Giraffe Manor
Gogo Falls Road, Nairobi Kenya
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#2 of 446 Specialty lodging in Nairobi
Location
4.9
Cleanliness
4.9
Service
4.9
Value
4.6
Giraffe Manor is an iconic boutique hotel set in a leafy suburb of Nairobi. Owned and operated by The Safari Collection, there are twelve individually decorated rooms, offering first-class comfort and the feeling of staying in an elegant family home. The charming herd of resident Rothchild’s giraffes roam the surrounding sanctuary and give guests unique, once-in-a-lifetime encounters over breakfast and afternoon tea when they can be fed by hand. The Retreat at Giraffe Manor, found on the same property, gives guests access to a stunning pool and wellness facilities.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Sauna
Bar / lounge
Airport transportation
Full body massage
24-hour security
Baggage storage
Wifi
Coffee shop
Restaurant
Special diet menus
Shuttle bus service
Taxi service
Massage
Steam room
Concierge
Gift shop
Shared lounge / TV area
Sun deck
Laundry service
Ironing service
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Room features
Bathrobes
Private balcony
Safe
Seating area
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Coffee / tea maker
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Gogo Falls Road, Nairobi Kenya
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1852Reviews194Q+A100Room tips
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This is the most amazing hotel I have ever stayed in. The interaction with the giraffes is amazing. They arrive at your bedroom window at dawn for a treat. Then, when you venture to breakfast (make sure that is around 6am to 6.30am for optimum benefit) they pop their heads through the breakfast room windows. Absolutely amazing. Some actually give you giraffe "kisses" which is safe as their saliva is antiseptic. They then wander off into the distance for the day and reappear at dusk ( when the giraffe manor guests are having afternnon tea). They do appear other times of day if they fancy but it is always their choice. It is awesome. The staff and management are amazing. Very friendly, attentive and unsurpassed customer service. The meals are five star too and the chef comes out and interacts with the guests too. Impeccable service from everyone including the giraffes !! The holiday of a lifetime!! I will be back when I have saved up again !…
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Date of stay: May 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
Value
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Room Tip: Make sure you get up early to maximise the interaction with the giraffes
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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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
+1
Property's Favorite Review
We did a 17 day safari trip to Kenya where we visited 3 game lodges and Giraffe Manor. This was our second safari trip (we did one in March 2020, right before the world shut down) so I had a good idea of what I liked about safari and what I wanted out of this trip. For my 50th birthday, my desire was to go back on safari, and I desperately wanted to go to Giraffe Manor. So, I called The Safari Collection (who owns Giraffe Manor, Sasaab and Sala’s Camp) and worked with Giles Pattison to reserve the manor, Sasaab and Sala’s Camp. In speaking with Giles, he highly recommended ending at Giraffe Manor, versus starting here, which was what I was thinking. Boy was he RIGHT!! Why? Because it’s a totally different experience, is in Nairobi, so you will be sure to make your flight home; You can ask your driver to take you shopping and pick up all the souvenirs and gifts you want to bring home,and the gift shop at the manor is fantastic as well. Our driver took us to two places, one general store with all kinds of gifts and a bead making facility that was fantastic. The manor is lovely, and while everyone is there because they saw this place on Instagram, it’s worth it. I was worried it would be crowded, it wasn’t. I was worried it would be just hype, it’s not. I was worried I wouldn’t get ample time with the giraffe, but I got plenty of time and so many photos. This place is special, and a great way to end a safari trip. Remember to bring cash so you can leave staff tips, we left tips at both the Manor and the Retreat. You only really need one night here - especially if your flight is late the next night, as you’ll have all day to relax at the retreat and hang out with the giraffes again. So, just to address the Instagram craze for this place…..yes, everyone is dressed up for their instagram worthy photos - I recommend a solid colored outfit (I wore a black sundress) but some people went all out. Whatever you wear, you will have fun. Massages at the Retreat were great, and the final thing we did before we flew home. Food was excellent, especially at the Retreat where you got to choose from an extensive menu.…
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: End your Safari trip here so you can shop and be in Nairobi for your flight home.
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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.
