What it’s Actually Like to Stay at Giraffe Manor
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What is Giraffe Manor?
Giraffe Manor is a luxury boutique hotel run by the Safari Collection that is located in Nairobi, Kenya. Modeled after a Scottish hunting lodge, the property was built in the 1930s and has been home to roaming Rothschild giraffes since the 1970s. The manor was purchased in 2009 and has become an Instagram-worthy bucket list hotel known for the ability to have wild giraffes share your breakfast table. The manor is located on 140 acres of forest in Nairobi’s Langata suburb.
How to get Giraffe Manor
Fly to Kenya and arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO). If you’re arriving from within Africa, you may fly into Wilson Airport (WIL).
If you’re arriving from outside of Africa, I suggest arriving in Nairobi at least a day before your check-in a Giraffe Manor. This accounts for any possible flight delays and allows you to check in to Giraffe Manor right at noon to make the most of your time there. I stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Airport and was picked up by Giraffe Manor at 11:30 am and arrived at the Manor house right around noon.
What’s it like to stay at Giraffe Manor
Giraffe Manor has things down to a science. Check-in time is at noon and check-out time is at 10 am. There are no early check-ins or late check-outs at the manor. You can, for an additional fee, get a day room at the adjacent Retreat, but you do not have access to Giraffe Manor during that time. Since Giraffe Manor’s very structured day gives you only 22 hours at the manor, it’s important to make the most of it!
Check-In at Noon
Plan your transfer to arrive at the manor right at noon. You’ll be greeted with a chilled towel and a welcome beverage to sip while you complete a waiver and are given a safety briefing and orientation. Once that’s complete, you’ll be given a tour of the manor and shown to your room.
Lunch from 1 pm – 3 pm
Lunch is served between 1 and 3 pm and I suggest eating right at 1 pm to make the most of your afternoon.
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After Lunch
The giraffes live by the motto, “No food, no friend”. With that in mind, it’s important to know that they spend their days over at the nearby Giraffe Center, coming to the Manor only during breakfast and tea. So if you’re eager to see your first Rothschild giraffe right away, head to the nearby Giraffe Center. Admission to the Giraffe Center is included with your stay at the manor and it’s just a short walk from the original manor house. Because the sounder of wild warthog that wander the area between the manor and the Giraffe Center can get a little feisty, a staff member will escort you.
Once at the Giraffe Center, you’ll be paired with a guide who will tell you about the resident herd. Edd, a male Rothschild giraffe, and 10 ladies are currently part of the Center’s breeding programme. The guide will answer all your burning questions about the giraffes, help you feed them, and take plenty of pictures and videos for you.
Edd is the biggest giraffe in the tower and the Giraffe Center’s breeding male. Since male giraffes can fight for dominance over females, any male giraffes born at the center are relocated to other nature conservancies in Kenya when they’re old enough.
Tea at 5 pm
Enjoy a lovely treat of pastries and tea (or cocktails) as the resident herd makes its way from the neighboring Giraffe Center to Giraffe Manor for Afternoon Tea. Watching the tower emerge from the treeline and come towards the manor is truly a magical experience!
The staff gives a safety briefing, then hands out giraffe food and the feeding begins! The staff is great at making sure everyone gets a turn to feed and interact with the giraffes and will happily assist with photos. Some of the giraffes have quirks (maybe they don’t like to be petted or, in the case of Daisy, don’t like children) the staff is there to keep you (and the giraffes) safe.
Dinner at 7:30 pm
Dinner is served in the courtyard if weather allows, or in the dining room if the weather is uncooperative. I enjoyed dinner outside by candlelight and even though I thought the temperature was quite comfortable, each table had a portable heater for added warmth. It’s thoughtful touches like that that make Giraffe Manor an exceptional experience! While dinner was delicious, I had reached my max food capacity for the day (you won’t go hungry at Giraffe Manor!) and jet lag kicked in, so I skipped dessert and headed to bed.
Evening
After dinner, you can relax and enjoy drinks at the bar (included) play chess in the lounge, chat with other guests, or, like me, call it an early night since the giraffes will be sticking their heads in your windows looking for breakfast early in the morning.
Wakeup Call at 5 am
When you check in, you’ll find there is giraffe food in your room, and boy, do the giraffes know it! If you open your patio doors or your windows at 5 am, you’ll experience the most unique wake-up call of your life! I stayed in the ground floor Lynn suite and I had three giraffes pay me early morning visits looking for their breakfast and I was only too happy to accommodate! Starting around 6 am or so, the staff came around to make sure everyone got a visit and to deliver more food if we needed it.
Breakfast at 6:30 am
Breakfast begins at 6:30 am in the infamous main dining room. No pajamas are allowed at breakfast, so dress to impress! Besides, you want to look cute in photos, right? In addition to the famous dining room photos, there are options for more staff-assisted photo ops outside in the courtyard during breakfast. Don’t forget to actually eat as it’s easy to get distracted by the giraffes!
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Check-out at 10 am
All too soon it’s time for the saddest part of your stay at Giraffe Manor: check out time. Check out is at 10 am daily and there is no late checkout permitted. Remember that transfers are included, so schedule yours as close to 10 am as possible if your schedule allows.
