There are a wide variety of hotels in Kenya. Depending on your idea of "adventure" there is everything from cheap sleeps (very cheap) to some world class accommodations. There are different seasons in Kenya, rainy and non, which affects some of the prices. Don't be afraid to ask your travel agent to give you a couple of different options. You might also want to read the FAQ since there are a few questions on hotels.

Hotels

These are your normal, big, sometimes fancy hotels. They will have all the amenities that you would expect, room service, concierges, possible air-conditioning and a few shops. There are several in Nairobi, the most famous being The Norfolk. The Norfolk Hotel, originally built in the early part of the century, has a unique and quite wonderful style and presence. It just screams of "the good old days of Kenya." There is also a Hilton in downtown Nairobi that offers all the usual services. It is a bit more centrally located, but its debatable if that's all that desirable. There is the Serena Hotel. This is part of a chain, but it underwent enormous renovation a few years back and is quite spiffy now. It has several good to excellent restaurants and a health club. On the outskirts of Nairobi there are two new, very big and quite plush hotels. Safari Park, the larger of the two has at least five restaurants, a free form pool, a health club, many shops, a casino and is perfect for large conventions. It sprawls over many acres of land and is quite pleasant, if big. The Windsor Hotel also has a swimming pool, shops, lots of land, but most importantly a golf course. We are told its a good one. restaurants, shops. They both are a ways out of Nairobi (25 minute drive) but they offer transport into town should you want it and you just might like being out a bit.

Tented Camps

Usually located in the numerous game parks around Kenya, tented camps are permanent (see Tented Safaris below) in that the tents are set on cement plinths and almost always have proper electricity, flush toilets, running water, etc. The rooms though, are large canvas tents that hold two beds comfortably. The tent part reminds you that you are in Africa after all, but it is not what I would call roughing it. Mara River, Siana Springs, Sekenani, Larsens, Laroi (at Lewa Downs) and Lake Boringo Island Camp are all good examples. The prices vary from one to the next but you will find that the service and attendance on a higher level then other options. They are also usually smaller than lodges, meaning less people and less vehicles to contend with. And there really is nothing to compare to sleeping in a tent when "on safari" in Kenya. Nothing!

Lodges

Staying in a lodge is another option when visiting the game parks. More like hotels, they offer real rooms as we all have come to know them, with bathrooms ensuite. Some lodges get very fancy with marble bathrooms and ceiling fans and many have incorporated delightful architectural details. With tress growing through the dining room ceiling and thatched roofs there can be great ambiance. Lodges are also more apt to have swimming pools and set on a larger compound. Most offer all the things you would find in a typical hotel. The accommodations can come in different forms such as individual bungalows, while others are all within a main building. Lodges are generally much larger then tented camps and are often not as "personal" but may have more amenities. Either way you will have sun birds on your breakfast table and monkeys swinging though the trees overhead. Mara Simba Lodge, (where Bwana Zulia just happened to provide all the carpets!) Keekorok, Outspan, Mara Serena, Samburu Intrepids, and Shaba Lodge are all examples.

Tented Safaris

Also known as Luxury Tented Safaris. These are fully equipped tented camps that move with you from one game park to another. Its a mobile miniature city that gives you the feel of the old time tented safaris from Teddy Roosevelt's era offering a very high level of both "real Africa" ambiance to say nothing of comfort, staff to client ratio and luxuries. You are in the bush and can enjoy all that but you will never be uncomfortable. It is, without a doubt, the best way to go on safari in Kenya, albeit the most expensive. Check out Bill Winter Safaris.