Giraffe Manor

Layout

The original manor house was built in 1932 and has six rooms: Betty, Daisy, Jock, Lynn, Marlon and the Karen Blixen suite. Since acquiring Giraffe Manor in April 2009, Tanya and Mikey have transformed this property into one of the world's most sought-after hotels.
The interiors have been tastefully redesigned to ensure the manor retains its historic 1930s character. An original art deco bathroom, antique furniture and the name of each room all reveal something of the manor's colourful past.

In 2011, a new wing was added to the manor, the Garden Manor, located right next door. Although built 78 years later, Tanya and Mikey used reclaimed materials from the era in which the original manor was built, and it is a replica of the original manor. The Garden Manor also has six beautiful rooms: Salma, Edd, Arlene, Helen, Kelly and the Finch Hatton suite.

Every room has a view over the sanctuary, and the giraffe experience offered to guests is the same regardless of which house you stay in.

Currently, the Garden Manor is reserved exclusively for guests staying at another property within The Safari Collection. This policy will soon change, with the historic manor house becoming the one reserved exclusively for these guests.

Rooms

Giraffe Manor accommodates guests in 12 rooms in total.
Six are in the main manor house (including the suite named after Karen Blixen), with an Art Deco style, romantic four-poster beds and large bathrooms; the Garden Manor has six further rooms. Each is decorated in its own style and named after a character from its history, but the sense of 1930s grandeur runs throughout.
All have Wi-Fi and a private balcony or patio looking out over the lush garden.
Not every room is visited by the giraffes.
If that is high on your list, book well in advance!

Activities offered

From encounters with the world's tallest mammal to exploring local culture, there is plenty to fill your stay, both within the estate grounds and in the city of Nairobi.

Breakfast with the giraffes: this not-to-be-missed activity is reserved exclusively for guests of Giraffe Manor.
Watch out for their inquisitive tongues, which can reach up to 20 inches long, as they inspect what's on offer; fortunately, it's nutritious dried grass pellets they're after, not your pancakes!
The giraffes at Giraffe Manor are wild, however, and interaction is not guaranteed.
Depending on where you are staying, breakfast is served either in the main manor or in the Garden Manor breakfast room, but don't worry, the giraffes know exactly where to find you. 
Hours: 6am-9am

Visit to the Giraffe Centre: a few minutes' walk away lies the AFEW (African Fund for Endangered Wildlife) Giraffe Centre. Founded in 1979, the centre's mission is to raise awareness among schoolchildren about their country's remarkable wildlife and environment, as well as its breeding programme for the endangered Rothschild's giraffe. Every guest of Giraffe Manor makes a donation to AFEW for its wildlife conservation projects across Kenya. 
On the feeding platform, the giraffes enjoy interacting with visitors, hoping for a treat.
Hours: 9am-5pm

Visit to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: open to the public at 11am, by reservation only (bookings open 3 months before the desired visit date). This unique experience lets you watch the baby elephants enjoy their midday mud bath, their milk bottles, tussling in the red earth or playing football with their friends!
Transfers from Giraffe Manor are included for arrival and departure times only.

Afternoon tea with the giraffes: take tea on the terrace as the sun sets behind the Ngong Hills, in the company of these graceful creatures. Reserved exclusively for Giraffe Manor guests, afternoon tea at the manor is an occasion not to be missed. 
Hours: 5pm-6pm

Orchid House: a romantic candlelit dinner can be arranged amid the foliage of the Orchid House's beautiful collection. Fragrant and filled with light, the Orchid House was born from Tanya and Mikey's shared passion for orchids and is a delightful hidden corner of the manor. Reading, meditating or sketching one of the 150 orchids growing there makes for a peaceful retreat.

Other activities can be arranged in the city of Nairobi.