If your travel plans have you needing a place to stay, you can book a day room at The Retreat next door, which gives. you access to its wellness facilities and the restaurant, subject to availability. However, it does not give you access to the Manor or its facilities. The Retreat is available for anyone to book four weeks before travel; guests of our other properties may book further in advance.
Rooms at Giraffe Manor
Rooms at Giraffe Manor are split among two buildings: the Main Manor and the Garden Manor. Each room is uniquely laid out and decorated and most – but not all – have giraffe feeding access. When booking your stay it’s important to thoroughly understand which room you’re booking, especially if giraffe feeding access is important to you.
Note that the hotel’s website lists the property as suitable for guests with limited disabilities. If you have concerns, contact the hotel directly.
Main Manor Rooms at Giraffe Manor
There are six rooms in the main manor house. All of the rooms are uniquely laid out and have access to feed the giraffes from either a balcony, porch, or bedroom window.
Betty’s Room, Daisy’s Room, and Marlon’s Room all have balconies for giraffe feeding.
Lynn’s Room (where I stayed) has a ground-floor terrace for giraffe feeding. Note that while Lynn is a ground-floor room, you will need to use stairs to access it.
Jock’s Room has window feeding access and the Karen Blixen Suite is a family suite with a balcony for giraffe feeding.
Garden Manor Rooms at Giraffe Manor
In 2011, the Garden Manor was built and has an additional six rooms. Each room in the Garden Manor has access to feed giraffes through a window.
In the Garden Manor, the Finch Hatton Suite is a family suite however unlike the family suite in the main manor, it has no giraffe feeding access. Helen and Kelly’s rooms have giraffe feeding access while Arlene, Edd, and Salma’s rooms do not have giraffe feeding access.
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The Retreat at Giraffe Manor
The Retreat at Giraffe Manor is a wellness experience created exclusively for guests of Giraffe Manor and The Safari Collection. The Retreat offers spa treatments and other wellness experiences for Giraffe Manor guests as well as day room facilities for guests who have stayed at any of The Safari Collection properties. Four day rooms, infinity pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub, gym, spa treatment rooms, rooftop garden, Daisy’s Cafe. Built in 2021 blends seamlessly with the property.
How much does it cost to stay at Giraffe Manor
Room rates at Giraffe Manor start at $1,168/adult sharing and $805/child sharing (ages 2-11).
Giraffe Manor is all-inclusive and rates include your arrival and departure transfers, transportation around the Karen & Langata area, all meals, alcohol (house wines, beers, spirits, soft drinks), laundry, internet access, and entrance to the AFEW Giraffe Centre. The only thing I can think of that isn’t included that you may want to add is a massage at the spa or champagne if that’s your drink of choice!
How far in advance to book Giraffe Manor
I booked my stay at Giraffe Manor 18 months before my trip and there was only one night in one room available at that time. I talked to other guests during my stay who lucked into a last-minute booking, but I would imagine that’s pretty uncommon. I would suggest booking at least two years in advance to have more options for room choices.
Starting in 2025 you will need to book a stay at one of the other Safari Collection properties in Kenya (Sala’s Camp, Solio Lodge, and Sasaab) to be able to book a room in the Historic Manor. Anyone will be able to book a room in the Garden Manor, subject to availability.
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How’s the Food at Giraffe Manor?
Three meals a day (lunch and dinner on your check-in day and breakfast on your check-out day) as well as afternoon tea are included. Each meal is a set menu with a few options to choose from, including a vegetarian option, and features local ingredients and dishes. If you have specific dietary restrictions, it’s important to notify the hotel in advance, preferably upon booking. Some substitutions can be made at mealtime, however, that’s the exception, not the rule, which is why the advance notice is important.
Tipping
When you check in to your room, you’ll find an envelope that details suggested tipping guidelines. Tips are to be placed in the envelope and deposited in a box in the main lounge area when you check out. Tips are split among the entire staff. No individual tips are accepted and staff members cannot accept tips for preferable seating or time with the giraffes. US Dollars (USD) and Kenyan Shilling (KES) are accepted.
Is it worth it?
In a word, yes. Unless your last name is Rockefeller, this is very much a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list experience and it is so incredibly worth it. Going into the trip, I had a slight fear that the experience was so hyped up in my mind, that it couldn’t possibly live up to my expectations. However, it far exceeded anything I could have imagined! And in speaking with other guests at the Manor, they agreed that their expectations were also exceeded. So yes, it’s a pricey indulgence, but I can pretty much guarantee that it will be a core memory for you.
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Lori Barbely
Hi, I’m Lori. But you can call me Lors. I’m a middle-aged New Jersey-born gal, currently based in Orlando, Florida. My background is in editorial travel photography and writing and I've been to more than 30 countries. I’m obsessed with tropical locales and my favorite city is Tokyo. Have camera, will travel! I’m a Disney adult, Lord of the Rings fan, certified crazy cat lady, and sushi addict! I hope this blog inspires your wanderlust. Feel free to follow me on Instagram for snippets of daily life on and off the road.
