Giraffe Manor was built in the style of a traditional English country house with mullioned windows, arched stone doorways, beautifully polished parquet floors, a grand wooden staircase and a number of baronial fireplaces. The natural stone walls of Giraffe Manor are now thickly ivy-clad. Elegant, charming and beautifully appointed, this atmospheric house regularly features in film shoots and offers a totally unique experience whilst lying just half an hour from the centre of the city. The extensive grounds, which have been allowed to remain as an indigenous ’wilderness’ offer peace, relaxation and gentle walks, while the views of the grey-blue peaks of the Ngong Hills are unrivalled.

An elegant colonial mansion, Giraffe Manor was built in 1932 by Sir David Duncan. In 1974 it was bought by Jock Leslie-Melville, a prominent figure in Kenya’s colonial history, who was himself the grandson of a Scottish earl. Jock’s American wife, Betty was the founder of the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW). Jock and Betty swiftly moved two young Rothschild giraffes on to the estate, where they flourished, and established subsequent generations of giraffes. Today, the giraffes wander at leisure within the grounds and have become renowned for sticking their heads through the windows of the house, much to the amusement and amazement of the guests.

Location 

Giraffe Manor lies just thirty minutes from the city centre of Nairobi (capital city) in the elegant Langata suburb of this major East African city. It stands in 140 acres of its own parkland and indigenous forest and enjoys magnificent views of the famous Ngong Hills, which feature in Karen Blixen’s book Out of Africa. Half an hour’s drive from JKI International Airport and other airport hotels.

Accommodation 

Giraffe Manor offers five double (twin bedded) rooms, each ensuite. The master bedroom connects to the Giraffe Room, which has two single beds – suitable for children. Many of the rooms feature original 1930s fittings and one is furnished with the original furniture from Karen Blixen's house and hung with animal paintings by Kamante, her cook, who was made famous in the book Out of Africa.

• Number of rooms:  6rooms
• Number of handicapped rooms: 1
• Number of suites: 1
• Honeymoon suite: 1
• Family or Interconnecting rooms:  1 - Karen Blixen Suite: this has a double bed on the ground floor and two children’s beds on a mezzanine deck. Can add another bed.
• Triple room (3 beds for 3 adults) - can be arranged with prior notice

Facilities

No phone in room. No TV in room. No communal TV room. WiFi connection throughout. Safe at reception. Mobile phone reception throughout. Hairdryers. No room service. Massage services offered. Residents lounge. Laundry service.

Giraffe Manor offers mobile phone reception throughout and medical services. The majority of rooms in this city hotel are no smoking: smoking rooms available.

Dining and bars 

Giraffe Manor offers a unique fine-dining experience amid the splendour of the wood-pannelled dining room, meals are also served in the Garden Room. There is a charmingly airy central drawing room where guests may relax (full bar facilities). Meals available on a half or full board basis only. 

Conference and event facilities - None

Weddings and honeymoons

Giraffe Manor excels in the presentation of atmospheric ’Out of Africa’ styled weddings and receptions.

Child friendly

Children are welcome and interlinking family rooms can be provided. Baby-sitting services can be provided with prior notice. Additional beds can be provided. 

Other attractions 

Immediately next door to Giraffe Manor is the Jock Leslie-Melville Nature Education Centre, which is now universally known as The Giraffe Centre. One of Nairobi’s prime attractions and a great favourite with children, the Centre offers a central education rondavel, which is mounted on stilts. The central portion offers information on the Rothschild giraffe while the open terrace that surrounds it serves as a feeding platform for the giraffes. Pellets are provided and the giraffes are well accustomed to being fed. There is also a small gift shop. Guided walks are also offered through the surrounding primeval forest, allowing the guests to learn more about the flora, fauna and avifauna. Insights are also given as to the many uses of the flora in Kenyan traditional medicine. 

Giraffe Manor is located ten minutes drive from the Karen Blixen Museum, the house where the author of Out of Africa wrote her books. Next door is the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden, which offers a charming dining experience as well as a range of shops showcasing locally-made handicrafts.

As well as the giraffes, which are so tame as to stick their heads through the windows, making the ideal safari photo opportunity, sightings of warthog and bushbuck are common.

Some 180 bid species have been recorded in the grounds.