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Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
4.5
#35 of 248 hotels in Nairobi
Location
4.4
Cleanliness
4.6
Service
4.5
Value
4.1
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The Nairobi Serena Hotel, a 5 star hotel in Nairobi, is a celebration of sophistication and a rich fusion of design influences from Ethiopia, the Maghreb, West Africa and East Africa. The warmth of a friendly smile, a superlative eye for detail and gracious service at our Nairobi hotel envelop you from the moment you arrive. While the Nairobi skyline glitters just beyond your windows and the Central Business District is just a stroll away, you’ll feel worlds removed from urban distractions in this peaceful setting. We provide distinctive opportunities for you to find your own inspiration as you explore the city in search of new experiences.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Park View
Classic
Languages Spoken
English, Swahili
Location
Nairobi Serena Hotel Processional Way, Nairobi 00100 Kenya
Nairobi Serena Hotel
1,145 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nairobi Serena Hotel stands out for its plentiful amenities, with the spa, pool, and well-equipped rooms frequently earning praise from guests. The serene atmosphere and spotless conditions throughout the hotel are consistently highlighted, adding to the sense of comfort. While the rooms are acclaimed for their cleanliness and amenities, visitors staying at the front of the hotel occasionally report noise disturbances.
Although the hotel's service is generally celebrated for its attentiveness, there have been sporadic reports of inconsistency. Travelers often regard the pricing as steep, particularly critiquing the dining options for not meeting value expectations.
Atmosphere
Tranquil
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Comprehensive
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Serena Hotel offers everything you need! a nice garden, a heated pool, a big enough gym, a spa, several restaurants and bars and - for us most important - an excellent guest relation desk: due to Covid19, we had to take a PCR test the day before our flights. the hotel offers this service, taken at your room for USD 100, the results are printed and given to you the next morning! we asked for alternatives to a closed on Monday Sushi place, they provided us with a name, did the reservation! one of our flights had been rescheduled 6 hours later and the offered us a very late check out at 2200 for half of the room price.
we booked, well in advance, a treatment at the Spa (deep than deeper hot stone). the treatment was done very professional and in a very high quality! we really enjoyed.
overall a very pleasant stay at this first class hotel, we would always go back there!
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Date of stay: January 2022
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nairobi Serena, General Manager at Nairobi Serena Hotel
Responded Mar 28, 2022
We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us on your recent visit to our hotel. I am glad to know that you had an amazing time with us. Meeting the guest's expectations in all our outlets is the number one priority in Serena Hotel. Looking forward to being of service to you in the near future. Yours sincerely Anthony Chege Hotel General Manager
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This was our first night in Kenya and we'd had a rough flight over. It was lovely to arrive at this beautiful hotel. It was a relief to get up to the rooms and find them spacious and comfortable. We were able to get cleaned up and get in a nap before an afternoon outing. The amenities were plentiful, but our short stay didn't allow us time to make use of them. However, we did dine in the restaurant for dinner and breakfast. Our meals were delicious, and the maître d' Matthew was incredibly helpful in ensuring my husband had gluten free meals. He even had GF bread brought to the table for dinner. At breakfast the next morning, Matthew also took good care of us, pointing my husband to the gluten free section of the buffet, where he could find assorted GF breads. The waitstaff were jovial and we were so pleased with our service. I've been fortunate enough to travel the world and can easily say the service here ranks among the best I've encountered.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Nairobi Serena Hotel was our first stop in Kenya. From the moment we arrived, everything was so luxurious and everyone so exceptionally friendly and helpful. After a long travel schedule, it was wonderful to immediately have rooms available to shower and relax. We loved that everything in the minibars were complimentary so we could relax in our rooms with nice snacks. The rooms are so beautifully appointed and the beds and pillows so comfortable. It was like sinking into a bit of heaven after such a long journey. We had a slight problem getting the AC to work in our room and let the front desk know. As we were stepping out for the evening, they without a second thought moved us to a new room so we were not at all inconvenienced by any repair. I left a special pen in the first room and staff brought it to me in my new room. A wonderful service as I probably wouldn't have noticed for a couple of days.
