Fairview Hotel

9.4

Exceptional

455 Guest reviews

9.4

Exceptional

455 Verified Reviews

Read all reviews

Cleanliness9.4/10

Service9.6/10

Comfort9.0/10

Condition9.2/10

Neighborhood8.4/10

Amenities9.2/10

Wonderful staff… Too much noise due to renovation during breakfast time!

Charm and atmosphere is really nice

Very nice property and staff

If you need to stay in Nairobi and feel like you are not in the city then the Fairview is the place. We cannot say enough about the hotel and wonderful staff who make this hotel even more special.

It was hot. Air

Air conditioner would be nice. It got really warm.

Wonderful, quiet location in the centre of Nairobi.

The place was average.

Charm of its gardens

Just OK

It was ok. I think rooms are overpriced

Classic hotel. Have stayed for years. I really appreciate the outdoor areas

Wonderful hotel. The staff is amazing! I strongly recommend it…

Great staffs, great service. Authentic sensibility but dated look. However, squeaky clean!

From the airport transfer to check-in and the daily interaction with the staff, the Fairview is a delight. It’s a peaceful refuge in the middle of Nairobi. My room was pleasant and comfortable. No complaints.

Excellent service, excellent food!!

I have stayed at this property for over 30 years due to frequent travel for work. The consistency of the remarkable service, the comfort, the food/room/amenity qualities are remarkable. However, always the best is the attention to detail that the staff supplies to promote exceptional service. This may be my favorite hotel anywhere.

Lovely hotel.

We always enjoy staying at the Fairview. Cost plus fees is our deterrent. There are lots of fees that can add $100 USD to a weekend stay. Staff are great. Loyalty week provided tasty treats. Very nice.

Favorite Nairobi Hotel

Made last-minute reservations due to program change. So happy the hotel had space for us. They combined the last-minute and our later reservation. Here for 5 days. Great (favorite) breakfast buffet. Restaurants offer wide variety of options. Front desk clerks very helpful. Gorgeous gardens.

Loved this hotel, will stay again if I'm back. Great price for the quality of stay. Food from all restaurants was incredible too.

The Garden

Excellent

Small friendly hotel

Great hotel, feels remote even though is in the heart of Nairobi.

Natural vegetation

We stayed at the Fairview Hotel two separate times during a safari trip to Kenya. Other than the airport, this was our first introduction to Kenyan hospitality, and it was outstanding. We've been to many hotels in the USA, Mexico and Europe and the service here at the Fairview sits easily in the top 3 of anywhere we have stayed. The hotel felt very safe with a strong security staff to provide that feeling. The grounds are very well kept and a pleasure to walk around in, which is nice due to us being told that the neighborhood is not a particularly safe one. The hotel itself is very stylish and comfortable with a nice pool and pool area. The restaurants provided very good food and drink. Upon our landing in Nairobi, our airline lost our luggage, and the Fairview reception staff was SO incredibly awesome in helping us work with the airline to get them found and delivered to us at the hotel. They might be the most helpful, friendly and respectful reception staff we have ever encountered. In addition, this hotel was very competitively priced; we've stayed in much worse places for a lot more money. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Nairobi for any type of trip. It was about a half hour distance from the main airport and was very close to Wilson Airport (for flights to Masai Mara) The hotel will send a hotel-based taxi to pick you up or deliver you to either airport for a small fee. This felt much safer than just picking a taxi from outside.

fine

This is a very old and we had hoped charming hotel in the centre of town. Our "VIP" room was clean but very bare and functional, probably fine for business users but indulgent or luxurious. I have scored it average for most things as we found it extremely expensive for what we had and the standard of the hotel. The reception staff were not helpful and a bit abrupt, the only good member of staff was Brian at the pool bar.

Cosy spot with wonderful staff. My fav in Nairobi!

Very nice staff and grounds.

This hotel is fantastic! Staff are great, the place is clean - lovely. We stayed during the protests, so it felt a little unsafe to go out, but that’s not the hotel’s fault

Beautiful hotel, conveniently located.

