Top Luxury and Five Star Hotels in Nairobi, Amboseli, the Masai Mara, Tsavo and Samburu

Kenya's finest hotels and camps are spread across a landscape that ranges from the city to the savannah to the desert, and each region has developed its own distinct style of luxury shaped by the terrain around it.

In Nairobi, the Giraffe Manor remains the most talked about property in the country, a boutique colonial house where Rothschild giraffes lean through the dining room windows each morning, and bookings here are secured many months in advance. For a more conventional city luxury base, the Villa Rosa Kempinski and the Fairmont The Norfolk both deliver five star service in the heart of town, while the Tribe Hotel offers a sleek, contemporary alternative favoured by business travellers and design conscious guests alike. The historic Sarova Stanley, home to the famous Thorn Tree Cafe, remains a Nairobi institution for travellers who want a sense of the city's colonial era history alongside modern comfort.

Amboseli is defined above all by its views of Kilimanjaro rising over the plains, and the region's top properties are built to make the most of that backdrop. Tortilis Camp sits among fever trees with the mountain framed directly ahead, while ol Donyo Lodge, technically in the neighbouring Chyulu Hills, pairs the same mountain views with total exclusivity across a private conservancy. Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge and Satao Elerai both offer strong mid to upper luxury options directly within the park's ecosystem, popular with families and first time safari travellers.

The Masai Mara holds the highest concentration of exceptional properties anywhere in the country. Angama Mara, perched on the edge of the Oloololo Escarpment, is widely regarded as one of the most beautifully designed lodges in Africa, with sweeping views across the entire reserve below. Mahali Mzuri, owned by Richard Branson, brings a design forward, all inclusive luxury tented experience deep within a private conservancy bordering the reserve. Governors' Camp, one of the original luxury camps in the Mara, remains a favourite for its unfenced, riverside setting directly in the path of the migration, while Sanctuary Olonana offers a quieter, more intimate riverside alternative nearby.

Tsavo, Kenya's largest protected area, offers a different and often more rugged style of luxury. Finch Hattons Luxury Tented Camp is the standout property in the region, channelling old world safari glamour with modern comforts set around a natural spring frequented by elephant. Sarova Salt Lick Game Lodge, built on stilts overlooking a waterhole, and Voi Safari Lodge, perched on a ridge with sweeping views across the plains, both offer strong options for travellers exploring Tsavo East and West.

Samburu, in the drier north, has its own distinct character, and Sasaab, set above the Ewaso Nyiro River with a strong Moroccan influenced design, is considered the region's finest property. Saruni Samburu, set into a private conservancy with panoramic hilltop views, and the Elephant Bedroom Camp, positioned directly along the riverbank within the national reserve, both deliver excellent luxury experiences suited to the ecosystem's dry, striking landscape.

If you would like help choosing and booking the right combination of these properties for your own trip, we can put together a free, no obligation quotation for you.