The Best Hotels to Book in Nakuru, Kenya

From the moment you step into the lobby at Sarova Woodlands, the elaborate, low-hanging chandeliers, thick columns and gold leaf wildlife mural make a strong statement about the quality of the hotel. This elegant theme is continued throughout the 147 rooms – where simplicity and comfort are prioritised. A handful of restaurants serve international cuisine, you can opt to take afternoon tea outdoors, and it’s even possible to organise a sundowner game tour for that special Nakuru National Park experience.

If you are looking to stay in the heart of Nakuru, Merica Hotel benefits from its close proximity to plenty of restaurants and cafes, as well as to parks and shopping centres. The hotel has its own restaurant and Bustani – a patisserie celebrated locally for its banana bread. A bright-blue swimming pool, which is flanked by equally blue sun loungers and parasols, is the highlight on the hotel grounds. There’s an excellent fitness centre here at Merica Hotel, too, with an array of cardiovascular machines and weightlifting equipment.

If you are coming to Nakuru for the wildlife, it might be wise to bypass the urban areas altogether and head straight for Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge. The collection of brick chalets sits on the side of the forest-covered Lion Hill, close to the lakeshore. Keep an eye out for wildlife, such as giraffes, buffalo, rhinos and hippos. At certain times of the year, the lake’s surface is completely transformed by thousands of flamingos.

Get a good view of Nakuru from the rooftop lounge of the Ole-Ken Hotel, where buffet lunches are served during the day. Cafe Moran is the place to get a good cup of Kenyan coffee. Besides satisfying the appetite, this city-centre hotel also offers large rooms with rainfall showers and comfortable workspaces. Ask for a room on one of the upper floors for the best views.

The Midland Hotel has been welcoming guests since 1906, ever since the railways reached the town. The bus and train stations are four blocks east of the hotel – which wears its age well – with pretty dormers and a more modern extension to one side. Rooms have warm mood lighting, while the antique furniture – such as carved mirror frames – is the only thing to suggest that well over a century’s worth of guests have stayed here.

The entrance to Hotel Waterbuck is guarded by two unusual statues, but don’t let their buxom ferocity put you off – within, the atmosphere is one of quirky cheer. Keep an eye out for various curios dotted about, including one of the first telephones in town. The restaurant offers terrace dining in the presence of caricature art, with a range of international dishes and a good vegetarian section on the menu. Rooms are clean, warmly decorated havens for you to relax in.

Situated beside Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site and Museum, Hillcourt Resort and Spa has a 70s design motif throughout – from the tinted glass frontage to the orange chairs and floral-pattern sofas. There’s a small kidney-bean-shaped outdoor pool, and the gym is rather impressive, particularly when it comes to weights. The hotel is also located close to the main road to Nairobi, making it easy to reach if you’re travelling in your own vehicle.

Southwest of Nakuru, the land is portioned out into a neat expanse of farms – the monotony of which is broken by a small patch of trees and a pond marking the territory of Ziwa Bush Lodge. It’s a delightful escape from the city, with peaceful thatched huts, whose windows consist only of mosquito nets so that you can feel closer to nature without needing to fend off the more annoying parts of it. You can also get an excellent pizza here – straight out of the wood-fired oven.

If you’re looking for a good business-oriented hotel in the centre of Nakuru, the Eastmark Hotel’s extensive meeting and banquet facilities make for a great choice. Various conference and meeting rooms cater to groups of different sizes – and the proximity to the train station makes it easy to reach for those arriving by public transport. The rooms are unpretentious and modern, with hardwood floors and cheery curtains in bands of white, green and blue.