Breakfast
From 6am to 9am, giraffes at the windows: you feed them pellets, one at a time. Overnight guests only.
Giraffe Manor
Giraffe Manor is Kenya’s giraffe hotel: breakfast is taken with the windows open, and from 6am to 9am giraffes put their heads in, looking for pellets. A 1932 house in Karen, on the edge of Nairobi, with 12 rooms and a waiting list.
Giraffe Manor suits couples and families who want a safari stop with meals and airport transfers arranged around their stay. Travellers who prefer to set their own arrival and departure hours may want a more flexible city base.
Check availability on the official site Read the official 2026 rate sheet The rules with the giraffes Giraffe Manor pricesWould you go?
Keep it among your hotels and see it on the budget globe, month by month.Like a regular
A window in Kelly
I would ask for Kelly in the Garden Manor for parents travelling with their child: the room has a fireplace and 3 beds, and giraffes can feed from its window before breakfast.
Choosing your travel dates
The published room rate stays the same throughout each year; the decision is when the house is open. In 2027 the maintenance closure runs from 12 April to 4 May.
Allow for a massage
At The Retreat, a Safari Soul massage costs $80 for 60 minutes on the 2026 spa menu. Champagne and premium wines and spirits also sit outside the included drinks.
Dinner among the orchids
Ask before arrival for dinner in the Orchid House, among around 150 orchids, or in the underground wine cellar. Both private dinners are included, subject to advance booking and availability.
What Giraffe Manor is
The house was built in 1932, modelled on a Scottish hunting lodge, in a patch of forest in Karen. The giraffes came in the 1970s, when Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville, who had bought it, adopted an orphaned giraffe called Daisy and began breeding Rothschild’s giraffes, now classed as Nubian, for release into Kenya’s parks. Since 2009 it has belonged to the founders of The Safari Collection, who in 2011 added the Garden Manor, a replica built from reclaimed materials of the period: 12 rooms in all, and 29 guests at most.
The day turns on 2 fixtures. Breakfast runs from 6am to 9am, in the Historic Manor’s sunroom or the Garden Manor’s breakfast room depending on where you sleep; the staff assign the tables, and a better one can be neither reserved nor bought. Tea on the lawn is at 5pm by the activity page, 4.30pm by the day’s programme on the same site. In between there is The Retreat next door: a heated 21-metre infinity pool, sauna, steam room and gym, all included; massages are extra, from $80. Dinner is at 7.30pm, or, booked ahead at no extra charge, among the 150 or so orchids of the glasshouse or in the cellar below ground.
Guests give it 4.9 out of 5 on Tripadvisor from 2,265 reviews and 4.6 on Google from 1,148; the MICHELIN Guide awards it 3 Keys. The giraffes are wild and the hotel does not promise them, and the rooms are those of a 1930s house, some of them small. There is a waiting list for the rooms: the Historic Manor’s 6 go to guests spending at least 2 nights at another Safari Collection lodge, and open to everyone only 4 weeks before arrival. The hotel says rates are the same for residents and non-residents, and that nobody comes in without staying.
We read the 500 most recent Google reviews with text, out of the listing’s 1,148, from November 2018 to 29 September 2026; then 29 relevant YouTube videos, 12 on TikTok, 39 articles from 39 sites, 36 official pages and the 2026 and 2027 rate sheets, and 6 drives measured on the map. The window or the balcony comes up in 34 of those reviews: the room, more than the price, decides how close the giraffes come.
One Lume
Lumina Guide 2027
Gives more than the other hotels of its place and price range.
Giraffe Manor is Kenya’s giraffe hotel: breakfast is taken with the windows open, and from 6am to 9am giraffes put their heads in, looking for pellets.
How Lumi are awardedGuests (exceptional)
500 reviews read: the location pleases more than 9 guests in 10 who mention it, the room 9 in 10.
Critics
Ours
We found a 1932 house modelled on a Scottish hunting lodge, with 12 rooms of 17 to 113 m², no 2 alike, dinner among the glasshouse orchids or in the cellar and, next door, The Retreat’s heated 21-metre pool.
Our reading, point by point
What we found reading the hotel’s own pages, one thing at a time.
Location
In Karen, at 1,795 metres, the Giraffe Centre across the lawn; 26 km from JKIA, and the city is far without a car.
Character
The 1932 house on a Scottish model, giraffes since the 1970s, Daisy, Betty and Lynn in the rooms’ names.
Rooms
12 rooms from 17 to 113 m², all different; in 3, Arlene, Edd and Salma, the giraffes cannot reach you.
Food and social life
Full board with house drinks; a private dinner among the orchids or in the cellar at no extra charge.
Wellness
No spa in the house: a heated 21-metre pool, sauna and gym at The Retreat next door; massages from $80.
