FAQs
To understand more about Giraffe Manor, please read our FAQs or contact us with any additional questions.
Asante sana. Thank you.
Rates at Giraffe Manor are the same for resident and non-residents of Kenya and can be found here.
Giraffe Manor is owned by The Safari Collection, which is proud to be part of several community and conservation initiatives through our charitable Footprint foundation. A lot of the support we are able to offer Kenya’s wildlife and people comes from kind donations from our guests. To find out more about the different projects we support and learn how you can help, please visit the Footprint page on our website.
The original manor was built in 1932 and has six rooms: Betty, Daisy, Jock, Lynn, Marlon and the Karen Blixen Suite. The latter three rooms were renovated in May 2019. In 2011, the current owners, Mikey and Tanya Carr-Hartley, built the Garden Manor which is a replica of the original manor and also has six rooms: Salma, Edd, Arlene, Helen, Kelly and the Finch Hatton Suite. Although the two buildings were built 78 years apart, you would never know the difference as much of the Garden Manor was built out of reclaimed materials from houses of a similar era to the original manor. The giraffe experience offered to guests is the same regardless of which section of the house they are staying and our resident giraffes regularly enjoy visiting both buildings in search of treats.
Currently, the Garden Manor provides accommodation exclusively for guests of The Safari Collection’s portfolio of properties, so that the main house can be kept as open and accessible as possible to all. If the open part of the manor is fully booked for the dates you’ve requested, you might like to consider a room in the section reserved for guests doing our circuit. We would love the opportunity to chat about your trip to Kenya and welcome you into our Safari Collection family. Don’t worry if you’ve already planned the rest of your trip – we’d be delighted to add you to the wait list for a room in the open part of the manor. If you’re planning your holiday last minute, then it does allow us a little more flexibility. Four weeks prior to travel, rooms in all sections of the manor can be booked without combining travel to our other properties. This is subject to availability, and more unlikely to be successful during peak seasons.
Unfortunately, due to high occupancies and our very limited capacity as a small, residential
style property of only 12 rooms, we do not have a restaurant that is open to non-staying
guests. We always try not to diminish the unique Giraffe Manor experience for our resident
guests by overcrowding the manor – it’s such an intimate space that we do need to be
very sensitive to them. We are also obliged to adhere to a strict maximum capacity for the
benefit of everyone’s safety.
The Retreat was built in 2021 to provide a tranquil wellness facility for guests of Giraffe Manor as well as a day room option for guests staying at one or more of our other properties (Sala’s Camp, Sasaab, Solio Lodge and/or Siruai Mobile Camp) and needing to transit through Nairobi. It is located right next door to Giraffe Manor on the same forested giraffe sanctuary and is a one-minute stroll away.
Yes. The Retreat is right next door to Giraffe Manor and provides our manor house guests with a range of wellness facilities including a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub and gym, as well as additional tranquil indoor and outdoor relaxation spaces. Our two spacious spa rooms are located at The Retreat and available to book for treatments, as well as Daisy’s, an à la carte restaurant and bar.
The Retreat is our brand-new wellness centre and day room facility designed with the ultimate relaxation in mind. It is located on the same property as Giraffe Manor and provides a range of complimentary facilities for guests of Giraffe Manor to use at their leisure, including a swimming pool, steam room, sauna, hot tub and gym. Unlike Giraffe Manor, guests cannot stay overnight at The Retreat. Guests of Giraffe Manor have full access to The Retreat grounds and facilities as part of their manor stay, however they cannot book a Day Room, Early Bird package or Day Pass unless they are staying at one or more of our other properties (Sala’s Camp, Sasaab, Solio Lodge and/or Siruai Mobile Camp). The Retreat day rooms and special passes are available to book as a standalone destination at 4 weeks from arrival if there is any last-minute space.
Day Rooms start at US$ 880 for two people sharing. Retreat Pass (access to The Retreat for the day) are US$ 275. We also offer an all-inclusive supplement option for Day Room and Day Pass guests which includes a set lunch, dinner and house drinks. Please review our rate sheet to see the different rates according to room type and number/age of guests.
The Retreat is not available for overnight stays, it is a day room facility only. Inclusions and exclusions will depend on which package you have opted for (Day Room, Retreat Pass or Early Bird) Our Day Room rates include arrival and departure transfers (if the collection time is after the 10:00 am check in and departure is prior to check out at 10:00 pm), complimentary water, a selection of soft drinks, a homemade snack and use of The Retreat’s facilities (pool, gym, steam room, sauna and hot tub) and Giraffe Centre access. Spa treatments, access to Giraffe Manor and all food and drink served at Daisy’s bar and restaurant are not included. However, we do have an all-inclusive supplement available which offers a set lunch, dinner and house drinks for an additional US$ 100. Please see our rates sheet for a full list of inclusions and exclusions.
Due to the small and intimate nature of the property, as well as our commitment to ensuring guests enjoy a peaceful and undisturbed experience, we are unable to offer tours of Giraffe Manor. Given the high degree of interest in Giraffe Manor and the equally high volume of requests from people wanting to briefly pass through, we would be unable to offer overnight guests the level of service and serene, personalised hospitality they have come to expect if we did not control the flow of people wandering through the small spaces! We are confident that you, too, will appreciate this policy if you come to stay with us. Fortunately, the nearby Giraffe Centre affords people the opportunity to interact with the same giraffes as a day-visit option. Here, visitors can also catch a glimpse of the manor from the feeding platform.
Guests using The Retreat, either on a Day Pass, Early Bird or Day Room basis, do not have access to Giraffe Manor. However, they may be able to interact with the giraffes if the animals choose to visit the end of the pool or breakfast deck, although can never be guaranteed. Retreat guests enjoy complimentary access to the AFEW Giraffe Centre, a short stroll away.
