Giraffe Manor

Kenya

Enjoy breakfast while a giraffe sticks its head through the window? At Giraffe Manor in Kenya, that's possible!

Giraffe Manor, a small boutique hotel, is located in Lang'arta, a suburb of Nairobi, and is also known as the Giraffe Hotel. Here, guests can look forward to an animal experience, as the property is home to numerous Rothschild giraffes that roam freely on the idyllic grounds. As peaceful as the animals appear, without this property and the history behind it, they may already be extinct in this region.

The Giraffe Manor was built in 1932 by Sir David Duncan in the style of a Scottish hunting lodge and originally had 61 acres of land. The manor house is clad in authentic brick and surrounded by lush gardens. After changing hands several times in the 1960s, the property was abandoned and gradually began to fall into disrepair. This changed, however, when it was purchased in 1974 by environmentalist Betty Leslie-Melville and her husband Jock, along with 6.1 acres of land. The property's land was expanded piece by piece over the years to 47 acres and was already home to three wild giraffes. Shortly after moving in, the couple found out that a huge plot of land was being bought up by the government nearby, which was then to be sold on to various owners. The problem was that this land was also the only habitat for the endangered Rothschild giraffe in Kenya. A sale and distribution of the land therefore resulted in the giraffes having to be driven out or even killed. So the then already endangered species of giraffes was about to disappear in Kenya. Betty and Jock therefore decided to adopt their first giraffe. This was the baby giraffe Daisy, about which Betty later even wrote a book and which plays the "leading role" in the movie "The Last Giraffe". Daisy was soon joined by another young giraffe and so began the Leslie-Melvilles' life project; the conservation, breeding and reintroduction of the endangered Rothschild giraffe. In this context they opened the "Giraffe Center", not far from Giraffe Manor and together with their daughter they founded the charitable organization "African Fund for Endangered Wildlife", which still runs the center today.

In 1983, the Leslie Melvilles' son, Rick Anderson, and his wife took over the property with the goal of opening a small hotel. Guests were to have the opportunity to live close to the animals and even feed them from the breakfast table. The rooms of the property were individually decorated and designed to convey a very special charm. Thus, the Giraffe Manor has already been accommodation for many famous faces in the past years, such as Ellen DeGeneres, Ellie Goulding, Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. The Giraffe Manor was finally sold to Mikey and Tanya Carr-Hartley in 2009 and currently belongs to "The Safari Collection Group", which operates various accommodations and hotels.

Currently you can stay in a total of 12 rooms, 6 of which are located in the main building and 6 others in the equally imposing garden estate. From most rooms the giraffes can be fed and stroked directly through the windows. The vision of the unique breakfast has also become a reality and so guests can look forward to animal company (albeit only through the windows) at breakfast. The giraffes move freely around the grounds and are a unique experience for both adults and children. Guided tours of the grounds, as well as a visit to the Giraffe Center, offer the opportunity to learn more about these long-necked companions and contribute to their conservation. The giraffe hotel is located about 10 kilometers southwest of Nairobi and can be reached from the city center in about an hour by vehicle.

Fun Fact

It is tradition that new giraffes are each named after individuals who have made a significant contribution to the work of the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife.

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