Amidst the bustle of one of Africa's most dynamic cities there is a sanctuary offering peaceful respite ... the Nairobi Serena Hotel.

Standing among verdant gardens, it is considered Nairobi's finest hotel. With consummate standards of modern hospitality, it is the flagship of Serena Hotels and a member of Leading Hotels of the World.

Interiors inspired by Pan African design themes reach their fullest expression in the intricate timberwork that accentuates the guest rooms.

Within these luxurious surroundings are found the most modern amenities.

Views from the rooms are of Central Park to the east, and to the west, acacia groves and lush gardens.

The Mandhari is one of Kenya's finest restaurants where sophisticated international cuisine is offered amidst elegant surroundings.

Balcony tables at Cafe Mahgreb overlook the outdoor pool and offer vistas of downtown Nairobi. Among Kenya's professional elite, this restaurant is considered the ideal place to conduct informal business meetings over drinks and dinners inspired by Kenyan, Indian, Italian, French and Creole themes.

The Bambara Lounge, designed with hand carved West African motifs, is a quiet retreat exclusively for the use of hotel guests.

The curved pool-side bar at Nairobi Serena is the ideal place to enjoy the beautifully landscaped gardens of the hotel while relaxing with a drink after a dip in the magnificent stretch swimming pool.

Cafe Maghreb, with Moroccan theme, open daily from 6:30 AM to midnight. Three levels plus terrace overlooking pool. Seating capacity 160. Different lunch theme daily. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style.

The Mandhari Restaurant, Nairobi's leading a la carte restaurant. Open for lunch from 12:30 to 2:00 pm and for dinner from 7:30 to 10:00 pm. Saturdays open for dinner only. Closed on Sundays and holidays. Seating capacity 80.

The Pool Bar - located next to the outdoor pool. Open daily from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm. Seating capacity 30.

The Aksum Bar - Located in the lobby. Seating capacity 120. Open daily from 10 am to 1 pm.

Business and social gatherings are expertly accommodated at Nairobi Serena Hotel. A variety of indoor and outdoor facilities are available for conferences, receptions, and banquets - large or small. Event managers are individually assigned to each function so that guest satisfaction is assured.

Business travellers from all over the world choose to stay at Nairobi Serena Hotel. The multi-lingual staff of the Business Centre is available 24 hours a day to meet the wide-ranging needs of our guests.

Golfers can pursue their passion a few minutes away at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club. Tee times may be easily arranged through the hotel's concierge.

The pleasures of the Maisha Health Club, whose name is from the Swahili word for "life" could be reason alone to visit Nairobi Serena Hotel. After a workout in the Nautilus gym or an aerobics class, a guest might indulge in an aromatic oil massage, take a dip in the Jacuzzi or relax in the steam room or sauna. Specially prepared juices are available from the refreshment bar. Beauty treatments take place at the Club or in the privacy of one's own room.

Bask in the sun beside the spectacular outdoor swimming pool - it is the perfect place to relax and unwind. The Pool Bar dispenses tropical refreshments all day.

Nairobi Serena is also close to the city centre, cinema, theatre, cabaret, nightclubs, casinos, historical museums, cultural centres and art galleries.

For a change of pace, guests can explore attractions beyond the grounds of the hotel.

Excursions: Half Day

• Tour of Nairobi National Park
• Tour of Karen Blixen Museum, Bomas of Kenya
• City tour including a tour of the National Museum

• Tour to Lake Nakuru via Naivasha. Departs hotel at 8:00 am and returns by 6:00 pm.
• Game viewing at Amboseli National Park is a 4-hour drive away, 40 minutes by air. Longer safaris can be organized through guest relations at the hotel.

Much of the area was still a swamp at this time and game roamed freely over the surrounding plains, yet by 1900 it had become a town of substantial buildings and five years later succeeded Mombasa as the capital of the British East Africa protectorate. Since then it has gone from strength to strength and is now the largest city between Cairo and Johannesburg. Yet, in terms of the world's largest cities, Nairobi is still small with a population of about 1.5 million. You can walk from one end of the central business district to the other in 20 minutes. And where else in the world would you be able to see lions, cheetahs, rhinos and giraffes roaming free with the tower blocks of a city as a backdrop?

Nairobi is a very cosmopolitan place - lively, interesting, pleasantly landscaped and a good place to get essential business and bureaucratic matters sewn up. There are offices where you can get things done with the minimum of fuss and foreign exchange bureaus where you can change travellers' cheques in a matter of minutes. You will also find things like the latest films on big screens, bookshops, museums, art galleries, international gourmet restaurants, outdoor cafes and bars full of travellers from all over the world.

Hugh Finlay, Geoff Crowther, Lonely Planet Guide to Kenya, Copyright 1997 p. 145

© Serena Hotels Ltd / Choices Wild Limited, 2005.