3 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from Tanya Carr-Hartley, Owner at Giraffe Manor
Responded Mar 16, 2023
We thank you for your detailed, and honest review of the Manor, which we are glad you chose for your 50th Birthday celebrations. Giraffe Manor can sit on either the entry, or exit of a safari, and in some cases in the midst - certainly when guests are headed to Tanzania or Rwanda, following their Kenyan safari. As you say, nairobi has a myriad of fun and eclectic experiences, which we highlight on our website, in the in-room folders and we ask our team to brief travelers , and the drivers are excellent at guiding guests. Your recommendation of a night at the Manor and a day room experience works as a good combination for an end of Safari option, with the late afternoon or night flights. Likewise when people arrive early, the Retreat acts as an "early bird stop" before the check into the Manor. We are greatful that your enjoyed the experiences at the manor and thank-full for your review.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
My wife and I, along with my parents, traveled to Kenya in March 2023 for a safari in the Masai Mara before heading to Cape Town in South Africa and the Sabi Sand for more safari. None of us had ever heard of Giraffe Manor, despite its fame. We ended up at the Manor on the recommendation of our friend and travel consultant Anton Walker of Scott Dunn Travel. As we were planning our trip, we were seeking something to do in Nairobi for a day or two after our Masai Mara safari before heading to Cape Town. Anton was able to get us into the Manor and we jumped at the chance once we saw what it was all about. Traveling to Giraffe Manor - the Manor was a 20 minute or so drive from Wilson Airport where we arrived back from our safari in the Mara. We were picked up by a driver from Giraffe Manor in a very nice van and given waters and also he offered to stop anywhere we needed to along the way. Driving through Nairobi was very interesting, as we got to see how the people live and conduct business. The Facility - Upon arrival, we were instantly in awe of the property. It is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful places we've ever seen. The property is very well maintained with manicured lawns and gardens, beautiful decorating and amazing architecture. We were greeted by the manager, offered a cold drink and given an orientation prior to being shown to our rooms. My parents had the "Marlon" room, which was a spacious suite with a large balcony overlooking the lawn. My wife and were given the "Daisy" room -- which, while nice, was smaller and had a small balcony overlooking the courtyard. Both rooms were sufficient, but my parents got the much better end of the deal considering we all paid the same price. One of the only negatives about the Manor is that the rooms had no air conditioning and no screens in the windows -- given the amount of vegetation, there were a lot of mosquitos around -- so, we couldn't open our windows to cool down. It was a hot and uncomfortable night. The staff/service - The staff at the Manor was quite excellent. Each group had a dedicated waiter, who also served as their giraffe facilitator. Our designated person was Andrew and he took great care of us at every turn. Andrew seemed genuinely interested in making sure we had a fantastic experience with the giraffes and went above and beyond to make sure we did. He gave us tips on how to get the best photos, took photos himself and brought more and more giraffe food as we needed it. The manager was super friendly and informative, unfortunately i can't remember her name at the moment. The gift shop staff was helpful and cheerful. All and all, a great team very focused on creating a magic experience for the guests. Food/Beverage - we had 3 meals at Giraffe Manor. Lunch, Dinner and Breakfast. Lunch was fried red snapper skewers. I was disappointed as I don't really eat fish and there was not another option on the menu (though, I'd bet they would make you something else if you asked). I sucked it up and tried it and WOW - it was fantastic. For dinner it was steaks or grill chicken. Very good but nothing too exciting. Breakfast was made to order and we largely had eggs, bacon, sausage and toast with potatoes. It was great. There was also a nice spread at tea time prior to the 5pm giraffe feeding. Giraffe Experience - Each day, guests get 3 separate giraffe experiences. First, at 5pm you get to do a feeding on the lawn. This was a nice long period where we got to feed all the various giraffe in various positions. We started on the swing and the moved over to the lawn for various other interactions including with the big male Ed - with home we got to hug and touch his neck while we fed him. Later we stood with one of the females with whom we could actually hold her face while feeding her. The next interaction was in the early morning (like 530 or 600am) when the giraffe come to all the balconies to be hand fed. My wife and I got up early and were ready and spent a few nice moments feeding two of the female giraffes from our balcony. A small gripe here - they don't give you a ton of food in your room and we went through it quite fast...so this part of the experience didn't last as long as we'd like. My parents didn't have food in their room (an oversight), but upon letting Andrew know he jumped into action and brought them food and wrangled the giraffe back over to their balcony so they didn't miss out. Finally, we had our breakfast downstairs and got the iconic photos of the giraffe with their heads in the windows. This was cool, but honestly maybe more trouble than it was worth for the photo. The giraffes were not super interested and it became a bit of a struggle to get their attention. Overall, the afternoon feeding was the best interaction, but they were all special. These are just beautiful, graceful animals and they were really so sweet with us. They warned us against some aggressive behaviors, but we didn't see any of that and in fact found them to be gentile and friendly the whole time. After breakfast, we had an hour or so to pack up and then it was time to head out. We only spent one night at the manor and that was just about perfect. It was very cool....but repeating it all a second day may not have been as magical. In summary - this place is has a lot of hype around it. We thought it lived up to the hype and was worthy of the hefty price tag. If you are going to Nairobi and can pony up the cost, don't miss it! …
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Plan for no A/C in the rooms.