The stay as a whole
$1,413 per person a night in 2026, $1,554 in 2027, all year; meals, house drinks and transfers included.
What makes it rare
A badge is an experience travellers look for, that is really here and that few hotels in the guide have.
Up for breakfast
Here: it is the moment people come for, giraffes’ heads through the windows.
39 of the 43 guests who write about breakfast are pleased. 15 hotels of 335 hold it.
Every hotel with this badgeThe bill feels right
The first of the guide
Here: $1,413 per person a night in 2026, $1,554 in 2027, all year: meals, house drinks, laundry and transfers included.
50 of the 66 guests who write about the price are happy with it. 19 hotels of 335 hold it.
Every hotel with this badgeA story inside
Here: the 1932 house on a Scottish model, giraffes since the 1970s, Daisy, Betty and Lynn in the rooms’ names.
A history that goes back to at least 1932. 31 hotels of 335 hold it.
Every hotel with this badge
The 5 things that matter, as guests tell them
What do Giraffe Manor’s guests say? They write it in their reviews, even those who only came for a drink or dinner: we read every one and tell the 5 things that matter, from the location to the bill.
Location
Nearly every guest who mentions it is happy with it. Guests write about giraffes arriving at the window or on the balcony, and about the grounds of the house, in a corner of forest in Karen.
Room
9 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. You sleep in a house from 1932, and guests like it that way: fireplaces, balconies, Art Deco bathrooms.
Staff and service
9 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. After the giraffes, it is the staff people remember: guests thank them by name, and tell of the one who showed them how to feed the giraffes and took their photographs.
Breakfast
9 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. It is the moment everyone waits for: from 6am to 9am, with the windows open, the giraffes put their heads into the room looking for pellets.
Price
8 in 10 guests who mention the price find it fair. “Expensive, but worth every penny” is the line that keeps coming back; the price takes in meals, house drinks and transfers.
Where Giraffe Manor leads
- Location
On location it comes ahead of the 4 other hotels it is compared with in Nairobi.
- Room
On the room it shares first place with Hemingways Nairobi among the 5 hotels compared in Nairobi.
- Breakfast
On breakfast it comes ahead of the 4 other hotels it is compared with in Nairobi.
The numbers, and how we count them
| What | Score out of 10 | Guests who mention it | Happy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | 8.9 | 71 | 96% |
| Room | 8.2 | 68 | 91% |
| Staff and service | 8.5 | 239 | 90% |
| Breakfast | 8.4 | 43 | 91% |
| Price | – | 66 | 76% |
The scores come from 500 Google reviews with text, left from 1 November 2018 to 29 September 2026. The other hotels are the ones weighed for a stay in Nairobi: for each we read its latest 500 Google reviews with text, or all of them where there are fewer, as of 1 October 2026. The score is the average of what they say, from 0 if they speak of it very badly to 10 if they speak of it very well. Where only a few mention something, the score stays close to the guide’s average: a handful of voices does not make a reputation.
The hotels we weigh it against in Nairobi:
- Hemingways Nairobi
- The Emakoko
- House of Waine
- Ngong House
Giraffes at the breakfast window, on the balcony and at tea in the garden
The drive up to the house, breakfast with a giraffe’s head through the window, hand-feeding from the front door and the lawn, a suite’s balcony, and tea in the garden.
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What to expect
Breakfast with the giraffes, tea on the lawn, rooms where they knock at dawn, the pool next door and room for children.
Tea on the lawn
Biscuits, cakes, sandwiches and scones around 5pm as the sun drops behind the Ngong Hills; there is a swing for feeding the giraffes too.
From your room
In 9 rooms out of 12 the giraffes reach the window, balcony or terrace: at dawn they knock. Arlene, Edd and Salma are left out.
The Retreat
Next to the house: a heated 21-metre pool where a giraffe sometimes looks in, sauna, gym; yoga or Pilates on Wednesdays and Fridays.
With children
Welcome at any age: under-3s stay free, 3 to 11 pay a child rate. Boules, croquet, giant Jenga and 2 family suites.
Good to know before you book
One price all year: $1,413 per person a night sharing in 2026, $1,554 in 2027. Meals, house drinks, laundry, transfers and VAT included; champagne, selected wines, tips and massages are not.
Arlene, Edd and Salma, in the Garden Manor, are the 3 rooms the giraffes cannot reach. You still see them at breakfast and tea.
The Historic Manor’s 6 rooms go to guests spending at least 2 nights at another Safari Collection lodge; they open to everyone only 4 weeks before arrival. The Garden Manor can be booked on its own.
If you are not staying, you do not come in: no visits, breakfasts or teas. The same giraffes can be seen at the Giraffe Centre next door, 9am to 5pm.
The giraffes are wild and come when they please: the hotel does not guarantee them, at breakfast or at tea.
