

If you are not too concerned about the amenities of a major hotel but want a good night's sleep at an affordable rate before heading out into the bush, you might consider the Aero Club of East Africa.

For anyone flying to the Masai Mara, Amboseli or any of Kenya's other wonderful game parks and whose connections require an overnight in Nairobi, this is a good choice. Set on the grounds of Wilson Airport from which the flights to the parks depart, it is clean, convenient and good value, with room rates less than half other options. It's a member-only facility, but it's possible to purchase a temporary membership for a nominal fee. The Club is set in beautiful landscaped grounds, plenty of shade trees. There aren't many rooms, and they are located a short distance away from the Club lounge, where you can order a drink or a meal, and watch whatever sporting event is on the big TV. Rooms are spacious and simply decorated but certainly adequate for an overnight. Decent bathroom with shower, and the room had air conditioning, albeit rather weak. However with the high cathedral ceiling and cool night temperatures, we were comfortable with window open and using the mosquito net over the bed. The only downside was some traffic noise from a nearby road. The tv in the room had local channels only - not a big deal for an overnight stay. No internet (at least not in our room) and with just a 12-hour stay from check-in at 8pm until the next morning, we didn't bother to inquire if we could access it in the Club main building - which by the way had a lovely "old colonial" feel to it, with lots of dark polished wood, black-and-white photos of early aviation, and polished wooden propellers decorating the walls. Breakfast was available (at additional charge) in the club or on their deck overlooking the runway, but our flight was so early we skipped it. Had we known in advance, with our light luggage we could have walked to the Safari Link check-in, but arrangements had already been made by our safari planner for the airline to pick us up at the Club and drive us the 400 meters to their check-in (note: check-in for Air Kenya and Tropic Air would be further in another part of the airport grounds, and not a comfortable walk for most).
In summary, my husband and I found this to be a pleasant no-frills alternative to the expensive international hotels in Nairobi and more than adequate for an overnight before heading to our safari camp. We'll stay there again!

We stayed here three times in September and October 2011. The Aero Club is a members club with rooms but offers temporary membership to non-members who wish to stay. The club is situated within the perimeter of Wilson Airport so is ideal for those taking a flight from that airport or is 20 minutes drive (in light traffic) to Jomo Kenyatta. The rooms are simple but have good beds with nets and good showers. The club house has a bar with Wifi and a kitchen serving a range of basic food. If you want something more interesting, Carnivore restaurant is a short taxi ride away. The only downside is that the rooms are single glazed so whilst the club stands in its own gardens there is road noise from the nearby dual carriageway. A good place to spend a night whilst waiting for a flight or safari.