Yes. The Retreat is located on the same forested sanctuary as Giraffe Manor which is home to a herd of Rothschild’s giraffes. Any giraffes you see from The Retreat are the very same ones that visit Giraffe Manor and the nearby AFEW Giraffe Centre.
Unfortunately, due to high occupancies and our limited capacity as a small property of only four day rooms, Daisy’s bar and restaurant are not open to non-staying guests. We are mindful not to diminish the unique experience for our resident guests by overcrowding The Retreat – it is, after all, designed to be a tranquil space for rest and relaxation. We are also obliged to adhere to a strict maximum capacity for the benefit of everyone’s safety.
Unfortunately, due to high occupancies and our limited capacity as a small property of only four day rooms, The Retreat pool and spa facilities are not open to non-staying guests. We are mindful not to diminish the unique experience for our resident guests by overcrowding The Retreat – it is, after all, designed to be a tranquil space for rest and relaxation. We are also obliged to adhere to a strict maximum capacity for the benefit of everyone’s safety.
Unfortunately, due to high occupancies and our limited capacity as a small property of only four day rooms, The Retreat is unable to accept any non-staying visitors. We are mindful not to diminish the unique experience for our resident guests by overcrowding The Retreat – it is, after all, designed to be a tranquil space for rest and relaxation. We are also obliged to adhere to a strict maximum capacity for the benefit of everyone’s safety.
The Retreat wellness facilities, including the swimming pool, sauna, steam room, gym and spa treatment rooms are all located on the ground floor and are accessible for guests with mobility challenges. Our cosy lounge and Daisy’s restaurant and bar are also located on the ground floor. All four of our day rooms, however, are located on the first floor with access by staircase only so are unfortunately not accessible to wheelchair users.
Children of all ages are welcome at The Retreat. They are able to enjoy the use of our 21 metre infinity pool when supervised by an adult (there is no lifeguard on duty), however the gym, hot tub, steam room and sauna have a minimum age limit of 12 years and above for safety reasons. Visits to the next door AFEW Giraffe Centre are always enjoyed by our younger guests; here they will be able to interact with the giraffes from a raised feeding platform. We also have a variety of board games including Snakes and Ladders, Scrabble, Monopoly, Backgammon and Chess.
You’ll find some delicious homemade cookies from our chef, such as our chocolate and ginger cookies, as well as a variety of dried fruits.
Due to the high volume of requests we receive, we kindly ask that all media enquiries provide specific information to be considered. To apply, please provide the following evidence for your primary publishing platform:
Instagram – Travel-related content with a minimum of 100K followers.
YouTube – Average of 100K views per travel related video, and a minimum of 50K subscribers.
Blog – Over 50,000 Monthly Unique Visitors – please provide clearly dated statistics from the last three months from Google Analytics or a similar source.
Photo shoots – Please note that photo shoots and filming requests require a location fee which is donated to The African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. Crew numbers are strictly limited and assessed on a case by case basis. Please provide as much information as possible on the shoot requirements and how The Safari Collection properties will be represented.
Media kit – Please provide a professional media kit detailing audience breakdown, previous partnerships, engagement rates and demographics.
Brand Partnerships – Please provide a breakdown of sustainability initiatives and how you envisage working with The Safari Collection on a long-term partnership.
All platforms – Evidence of regular content that shows a clear interest in luxury travel, sustainability and conservation.
We are more than happy to cater for specific dietary requests if you notify us in advance (preferably at time of booking) so that we can make the necessary arrangements.
Unlike Giraffe Manor, the giraffes do NOT have access to the building or windows at The Retreat, which includes all of the day rooms and restaurant area. However, guests can interact with the giraffes from the end of the swimming pool which overlooks their sanctuary, if they choose to visit (they are wild animals who act upon their own free will). Feeding is therefore possible from the end of the swimming pool at certain times. For guests opting for the Early Bird Package, it is also be possible to interact with the giraffes from the breakfast deck which is off the main lounge area, should the giraffes choose to visit.
You are most welcome to contact us, but we also recommend that you use our online availability which is live on our website.
As much as we wish we could welcome everyone who would like to visit the manor for a short time, we regret that due to high occupancies and our very limited capacity as a small residential-style property, we are unable to welcome non-staying guests for meals, tea or day visits. Naturally, we try not to diminish the unique Giraffe Manor experience for our overnight guests by overcrowding the manor, but perhaps more importantly, we are obliged to adhere to a strict maximum capacity for the benefit of everyone’s health and safety. Fortunately, for those who are unable to stay at Giraffe Manor, there is an option to interact with the giraffes at the nearby Giraffe Centre where guests are able to feed and photograph the same endangered Rothschild’s giraffes. It is open to the public daily from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. We often recommend this, combined with lunch at the nearby MatBronze Art Gallery or Boho Eatery, as a nice alternative.
In earlier years, when Giraffe Manor was less busy and less well-known, we were delighted to welcome visitors for afternoon tea as a stand-alone activity when the manor was not full. For better or worse, increased popularity has also increased safety concerns. Although the giraffes are gentle giants for the most part, they are still wild animals and can inadvertently cause injury in crowded situations. With the wellbeing of our guests and the animals always our top priority, we are committed to maintaining manageable numbers of people during periods of interaction with the giraffes. We also want to support our neighbours and friends at the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) who operate the nearby Giraffe Centre, a great day visit for people who wish to interact with these endangered animals.
EXPERIENCE EAST AFRICA
If you are thinking of staying at Giraffe Manor and want to explore further a-field, our recommended itineraries, which include Giraffe Manor, could be just what you are looking for. Talk to us about creating a bespoke itinerary just for you.