Property was so beautiful my family really really enjoyed this property! Wonderful staff, great food and very beautifully kept grounds! Would highly recommend this location to friends and family

Wonderful stay

Wonderful start to our Kenya adventure! The hotel was perfect mixture of old school charm and modern facilities. Loved the beautiful gardens, large swimming pool and the staff makes the place special.

I want to visit here again. I had dinner at pool site every night. Privave, peaceful and beautiful.

Wonderful place to stay in Nairobi.

One of the best places to stay in Nairobi. Close to most places, friendly staff, great food and very safe for a stay.

Excellent hotel

A wonderful hotel with great staff. I’ve been staying here on trips to Kenya for 20 years.

Nice Nairobi Oasis

My Fairview Hotel stay was excellent. The hotel room itself was somewhat basic but plenty adequate and clean. It's a good tradeoff for the beautiful garden grounds and multiple spaces to sit and meet or enjoy the day. The staff was very pleasant and helpful. The breakfast was very good. One small point that can be remedied - ordering food at night poolside was a mixed bag. One night is was good and another night very slow with inaccurate food orders received. All in all, I would stay again without hesitation.

Very relaxing and refreshing stay. Grounds and hotel were beautiful and an oasis in the midst of Nairobi

The gardens were beautiful and the food was delicious. The staff was extremely helpful. The Fairview is a wonderful alternative to the institutional like chain hotels.

Beautiful grounds, gardens, sitting areas and restaurants. Historic property. Room was very basic, old and with no charging ports.

Great

Lovely place and setting. Great staff. Can get a bit noisey if you have a room just up the stairs from reception

We've been staying at the Fairview for 25 years. Even with new owners, the facilities continue to be excellent. The staff is mostly new. We knew the old staff, and, of course, you appreciate people you know and like. Two considerations for management: 1. The Fairview is becoming less a warm and personal place to stay and more a commercial, corporate facility. That's a minus. It's the difference between, "Good morning, Mr. Schmidt, how was your sleep." and "What can I do for your sir?" 2. The prices are becoming much too high. Even the breakfast, always included in the room rate, is now an additional $25. That's outrageous, the meal just isn't that good. Climbing rates for rooms and meals might be reasons we look elsewhere when we visit Nairobi. Pity, we've enjoyed the Fairview for more than two decades.

Lovely hotel and staff

Garden

Lovely hotel in Nairobi

Lovely property with beautiful grounds and a great pool (although I didn’t get to swim; it was too cool the day I was there). Friendly, helpful staff. Great breakfast buffet with many choices. Room was clean but not as attractive as the rest of the hotel. Tight security. Like many other hotels in Nairobi, the hotel is gated and watched by armed guards. Luggage is screened as you enter the property.

The environment is so serene, staff are friendly, rooms are spacious and very clean. We loved our stay there very much. Would highly recommend.

The place to be in Nairobi

A lovely heritage hotel in a quiet section of town. Great vibe, excellent service, extensive breakfast buffet, large swimming pool,....

Great property, centrally located. Staff are very helpful and courteous. Food selection is great, and they have a few restaurants within the property. The pool and also the garden area is quite nice to relax and have a meal or a drink. I’d certainly go back.

A lovely hotel. A comfortable oasis.

This hotel, the staff and the food were amazing. My wife and I were attending a wedding and this was the first time in Kenya. This hotel became our home away from home. They made us feel very welcome and appreciated. The food and service was fabulous. I only wish they could transport this hotel to the US. We highly recommend this hotel. You will not regret the stay.

Fairview's gardens are a welcome retreat, calming, picturesque. Overall the staff were attentive and aimed to please. The restaurant staff (pool-side) were great in their recommendations. Points of improvement: More attention to be paid at checkin to status of guests. I booked Fairview especially because of the VIP (Expedia) status it afforded me. At checkin, they checked only for IHG staus, and I was booked into a small room on the backside of the hotel, overlooking a rooftop. When I notified the front desk, they immediately sought to rectify the problem, and I was upgraded to the poolside room. Also, using the rather efficient room service ordering (via whatsapp) I ordered a light meal (soup, naan, water). It was after 2100. After an hour of waiting, I checked and was told that the staff had "left, and had forgotten." While the staff member with whom I spoke offered to rectify the oversight, it was too late for me. Upon checkout, the managerial staff apologized profusely and offered to comepnsate at a future stay. I would stay at Fairview again. The location was perfect; I felt safe; the menu variety was great; the room was clean and quiet.

