Boutique hotels in Kenya: Nairobi gardens and the Swahili coast
Kenya's small hotels split neatly in two: green, quiet houses in the Nairobi suburbs, and coral-stone rooms on the Swahili coast. Both are design-led, both are family-run more often than not, and both are far more interesting than the airport chains.
Nairobi
Karen and Lavington hide cottages and converted homes with gardens, long breakfasts and a kitchen that takes itself seriously. They are the right base before or after a safari leg, and increasingly a destination in themselves.
Lamu and Diani
Lamu's houses are open-sided, lime-washed and built for shade, the best rooms are the top-floor ones with a makuti roof. Diani is beachier and easier to reach, with a run of small properties on the sand.
Planning it
January to March and July to October are dry and bright. Coast rooms are few and go early, book the house, not just the dates.
Cities in this guide: Nairobi, Lamu, Diani. More writing on the cities we work in is in the journal.