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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.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
You will have the experience of a lifetime with up close and personal encounters with giraffes. However, the communication between staff member is poor and the service was so uneven we were frustrated with sometimes great food and then a breakfast box with ham sandwiches (we don't eat pork) and rotten fruit. I have severe environmental allergies and still my room was sprayed and when I told them NOT to come into my room and they promised to respect my privacy they came in any way. I have a much longer list. Also be aware if you try to make a change after 45 day before your reservation they will keep a large chunk of your money whether or not they rebook the room. I left with wonderful memories and a feeling of total lack of concern on the part of the owners. At times the main part of the manor had no staff so if there was an emergency not sure what someone would do. …
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
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Sleep Quality
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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Tanya Carr-Hartley, Owner at Giraffe Manor
Responded Apr 23, 2023
We are so grateful for your constructive comments about team communication and service. We have taken your comments and as a team done our best to ensure smoother communication, room attendance and dietary. Our team is used to dietary requirements and are normally very thorough here, and we are sorry for that apparent breakdown. The lack of team on the ground is very disappointing and has also been carefully attended to. Thank you for your stay with us and for helping us towards the journey of improvement.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This should be a 12 an older hotel given the 2k per night price tag. No one wants to pay this amount of money to hear screaming children and baby’s crying throughout the manor all night long which is a wooden echo chamber. Other than that, it was a great experience and I would definitely return.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
Helpful
If you can get a room, and if you can save the money to afford it, this is one of those experiences you will never forget. It simple is amazing and they make sure you have the best time. Service, food, drinks, the manor and the giraffes! :) One of the top 10 things I have ever done in my life.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
Helpful
Response from Tanya Carr-Hartley, Owner at Giraffe Manor
Responded Apr 22, 2023
Thank-you for your wonderful review of the Manor, we are so grateful you had a good time with us and that you loved the rounded experience the manor offers, which of course is always assisted by our Graceful giants. Wow thanks for rating us as one of the top 10 things you've done in life, most grateful.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Thank you Mutemi! My spouse and I had a wonderful time at Giraffe Manor. Mutemi is the best and he worked harder than anyone else to make sure we got the photos we wanted. Thank you very much! We stayed in Kelly and it was fun to feed the giraffes from the room, but not a must do. You get ample time to feed and take pictures at tea and at breakfast. The food was more than filling, but just okay. The management seemed a bit clueless at times. The gym at the retreat is a total joke (and is borderline false advertising) and the pool was dirty. But Mutemi made up for these short falls.
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
The whole experience was completely overwhelming in a wonderful way. We stayed in the Brando room which has a balcony where we sat in the early hours feeding the Giraffe's that hade come to wake us. The manor itself is beautiful old school charm and the staff make sure that you get the absolute maximum out of your visit by taking a million photo's of you with the Giraffe's during breakfast and afternoon tea. We ran out of Giraffe nuts in the morning so I went downstairs to get more and standing in the courtyard whilst it was still quite dark as the sun was rising surrounded by Giraffe's who's legs were taller than me is something I will never forgot. The whole experience is completely surreal and we loved every minute of it, worth every penny.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
Helpful
Response from Tanya Carr-Hartley, Owner at Giraffe Manor
Responded Apr 22, 2023
Thank you for staying with us at Giraffe Manor, and for your honest review of the charm, and exceptional grace of the Giraffe, and their compliment to the Manor. As you say, its' unusual and plays for life long memories. Karibu tena, if you are ever back in Nairobi.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Extremely high expectations were well exceeded. Main credit goes to giraffes, but the rest was up to their level. Two days would probably be a maximum length of stay I’d recommend. Perfect to combine with few days of safari in Masai Mara (that’s what we did).
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
Helpful
Response from Tanya Carr-Hartley, Owner at Giraffe Manor
Responded Apr 22, 2023
So grateful for your review of the Manor, and that it exceeded your high expectations. Its excellent with a combination of safari and a very good spring board to other safari destinations, or as a place to stay on your arrival or departure days.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
One of the most amazing places I have ever been. Everyone and everything its amazing here. Staff, food, rooms.. wow. All the staff but Mr. Peter! He is a legend! Ask about him if you want to have the best experience ever plus the best photos! You have to be here once!
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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.
Helpful
Response from Tanya Carr-Hartley, Owner at Giraffe Manor
Responded Apr 22, 2023
Many thanks for your review and for the mention of Peter, we will share you kind words with him, "asante". We are thrilled that you had an amazing time with us.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ALSO KNOWN AS
giraffe manor hotel nairobi
LOCATION
KenyaNairobi
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
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Frequently Asked Questions about Giraffe Manor
Which popular attractions are close to Giraffe Manor?
Nearby attractions include Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (2.4 miles), Nairobi National Park (3.9 miles), and Giraffe Centre (0.5 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Giraffe Manor?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Giraffe Manor?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Giraffe Manor?
Conveniently located restaurants include CJ's Waterfront, Tamarind Restaurant, and The Talisman Restaurant.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Giraffe Manor?
Yes, guests have access to a sauna during their stay.
Does Giraffe Manor have an airport shuttle?
Yes, Giraffe Manor offers an airport shuttle for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Does Giraffe Manor have airport transportation?
Yes, Giraffe Manor offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are there any historical sites close to Giraffe Manor?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Karen Blixen Coffee Garden and Cottages (2.6 miles).
Does Giraffe Manor have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the park view available here.