We had dinner and breakfast in the hotel restaurant. STELLAR service. Our sit down meal was SEVERAL courses and everything was divine. The wine list featured many interesting options and we loved the Simonsig blend that complemented our steaks. Breakfast was a beautiful expansive buffet of both hot and cold options that was frankly a bit overwhelming! I rarely eat a big breakfast but there was so much to try, how could one not indulge just a little? One in our party has Celiac Disease and again, the staff was amazing in making sure his dietary restrictions were accommodated. Everyone that helped us was friendly, funny, and eager to make our experience the best it could be. We truly had such a lovely time at both meals.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed here for 10 nights while waiting for a Burundian visa. The hotel was mostly empty due to Covid effect on business and travel for tourism. As for the usual, the breakfast is good and served poolside or indoors. The menu for other meals is kind of expensive but maybe that is expected given the hotel. I used the gym a lot and it is probably one of the best in any hotel where I have stayed; it is well equipped with machines and free weights and medicine balls&slam balls - just about everything one could need. The pool is lovely albeit right next to the eating area. The staff are wonderfully kind and gracious everywhere from front desk, guards, restaurants, room cleaners etc. I thank them all. The area outside the hotel property is not very lovely. Kenyatta Avenue is busily congested and the downtown area and nearby parks near by are not special. I cannot think of anything to critique except for super minor things like the shampoo and stuff are very chemical smelling. TV channels are limited. I would stay here again for sure although I guess that during low occupancy time due to Covid I paid a very reduced rate. (PCR tests are easily arranged via the hotel and results done within 12 hours or less)
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Date of stay: May 2021
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Daniel Kang'u, Marketing at Nairobi Serena Hotel
Responded Jun 3, 2021
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience following your stay with us. Kindly note that we were delighted to know that you found our offer and service delivery to your satisfaction and we look forward to another opportunity to be of service to you, hopefully, in the not too distant future. Sincerely Anthony Chege General Manager| Nairobi Serena Hotel
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Absolutely excellent stay here. We stayed for three nights and found that the service and attention to detail was second to none. Great food in the upstairs restaurant, also in the ground floor restaurant. Excellent breakfasts. (They even had HP brown sauce!). What more is there to say? Highly recommended! We now plan to do a longer stay here perhaps later this year.
And, full marks to Gladys who showed us round and explained the history of all the African works of art on display in the hotel. I particularly liked the human figure created partially from a typewriter!! You need to see it to appreciate it!
The hotel provided us with a nice Mercedes and driver to take us to the Kenya Giraffe Reserve one day for a very reasonable price.
Our room was amazing and we were even given a good quality complimentary bottle of wine on arrival. If only other hotels were as good as this.
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nairobi Serena, General Manager at Nairobi Serena Hotel
Responded Jun 7, 2022
We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us on your recent visit to our hotel. I am glad to know that you had an amazing time with us. Meeting the guest's expectations in all our outlets is the number one priority in Serena Hotel. I will share your positive feedback with Gladys. We appreciate your support of our property, and we look forward to welcoming you again in the near future. Yours sincerely Anthony Chege Hotel General Manager
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We stayed for two nights on the way to a safari as part of a small photography group. We arrived at the hotel around 10:00 a.m. and check in was very efficient and quick. We were up in our room within 10 minutes. Wifi worked well in the room and the lobby of the hotel. The room was comfortable (we had a queen) on the 4th floor. The shower and tub had plenty of pressure and hot water. Breakfast came with the room and it was a huge buffet with tons of choices. Very good fruit and food overall. We were seated quickly and the staff was very friendly and attentive. We also had dinner which was pretty good. The menu was diverse so something for everyone. Good wine list. The small store was expensive as we had our luggage delayed and had to buy a few things. Check out was very quick and the bill was correct and no problems leaving.
