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House of Waine: Traveler Reviews

Masai Lane & Bogani Road | Karen, PO Box 25035, Nairobi 00603, Kenya
Hotel amenities
House of Waine
Ranked #1 of 80 hotels in Nairobi
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82 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveler rating
    63
    15
    3
    0
    1
Date Rating
Seattle, Washington
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
5 hotel reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
“The answer to my prayers”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed July 4, 2012

House of Waine is one of the most thoughtful and helpful hotel’s we have ever stayed in, and is by far the best accommodation in Nairobi. My husband and I were on our honeymoon volunteering in Kenya, and I got e coli. After two nights of being very very sick and having no running water, we went to the hospital. We were staying in Ngong and on the way back I decided I really just needed a night at a hotel to wash myself properly and to be able to flush the toilet. We drove around Karen in our volunteer agencie's matatu looking for a safe and comfortable place to stay. We came upon House of Waine, we had no reservation but hoped since it was low season they may have a room. When we came in they were so kind to me, I explained our situation and they said that they had one room available. Unfortunately it was out of our price range but when they found out we were volunteering gave us a wonderful discount. Before we committed to the room the staff asked if I would like to see it. Upon entry all I could say was YES YES YES! Huge comfortable bed, shower, amazing bath tub, flushing toilet. This was what I needed to recover properly. While I snuggled into bed my husband made the reservations and went to get our luggage. When he came back he told me that not only did they give us a discount but they arranged for a complimentary bottle of champagne (which my husband enjoyed for both of us) and a private dinner set up to celebrate our honeymoon that night. The staff were so kind and concerned for me, and did everything to make our stay as comfortable as possible. I made myself get up for dinner although there was not much I felt I could eat, and we came upon the most romantic setting for dinner….fire lit, candles everywhere, the room to ourselves. It was amazing and wonderful. The best part was while I wanted to enjoy the same delicious fancier food my husband was eating, my stomach just couldn’t handle it. All I really wanted was a toasted cheese and coke light…..House of Waine made that possible although it was not on the menu and I finally was able to eat after 3 days of not eating anything. It was so wonderful for both of us we ended up staying an extra night. They even let us borrow a laptop for our room so we could e-mail our family, Upon our departure they wished us well and gave us little gifts. I would recommend House of Wayne to anyone traveling in Nairobi looking for a luxurious and safe place to stay (which can be quite hard to come by!) Thank you to the staff for taking such good care of me at one of the most uncomfortable times in my life.

  • Stayed May 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 3
Ask Abbie H about House of Waine
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nairobi Kenya
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
3 hotel reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Gorgeous hotel in Karen”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 26, 2012

House of Waine is a luxurious hotel in the heart of Karen, a lovely leafy green suburb of Nairobi
The enormous master suite may be the best suite at any hotel in all of Kenya and the spacious bathroom is just sublime. The grounds are beautiful and restful and the peace and quiet make for an ideal experience either before or after your safari. My only complaint would be the food, which is mediocre and not up to the standard of the rest of the hotel services. I would highly recommend House of Waine.

Room Tip: Ask for the master suite!
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  • Stayed February 2012, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 4
Ask kenyannehome about House of Waine
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Corona del Mar, California
Top Contributor
57 reviews 57 reviews
38 hotel reviews
Reviews in 39 cities Reviews in 39 cities
54 helpful votes 54 helpful votes
“Authentic experience in the heart of Karen”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 9, 2012

My husband, daughters (13 and 11) stayed here in September. What a wonderful place. The location is perfect for visiting the Elephant Orphanage, Karen Blixen's house and Giraffe Manor. The rooms were spacious, well-appointed. The showers were exceptional. The staff was very nice. The food was superb. The young chef prepared some exceptional dishes each night. And, prepared some special things for our daughters. The breakfast was always good and on time. We befriended some of the staff and it made our experience even better. The grounds surrounding the hotel are beautiful.

Room Tip: My daughters stayed in Tembo. We were next door in a room that was right over the kitchen. While i...
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  • Stayed September 2011, traveled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
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Ask madagee about House of Waine
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Dundas, Ontario
Senior Contributor
35 reviews 35 reviews
13 hotel reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
“The Malakai room may well be the best accommodation in sub-Saharan Africa.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 1, 2012

We stayed one night in a post-safari break before flying on to Dubai. The room was superb, the service excellent, but the food only passable. Unlike the big hotels in Nairobi, which could just as well be in Chicago, the House of Waine feels like Africa whilst offering superb accommodations, lovely grounds and an attentive staff. Dinner was okay, but not up to the standards of the accommodations. My wife and I have visited 12 countries in Africa (and more than 50 elsewhere), and the Malakai room is the best sub-Saharan accommodation in which we have stayed. Though expensive, the room rate is reasonable given the feeling of over-the-top, but sophisticated and subdued, luxury the room affords. Quiet, clean, huge, beautifullly decorated with an amazing private balcony overlooking the pool and garden, the room was one of the real high points of our month-long African tour.

  • Stayed February 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
Ask BennettG about House of Waine
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
wooloomooloo
Top Contributor
113 reviews 113 reviews
69 hotel reviews
Reviews in 40 cities Reviews in 40 cities
97 helpful votes 97 helpful votes
“Truly superb.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 22, 2012

This is an excellent hotel in a safe, upmarket suburb removed from the centre of Nairobi (which, unless you need to be there for whatever reason, is probably worth avoiding anyway). Highly personalised service, great rooms, wonderful setting and ambience. Not particularly cheap, but definitely worth it.

Room Tip: Any room here I've stayed in here has been good.
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  • Stayed January 2012, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 3
Ask dr_iggy about House of Waine
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Additional Information about House of Waine

Also Known As:
House Of Waine Hotel Nairobi
House Of Waine Hotel
Hotel Of Waine
Of Waine Hotel
Address: Masai Lane & Bogani Road | Karen, PO Box 25035, Nairobi 00603, Kenya
Region: Kenya > Nairobi
Amenities:
Restaurant Room Service Swimming Pool
Hotel Style:
#1 Romantic Hotels in Nairobi
#9 Family Hotels in Nairobi
#11 Business Hotels in Nairobi

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