Eden

A modern, young, thriving and extraordinarily diverse city with a population of over 5 million, Nairobi is the undisputed commercial, financial, cultural, tech and tourist capital of East Africa. Nairobi National Park forms the southern boundary of the city and its 29,000 acres of savannah and woodland hosts a huge quantity and diversity of wildlife. It is also home to The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Elephant Orphanage, and the AFEW Giraffe Centre and Karen Blixen Museum are nearby in the leafy suburbs of Karen and Langata at the foot of the Ngong Hills.

An eclectic and intriguing amalgam of the post-colonial, the traditionally African and the modern, international and high-tech, Nairobi has grown and developed almost beyond recognition over the past two decades. Home to UN agencies, embassies, NGOs and international businesses, it has a large and diverse expatriate population and a cosmopolitan cultural and culinary scene. Amidst a growing collection of new and exciting restaurants, some of our favourite places to eat and drink are Cultiva in Langata, The Talisman in Karen and The Social House in Lavington.

The Circle Art Gallery in Kilimani stages exhibitions of East Africa’s best modern art in a world-class new gallery space, while The Opportunity Factory in Karen is a hands-on hub for craft and creativity. A number of other excellent galleries, artists’ collectives, boutique shopping centres and arts & craft emporia are dotted around the city. Getting around Nairobi has never been easier – the new Expressway and network of ring roads have greatly improved access to and through the city, and its reputation as traffic-clogged and hazardous is very largely a thing of the past.

The green and affluent suburb of Karen sits to the South West of Nairobi away from the city centre towards the foot of the Ngong Hills. Its attractive and peaceful Langata neighbourhood, quieter and less developed than central Karen, adjoins Nairobi National Park and maintains much of its historic and leafy charm. The area is home to an excellent and eclectic selection of shops and restaurants and access is quick and easy access to both of Nairobi’s airports.

The area’s wildlife and conservation attractions include the AFEW Giraffe Centre where feeding the several resident Rothschild’s giraffes is a must. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Elephant Orphanage is situated just inside Nairobi National Park. Watching the baby elephants receive their 11 am feed is always very popular, and anyone who ‘adopts’ a baby elephant can also visit in the late afternoon to watch the orphans being given their supper and put to bed.

Nairobi National Park covers an area of 117 square kilometres (29,000 acres) and is easily accessed from Karen and Langata. The park hosts a wide and diverse wildlife population – it is common to see Rhinoceros, Lion, and Buffalo as well as large numbers of plains game, and the park is home to up to 500 species of permanent and migratory birds. One can also visit the Animal Orphanage and Safari Walk – both situated at the park’s main gate.

Karen’s most famous historic resident is probably Karen Blixen, whose 6000-acre farm estate and coffee plantation covered much of the area, and whose Kenyan life is immortalised in the book and film Out of Africa. Her house remains just as it was in early colonial times and is open to visitors daily. The nearby Karen Blixen Coffee Garden is home to the original farm manager’s house from 1906 and the historic Grogan House moved brick-by-brick from downtown Nairobi in 2008.

Main House – Downstairs

• Open plan living and dining room with bar and fireplace
• Spacious covered veranda with garden views

Main House – Upstairs

• Master Bedroom Suite
• Super King bed
• Large Daybed
• Walk-in wardrobe
• Private outdoor Veranda with forest views
• Ensuite bathroom with wood-panelled walls, large shower and separate bathtub

Stas’s Room

• King-size bed
• Treetop views
• Ensuite bathroom with large rain shower.

Lana & Tacha’s Room

• King-size bed
• Tree top views
• Ensuite bathroom with a large bathtub and over-the-bath shower

Tonio’s Studio

Garden View Room

• King-size bed
• Ensuite bathroom with rain shower and separate bathtub
• Views over the kitchen garden.

Forest View Room

• King-size bed
• Ensuite bathroom with rain shower and separate bathtub
• Views over the Giraffe Centre forest.

The Garden View and Forest View bedrooms share an open-plan, ground-floor living room with fireplace, bar and dining area.

Studio Lofts 1, 2 and 3

• Three double-height studio lofts offer extra living space with an open-plan design and large glass windows. Each contains
• Downstairs bedroom with King-size bed (which can be converted into twin beds)
• Ensuite bathroom with shower
• Upstairs living area with treetop views.

Artist-in-Residence Cottage

• Open-plan living and dining space
• Double bedroom facing the kitchen garden.
• Ensuite Bathroom
• Available for stays of a week or longer on a full-board basis.

All bedrooms provide –

• Filtered drinking water
• Mosquito nets
• Bathrobes
• Natural bath and body products,
• Extension cable with adapter functionality
• Hairdryer and safe
• Laundry service

OUTSIDE SPACES AND PLACES

• Leafy & secluded 4-acre plot
• Relax, drink and dine on ‘The Deck’
• Artisan workshop & fashion boutique
• Guided walks through the Giraffe Centre Forest

CONNECTIVITY

• Wi-fi and television are available in the media room only
• Good cell phone signal

ACTIVITIES

Explore the best of Nairobi’s art, culture, history, crafts, wildlife, food, restaurants, bars and shops – a variety of guided and curated tours and excursions can be arranged

“You arrive at the oasis that is Eden, only to be swiftly enveloped into designer Anna Trzebinski’s world. Samburu warriors greet you in traditional clothing, as you pull through the gate and up to the main house. The fire in the living room is blazing, the sounds of the forest ringing in your ears. The energy is palpable as is the feeling of immediate connectedness to a culture. While Nairobi has traditionally been looked at as a quick overnight destination before moving to the bush, Eden might change your mind. Anna’s hope is that her new hotel is seen as a retreat, a place to spend multiple nights to reconnect while disconnecting.”

“Fashion designer Anna Trzebinski has converted her sprawling home in Nairobi’s Langata district into the kind of hotel-meets-cultural-hub we all crave on our travels. Brimming with artworks by Trzebinski’s late husband Tonio, well-thumbed Peter Beard tomes and countless other treasures, each of Eden’s nine rooms is uniquely decorated and oozes cosiness. Elsewhere on the property, you’ll find her couture workshop, staffed with local female artisans, and plenty of ceramics by her daughter Lana.”

tbc