We came back to the hotel and the staff was accommodating when we had to print out our COVID test to catch our outgoing flight. The front desk did print out the confirmations after we sent them via email to the reception. The hotel seemed to take all the COVID protocols very strictly as people were masked indoors unless eating or outside.
I would come back and stay in this hotel again. I did not see any negatives during our stay.
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Date of stay: August 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Henrietta Mwangola, General Manager at Nairobi Serena Hotel
Responded Sep 1, 2021
Dear Guest, Wow! What a wonderful review, we truly appreciate your valuable time, business and your candid positive review. We are very happy to know that our staff, different cuisines and service in general met your needs and expectations. Trusting in us for your coming back makes us proud. We look forward to welcoming you back and being of service to you in the near future. Anthony Chege, Hotel General Manager
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This is one of the oldest hotels but its has retained its allure and beauty and service. Please don't change the management. It is within the city centre making it accessible to get to the place you need in town thats why I stay here. The beds are very comfy and the room amenities are up to standard. The food not so great and overpriced not worth the money( as per my policy whenever I stay in a 5* hotel I don't eat at the restaurants coz the food is terrible) sometimes I try coz I go there to chat with the staff or sometimes when entertaining my guests and they opt for the food but I always prefer to eat outside at stand alone restaurants.
My 2 issues, whenever there's a prominent person on the premises which happens frequently, you get shoved out of the way like a nobody yet you are also a paying a guest (it happened to me twice and I did't see it happening to the white folks) at some point I stayed my ground but still had to move out of the way but had a laugh with it later with the staff. I know its out of the management's control but the racial profiling is not cool, Us being there in the premises means we are entitled to be there coz we paid to be there. We come all the way from abroad to support our own. Second complaint, my second time at the restaurant I received zero service as there was a celebrity who everyone was running to yet I spent more money than that celebrity who was only drinking water. I had to clear our table and go for our drinks by myself coz the servers were to busy to serve us (and so I tipped myself); my regular servers were missing that day! Room issue is only the bathroom with the bathtubs, please place 2 bathrugs as the water slips out and wets the floor hence a safety harzard someone might slip.
Now, the service was top notch; from security to the housekeeping attendants as they all recognized me though didn't get everyone's name but the following made my stay memorable and I will come back because of the service; D. Kush and Anne M. at the reception were my favorite, Caleb driver who picked us from the airport though he was grumpy coz he had to wait long for us, Simon bellman, Mary at breakfast who served my egg order ( that reminds me if you are ordering eggs stick to the simple ones like omelet and scrambled) , Belinda, Diana at the dessert counter, Virginia cafe Maghreb, Joyce(breakfast), John concierge, Robert concierge, Nick, Victor, Jackson hsk(ensured I had all my requirements in the room), Mikwa John, Fred reception, Momanyi reception (also top 3), Boaz bellman, Thomas doorman, theres another doorman i've forgotten his name, Fridah (another favorite very polite and patient), Ambrose, Charity, Eunice M. Gabriel T. John K. (Aksum Bar), David M. (Aksum bar), Hannington, Stephen. If I've forgotten your name and we interacted, see you next time.
PS; if you are black, be nice and tip nicely otherwise don't blame the service.
I'll be back soon!
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nairobi Serena, General Manager at Nairobi Serena Hotel
Responded Feb 3, 2024
Dear Dorah, Thank you for taking the time to share feedback on your most recent stay with us. Please accept my apologies for the way our staff handled your requests. All our guests are entitled to efficient and quality service at all times. The issues will be dealt with immediately to avoid recurrence. I look forward to welcoming you back to our hotel during your next visit to Nairobi. Best regards, Anthony Chege General Manager
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N1 place, highly recommended. it is really a place to remember without any doubts. Located in the heart of Nairobi, Hotel Serena offers a fitness centre and a spa. You can relax on the sun loungers by the outdoor pool, which is surrounded by palm trees.