Nice relaxed setting around the hotel and areas.Complete shut of noises from a busy Nairobi surrounding the hotel.

Great property. Different areas for relaxing. Excellent and friendly staff.

Beautiful gardens! Such an oasis in Nairobi.

Attentive and friendly staff with great surroundings

Amazing

I love teh Fairviw adn have nothing but good to say but there are a few things that could do with refreshing - bed and pillows, hair dryer

The friendliness and responsiveness of the staff was terrific. And the grounds are absolutely stunning.

Lovely property and a comfortable stay. Restaurant options were a bit limiting if staying for a longer period of time.

Brilliant stay, really beautiful hotel and all staff are so helpful and friendly.

Oasis

The grounds are spectacular. Very serene. The staff is very welcoming. An oasis in the heart of Nairobi. Would definitely return

Fantastic hotel. Staff are wonderful.

It was amazing!

As expected great service with helpful staff

Lovely!

Lovely note with lovely staff in a beautiful location!

The Fairview is a wonderful hotel. It feels like stepping back into the 1930s (in a good way!).

Went with some friends who all paid the same and we noticed at least 3 different standards of room for the same price.

A absolute oaisis of tranquility inside busy Nairobi

Very nice but no aircon

Lovely ambience. Great garden Only negative was simple rooms with No aircon No fridge or soft drinks in room

Beautiful hotel but needs better management

Beautiful hotel, but needs better management. The staff was ok, but not great. The Italian restaurant was very good, but the restaurant at poolside was awful. We ate there the first evening we stayed and couldn’t finish our meals. The next morning we were walking around the grounds (which are very nice!) and noticed our half eaten dinner was still sitting on the table where we’d left it the night before!!!! GROSS!!!!

Beautiful grounds, great staff, everyone so helpful and accomodating

Warmly welcomed back

I've stayed at the Fairview Hotel probably 100 times--though this was my first time since the pandemic. Though the hotel was not very full due to COVID-19, the hotel was immaculate, and provided its highest level of service. The staff were friendly and professional.

Faulty towers attitude to you

Waiting staff didnt provide what I asked for 70 percent of the time, hotel didnt privide premium channels as advertised. Also they tried not honouring a free meal that was advertised on the booking

An oasis in downtown Nairobi, still has some touches and style from its early days, (it`s been a hotel since the 1930s), and it`s quite spread out so you can wander through the gardens as you make your way to one of its four restaurants/eating places. Some of the plant and tree specimens would not be out of place in the hot-house at Kew Gardens in London! Our room was very classy, very spacious, well-appointed and with a lovely old wooden floor. Lovely and very friendly and helpful staff, and the hotel is VERY secure, (as one would expect with the Israeli Embassy across the road!). Will happily go back there, it`s `our kind of place`.

This is a unique property. Truly, a garden oasis in the center of Nairobi. Everyone was welcoming and gracious and no detail overlooked. Highly recommend.

Everything was great but the Business Centre was a disappointment.Maybe I went at the wrong time, 5p.m but I thought business people work in the evenings. The lap top I was given to use didn't connect to the website I wanted, it just kept saying the time and date is incorrect on this apparatus. Anyway, I was not charged because I didn't get anything done. There was only one lady on duty and she was initially on a long phone call regarding a reservation that needed altering and then she served another couple who came in after me. So I left.

Staff was very service oriented. Staff was very service oriented.

Tucked away and relatively quiet for a city. Good security being so close to the Iranian embassy.

Highly recommended, safe and comfortable hotel

Friendly and considerate staff, beautiful grounds, delicious breakfast, secure hotel, comfortable and clean rooms and beds. Centrally located and an exceptional value.