It closes every spring for maintenance: 10 April to 10 May 2026, 12 April to 4 May 2027.
The «Giraffe Manor» on Booking.com and Expedia is another property, in Tanzania. This one is booked through The Safari Collection’s site or an agent.
The 12 rooms, house by house
Getting there
Giraffe Manor is in Karen, in south-west Nairobi: the hotel collects you from the airport, and the city needs a car.
| Address | Gogo Falls Road, Karen, Nairobi. |
|---|---|
| From JKIA | 26 km: 34 minutes on our route, about 40 by the hotel’s reckoning. The transfer is included if you are collected after 11.30am. |
| From Wilson Airport | 12.6 km, 20 to 25 minutes: the airport for flights to the Masai Mara and the other parks. |
| Check-in and check-out | From noon on arrival, by 10am on departure, with no exceptions; The Retreat’s day passes cover the gap. |
Distances measured on OpenStreetMap’s roads on 1 October 2026; times, transfers and hours from the official site and rate sheet, read the same day.
Beyond the hotel
The same giraffes at the Giraffe Centre, Sheldrick’s orphaned elephants, Karen Blixen’s house and a national park inside the city.
Giraffe Centre (AFEW)
Across the lawn, 9am to 5pm: entry is included for Manor guests.
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
The orphaned elephants’ mud bath, 11am to noon, by booking only: 4.6 km by car.
Karen Blixen Museum
The house of the author of Out of Africa, now a museum: 5.4 km by car.
Nairobi National Park
Lions, zebras and skyscrapers: the main gate is 8.3 km away; the hotel’s jeep costs $490 a car.
From Giraffe Manor to the national park and Nairobi’s airports
The house in Karen, the Giraffe Centre across the lawn, Sheldrick, the Karen Blixen Museum, Nairobi National Park and both airports.
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Recommended for you
A day at Giraffe Manor
Breakfast
Make the pellets last
Give the giraffes one pellet at a time: the hotel recommends it to help digestion and make the encounter last longer.
9am
Walk to the centre
Cross the front lawn to the Giraffe Centre and follow its short nature trail through the sanctuary.
Late morning
Coffee in the garden
Stop at The Orchid & Bean, where the resident barista prepares speciality coffee to order.
The afternoon
Swim at The Retreat
At The Retreat, the 21-metre pool looks towards the giraffe sanctuary, with birdsong from the surrounding trees.
Tea time
Take tea on the lawn
Settle into the garden for afternoon tea, reserved for overnight guests, with the giraffes nearby.
Giraffe Manor reviews
Platform scores, the MICHELIN Guide’s 3 Keys and what guests describe, from dawn to dusk.
Scores read on 1 October 2026
Guest voices
From the hotel’s Google listing: a giraffe at dawn, a birthday, a honeymoon, the bill and a cancellation.
GoogleA giraffe at Betty’s window
An English house from 1932 and, at dawn, a giraffe coming in through the window of the Betty room: for this guest the high price is repaid by the service and the sight.
Google · September 2026Read the review
GoogleA 12th birthday
5 people in Helen and Kelly for a boy’s 12th birthday: giraffes on time for tea and breakfast, almost too much food. The advice: 2 nights, because one is tiring.
Google · August 2026Read the review
GoogleHoneymoon in Marlon
A honeymoon in the Marlon room, giraffes on the balcony at dawn. The one regret: not staying 2 nights.
Google · December 2025Read the review
GoogleThe price, before and after
At the time of booking it felt overpriced; once there, the rooms, the food, the staff and the giraffes changed their mind.
Google · October 2025Read the review
GoogleA cancellation
One star: after a cancellation made, the guest says, within the terms, the room went back on sale and the deposit was not refunded.
Google · January 2026Read the review
Questions before you go
Sources read on 1 October 2026: rate sheets, official pages and platforms. Reconfirm availability and terms before you book.
How much does a night at Giraffe Manor cost?
The official rate sheet, read on 1 October 2026, has one price all year: for 2 adults sharing, a night costs $2,826 on 15 October as on 16 November 2026, and $3,108 on 15 January as on 16 March 2027, that is 1,413 and then 1,554 a head, almost everything included. Google Hotels shows no price on any night, and the lower figures found online are a few years old.
What do children, single guests and the family suites pay?
On the 2026 sheet a child aged 3 to 11 pays $974 a night, one person alone in a room $2,218, a family suite for 2 adults and 2 children $4,832; a third child $622. In 2027 these become $1,071, $2,440, $5,315 and $684. Under-3s stay free.
What does the price include?
All meals, house wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks, laundry, Wi-Fi, Giraffe Centre entry, the private dinner among the orchids, The Retreat, transfers to and from Nairobi’s airports within your stay and VAT. Champagne, luxury spirits and selected wines, cigars, tips, massages and health insurance are extra.
