I had the privilege of touring the Sarova Stanley on my recent visit to Nairobi. Upon my arrival, I was greeted by Steve; little did I know that he would become my tour guide. I thought that I was just doing a site visit and would see the spaces: common areas, meeting rooms, guest rooms; but what I got was a history lesson of Nairobi and of the Stanley itself.

We started in the lobby where I was shown a picture of the original Stanley Hotel from 1902. I was told of the fire, but how a surviving door and piece of wood and are now incorporated in to the current building. All the pictures in the lobby relate the story of the history of the hotel. The theme is carried over in to the dining area where they have even planted a tree in the middle of the room and buried a time capsule. Karen Blixen, Queen Elizabeth, Ernest Hemingway, Theodore Roosevelt, Barack Obama (before he was President) and Richard Branson (just to name a few) have all graced the hallways of the Stanley. I was humbled and filled with awe at the narrative.

We climbed the stairs to the next floor where I was introduced to the bar and home to the Kenya Stock Exchange in 1954. The bell that was used in the exchange still hangs above the bar and rumor is that if you ring it, the next round is on you! The richness of the wood and leather and deep hues of the curtains and fabric made it feel majestic, yet homey.

There are eight meeting/conference rooms at the hotel-the largest holding 200 people. They have literally thought of everything with your safety in mind when it comes to this hotel. The carpet is even fire resistant: a dropped match will be extinguished within seconds and the guest room doors will take 45 minutes before they are consumed by the fire. There are also extra fire doors in place to help contain a fire to a specific area so it doesn’t spread.

The guest rooms all carry out a different theme. The decor of each room is unique to the theme and not duplicated.

I was impressed with what Sarova Stanley had to offer as a 5-star luxury hotel in the heart of Nairobi. A quiet oasis from the outside noise of the city. Take a friend and introduce them to the Asian cuisine at Tai-Chi or leave a note at the tree in the Thorn Tree Cafe. Enjoy the grandeur of the staircase and revel in the story that is whispered with each step you take.