Quiet and lovely retreat in Nairobi

This is not my first time staying here and I was not disappointed. The grounds and gardens are beautiful and the service is impeccable. The multiple dining options are also a benefit. It is an oasis in busy Nairobi.

Beautiful property and accomodations. Staff is very pleasant and gift shop is very nice.

A Gem

Loved this charming hotel with attentive and friendly staff. Breakfast buffet was outstanding, as well as dinner in any of the restaurants on scene. Beautifully manicured landscaping and gorgeous trees.

An calm oasis in the middle of Nairobi. Staff very helpful and friendly

Great peaceful stay in Nairobi

I was with a group and we all loved the facility. The breakfast buffet is amazing and the people are so friendly! Even the hotel manager would check on us regularly. You cannot hear traffic outside and with all of the garden and outdoors space it is such a peaceful environment.

The property is well guarded and they do keep the gardens in good shape. BUT, 1. Two of us were food poisoned from the location. They do not rotate foods on the displays consistently. I was watching the food displays daily and they never changed or appeared to be not properly refrigerated for hours. This personally made me sick for 3 days bedridden, the other person for 2 days. We did report it to management and to the Hotels credit some of the displays were removed and replaced with fresh food after several exchanges with the management. I suspected the bacon as the culprit in our case but would recommend eating the fruit which can be inspected for freshness or mold. 2. No elevators, we were on the third floor, though the room was stated to be 107. This is an older building from the '30s though well kept. Prepare for a 3-floor hike upstairs. 3. If ordering any transit options pay the front desk as they are supposed to set the prices. We were quoted 20 dollars for a ride at the front desk that ballooned into 100 dollars from the driver. A tour went from 100 dollars to 150.00. Always prepay and get a receipt to avoid this. This scam seems to be perpetuated by upper management there. Be on guard for this. 4. Bring your bathrobe and sandals as they are not provided by the hotel.

This was my first time in Kenya. Because of the security at this hotel I felt very safe. The breakfast was excellent. They offered a breakfast that had plenty of variety.

Staff extremely friendly and helpful. Already booked another stay!

Beautiful pool, nice gym, excellent & friendly service. Fluffy cats to pet when you dine outside! Delicious lentil soup, excellent Lamb chops, beet salad, and veggies. Breakfast omelette and fruit plates are a nice way to start the day. Rooms are extremely clean! Love the frogs singing in the garden pond at night. Only complaint is the coffee doesn’t taste very good. Such amazing coffee in Africa but all the hotels are serving the cheap stuff now....

A beautiful relaxing hotel with exceptionally good service. Would love to go back.

Staff service was excellent. The hotel has upgraded my room in the second visit itself. very appreciable. Drinking water provided in the room is very limited. Need to increase the number of bottles (by two more). Some biscuits to take with tea is standard in many hotels whereas Fairview does not provide any thing.

Best hotel in Nairobi

I have stayed here several times and it is consistently excellent. Very welcoming and a beautiful and comforting setting!

Want to go back

Super beautiful hotel and breakfast. Want to come back!

It was very quiet, not especially busy. This ensured good personal service while at the same time meaning that it lacked a little life.

All was well but would have loved if I was given drinking water on a daily basis

Keep up the great service

Excellent hotel with good restaurants and great staffs.

Wonderful place. I have been staying at the Fairview for over 40 years and it continues to be my favorite hotel to stay in - in Nairobi, or anywhere! Even with change in ownership, it continues to maintain its superb setting in an urban area.

Classic comfort

We stayed here short-term shuttling among other Kenya destinations. We liked everything about the experience. Nairobi is a pretty "gritty" experience, and not terribly easy to get around. At the Fairview, you don't need to. The facility is safe/secure, and has the amenities needed for a short stay. The Staff is very accommodating and will make your visit a pleasure.

Very courteous and warm staff. Loved the ambiance of the property and serenity.

The Fairview is amazing! They provide the best customer service, delicious food in their restaurants with terrific craft beer! The rooms are spacious, clean and great bath towels. They keep the grounds looking beautiful. A special bonus is the fabulously pianist playing by the pool in the evening. Thank you!