Which rooms do the giraffes reach?
9 of the 12, by the official room pages: the Karen Blixen Suite, Betty, Jock, Daisy, Marlon and Lynn in the Historic Manor; the Finch Hatton Suite, Kelly and Helen in the Garden Manor. Only the tallest giraffes reach Daisy. Arlene, Edd and Salma have no access, though from Arlene and Salma you can watch them pass.
How do you book, and how far ahead?
On The Safari Collection’s site, through its live availability or an enquiry, or through an agent. The hotel gives no lead time: outside sources say 6 to 24 months, and a guest in September 2026 had booked almost 2 years ahead. The Garden Manor can be booked on its own; the Historic Manor only with at least 2 nights at another of the group’s lodges, until 4 weeks before arrival. When it is full there is a waiting list.
Can you visit, or have breakfast, without staying?
No. Nobody comes in without staying, not even for breakfast or tea: the hotel says it stopped them for the safety of guests and giraffes. The Tripadvisor answers that say otherwise are old. The same giraffes can be fed at the Giraffe Centre next door, daily from 9am to 5pm.
Do the giraffes always come?
Usually, especially in the morning, but the hotel does not guarantee it: they live free in the sanctuary and come when they please. It does not say how many there are: outside sources range from 6 to 12.
Can you go with children?
Yes, at any age. Under-3s stay free, 3 to 11 pay the child rate, 12 and over pay as adults. The 2 family suites have 2 en-suite bedrooms; elsewhere an extra bed does not always fit: Kelly has a third bed, Marlon a sofa bed, Betty and Helen a cot. At The Retreat children swim under their parents’ eye, as there is no lifeguard; the gym, sauna and hot tub are for 12 and over.
Is there a spa or a pool?
Not in the house, but at The Retreat next door: a heated 21-metre infinity pool, hot tub, steam room, sauna, gym and 2 treatment rooms, included during your stay. Treatments are charged: on the 2026 menu 60 minutes cost $80 or $90. Google Hotels says there is no pool: it is wrong.
How do you get there, and when are check-in and check-out?
From JKIA it is 26 km, 34 minutes on our route and about 40 by the hotel’s figure; from Wilson Airport 12.6 km. The transfer is included if you are collected after 11.30am and leave before 10am. Arrival is from noon and rooms are vacated by 10am, with no exceptions.
When is it closed, and when is it best?
It closes in spring for maintenance: 10 April to 10 May 2026 and 12 April to 4 May 2027. It is open the rest of the year. At 1,795 metres nights are cool, down to 2°C between June and August; it rains from March to May and from mid-October to December.
What are the cancellation terms?
A 30% deposit confirms the booking and the balance is due 45 days before arrival. More than 120 days out the deposit is refunded, less bank charges and a 5% fee; between 120 and 46 days it is lost; between 45 and 30 days half the total is lost; under 30 days, or for a no-show, all of it. Cancellations go by email and must be confirmed in writing by the hotel.
Can you marry at Giraffe Manor?
On weddings the official pages give 2 different answers. The FAQ says the house hosts no weddings, vow renewals or photo shoots, and that weddings of up to 50 guests are held at The Retreat next door; the 2026 and 2027 rate sheets say instead that a wedding at the Manor means taking it exclusively for 3 consecutive nights. For a proposal, the private dinner among the orchids comes at no extra charge.
Are there rules with the giraffes?
10, on the official page. Only the hotel’s pellets, one at a time, from the front and never from the side; no stroking without the staff’s go-ahead, no drones or balloons; hands washed before and after; dressing gowns and pyjamas stay in the room; nobody wanders the unfenced sanctuary alone. Photos are for personal use only.
Is it on Booking.com or Expedia?
No: the «Giraffe Manor» on Booking.com and Expedia is another property, in Arusha, Tanzania, with 12 reviews. This one is booked on The Safari Collection’s site or through agents; the 2027 rate sheet notes that discounts do not apply here.
Is there a New Year’s Eve dinner?
The hotel publishes no New Year’s Eve dinner or programme, and the rate sheet keeps the same price over the holidays. On Tripadvisor a guest describes a candlelit New Year’s Eve dinner served to their family in the main dining room, with the giraffes as the entertainment. Christmas and New Year are among the periods The Safari Collection advises booking earliest.
Is the food good, and can it handle diets?
There is no à la carte restaurant: the kitchen cooks for the house guests, with lunch in the courtyard and dinner at 7.30pm. Allergies and diets should be flagged ahead, ideally when booking. There is no dress code.
Do I need a car?
Nairobi needs a car, but Giraffe Manor provides airport transfers during your stay and complimentary transfers to neighbourhood attractions and eateries.
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