My husband and I stayed at the Ngong house for 1 night and were blown away by our tree house (#7), by the beauty of the location, by the service and food. We stayed on half-board basis and the dinner was fantastic - the four course meal, with nice wine, by the fireplace on a cool Nairobi night, it was the best dinner we've had in a while. The house was really like nothing else we've experienced - our bed was set in a boat, the veranda was a perfect place to take tea, the woodwork, furniture and floors were beautiful, and the house in general had so much character. The shower was excellent, and there was plenty of hot water to fill a canoe bathtub. There were lots of birds in the gardens, where the breakfast was set. The location of the hotel is a bit far from the city, but there are plenty of places to explore in Karen, from the Giraffe Center and Elephant Orphanage to Kazuri bead factory and shop, as well as craft stalls and museums.

We had a wonderful stay and are already plotting to come back.

It is difficult to find the words to do justice to this truly unique property. The hospitality, iconic tree houses, understated chic, peace and tranquility are a rare find - especially so close to the mayhem of an African city like Nairobi.

Not recommended for those who like the predictability of a corporate hotel but for the discerning traveller who appreciates attentive service within a house- party type environment, it is a real pleasure to have found this wonderful destination!

An overnight at the Ngong House en route to safari. Arrived around 9:00 PM and greeted by the staff. Paul (manager/owner?) offered us a dinner. The food was mediocre and a bit strange. We were shown to our tree houses (wife and I in one, two teenage sons in another). After a day's travel from Europe we were anxious to clean up and get a good night’s rest.

Tree houses: Rustic is a nice word for tired. Canoe bathtub a charming concept - but it would take twelve hours to fill the tub with limited water pressure and no chance the water would be warm. Shower not much better and caterpillars were crawling around the shower walls. Bed OK for comfort. On the bright side, our kids loved their two story tree house and spend much of the night on their deck. We would have been pleased to fall asleep to the sound of birds and game. Instead we lay awake until 3:30 am listening to the Ngong House and adjacent property owner’s dogs barking non-stop. It felt like we were at our dog's kennel.

Management snafu: On arrival, Paul provided us with our flight and accommodation vouchers from our travel company. The vouchers indicated a 9:15 flight the following AM. A staff member said that information was wrong and we were actually on another airline at 10:40 AM. I questioned this, but Paul assured me he had checked with our travel company and that indeed the change was correct. (I checked with our travel company upon return home and they never spoke with Ngong staff) I worried overnight thinking something was amiss and went to the office at 7:45 AM the next morning asking the flight info be reconfirmed. 45 minutes later Paul arrives, in quite an upset state, telling us indeed we need to be on the 9:15 flight. With no breakfast and wasting 15 minutes securing our luggage, we race to the airport. Blessedly we make our flight.

As my son said the next morning, this place kind of reminds me of The Shining.

I would not recommend a stay at the Ngong House.

A true experience of luxury rustic living. The tree houses are a visual feast and you do feel as if you are alone in the bush despite being in a developed suburb. Excellent and detailed service with charming touches. Being from a city, it can feel a bit too "log cabin" isolated if alone and rattling around the tree house (size of a large 1 bed apartment).

The owner's 3 dogs are a nice addition as is the camp fire lit in the evening together with sundowners. Would recommend having dinner at Ngong House as the chef is very talented. I would return but only with a partner for company during the lonely stroll back to the tree house and to keep company when the hyrax (wild rabbit) screams in the night.