Elegant and spacious rooms and apartments are furnished in warm colours and with wooden furniture. They include a TV, air conditioning, a private bathroom and free Wi-Fi.
The hotel has a restaurant that offers fine seasonal menus and also has an extensive wine cellar. A variety of snacks and drinks can be enjoyed at the poolside bar, while cocktails are served at Askum Bar.
At the 24-hour reception, they can arrange concierge services, limousine transportation and babysitting, or arrange for you to visit the hair salon located within the hotel. Free private parking is also available.
Transfers can be arranged to Jomo Kenyatta Airport, 13 km away. Railways Golf Course is 3 km away and Nairobi National Park is 9 km away.
Couples especially like the location — they rated it 8.8 for travelling as a couple
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Date of stay: January 2023
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â have some money ;)
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nairobi Serena, General Manager at Nairobi Serena Hotel
Responded Feb 13, 2023
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking your valuable time to share your feedback on your most recent stay with us. We are glad to learn that we meet your expectations in most of the areas. As a team, we are always at the service of our guests and we get inspired to continue to improve when we receive feedback such as yours. We appreciate your support of our property and we look forward to welcoming you again in the near future. Yours sincerely Anthony Chege Hotel General Manager
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I stayed here at the end of January for a couple of nights for work. The hotel is lovely and the staff very friendly and attentive. We arrived late in the evening and went to the bar for some food whilst the staff were checking us in, nice bar food, another night we ate at the Herbs and Spices restaurant and the food was good. The buffet breakfast has a good selection of hot items along with a good choices of cereals, continental selection, fruit and made to order omelettes or pancakes. We did a safari early one morning and the hotel arranged a takeaway breakfast for us which was a nice touch and much needed after getting up at 5am. The pool area is nice and a good place to relax during downtime with towels provided. The room was clean and spacious, a hairdryer and shampoo etc provided. Very covid safe with staff wearing masks and guests required to wear them in indoor public areas. I would stay here again.
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Date of stay: January 2022Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nairobi Serena, General Manager at Nairobi Serena Hotel
Responded Mar 28, 2022
Dear Wendy, Thank you for the amazing feedback about our hotel. I am glad you enjoyed the atmosphere of the hotel and that you found the location convenient. Looking forward to welcoming you in the near future. Yours sincerely Anthony Chege Hotel General Manager
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We were recommended to stay here because it was a five star hotel. Not true. Was more like a 3 1/2*. Both restaurants we ate at were very poor. Although the service was great. Three incidences happened where they gave my sister and I chilled red wines in two different sized glasses. We had to get their attention that we did not like our wine cold and please change the glass. The one restaurant we ate was so bad, we both didn’t finish our food with only one to two bites. The pork rib was so hard and chewy.
There were so many security guards on those two days we were there. It seemed like they were hawking and eagle eyeing on us.
The salon staff was very nice. Don’t mind going back to them but will not return to the hotel. There are other hotels much nicer and food better.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Skip the restaurants and eat out.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nairobi Serena, General Manager at Nairobi Serena Hotel
Responded Sep 28, 2021
Thank you for your feedback on your stay with us. We sincerely apologize for not having met your expectations with our food product and beverage service. We are addressing this and are confident that you will have a much better experience on your next stay. We will let our salon staff know that you appreciated their service. I am confident that this will greatly motivate them. We look forward to having another opportunity to be of service to you. Sincerely, Anthony Chege
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Dear Sandy,
Thank you for your query. We do have a laundry service that caters for all our in house guests. In case of any more queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you,
Nairobi Serena Hotel
Dear Isla,
Thank you for choosing to stay with us while in Nairobi. We provide Covid19 testing at the guests convenience. Kindly contact our receptionist to organize for one when you are ready.
There are more places to choose from in the Nairobi area.
PRICE RANGE
$194 - $303 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
nairobi serena hotel
LOCATION
KenyaNairobi
NUMBER OF ROOMS
199
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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