Giraffe Manor

Overview

Modelled on a Scottish hunting lodge, Kenya's Giraffe Manor provides a truly unique experience, allowing you to feed giraffes from your bedroom window. 

Giraffe Manor is one of Nairobi’s most iconic historical buildings; dating back to the 1930s, this grand structure is reminiscent of the early days of Europeans in East Africa. While the building itself resonates with the past, very much present is the hotel’s free-roaming herd of Rothschild giraffe, who tend to visit the manor in the mornings and evenings to greet guests and sniff out the giraffe pellets which are left in each room, before venturing out into their large 140-acre sanctuary.

The ability to sit at the breakfast table and share your morning meal with these majestic creatures, who will stretch their long necks through the windows to greet you, is a completely unique experience that you will remember for the rest of your life. No dining room will ever seem the same again.

What is there to do at Giraffe Manor?

The manor house helps to protect the giraffes with the aim of expanding the endangered Rothschild gene pool and is slowly reintroducing them back into the wild. The giraffes poke their heads through the large windows of the breakfast room and guest rooms, allowing you to feed them the pellets that the hotel provides you with. Despite the hotel’s name, giraffes aren't the only animal roaming the area. Warthogs are also known to enter the manor grounds, serving as a lawnmower for the grass when looking to scavenge for any leftover giraffe treats. When not entertaining the giraffe, guests can relax in the sumptuous surroundings and lush gardens.

The friendly expert staff (who know all of the individual giraffes’ names and personality traits) guide all the guests on how they can safely interact with the giant creatures and avoid any unpredictable behaviour. These frequent and remarkable close encounters with the giraffes have attracted the interest of celebrities from around the world. Mick Jagger, Richard Branson and Ewan McGregor have all enjoyed stays at the manor, helping to make this a bucket list activity for countless people around the globe.

Where is Giraffe Manor?

The hotel sits next to Nairobi’s Giraffe Centre, which protects the Rothschild giraffes and allows you to feed them. However, you will also get the opportunity to see some of the other amazing animals that reside in Kenya when staying at the manor, as the Giraffe Centre is also home to a bird sanctuary. In addition, the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and Nairobi National Park are both situated nearby, giving you the opportunity to see and learn about a wide range of animals, including lions, rhinos, zebras and wildebeests.

Our Thoughts

This is a truly unique hotel where one can have breakfast while the resident giraffes pop their heads through the windows of this historic house. Giraffe Manor is a one-off and a very popular option for families in Nairobi.