Rooms

The giraffe named Arlene was born in June 1994 but sadly passed away due to natural causes in early April 2012. She was petite in size but that did not deter her from sharing her affection with visitors. Arlene was named after Arlene Burzinski who was head of the British Airways Conservation projects which provide the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) with a tremendous amount of support. Although Burzinski has left British Airways, she continues to be on the board of directors at AFEW. Arlene’s room is approximately 28 square-metres in size and is located on the upper floor of the Garden Manor. Its quirky-shaped bathroom with bathtub, shower and vintage toilet, along with its cosy feel, make it a favourite of the Giraffe Manor staff. The room has a king-sized four poster bed so is ideal for couples. It overlooks the courtyard between the main manor house and the Garden Manor with views beyond to the sanctuary forest. The giraffes do not have access to Arlene but the room offers wonderful views of the giraffes when they come to the manor for breakfast in the morning.

Salma-the-giraffe was born here at Giraffe Manor in November 2011. She is Betty’s daughter and although she is friendly, she is also a bit shy and we attribute this to the fact that she was attacked by a lion that had wandered away from Nairobi National Park when she was only a year old. Salma still bears the scars of this attack and is one tough lady who has also survived the unfortunate loss of two calves, both of whom died shortly after they were born. Salma’s room is amongst the newest rooms at the manor having been recently built and added to the Garden Manor section of the property in April 2017. It is located on the top floor of the Garden Manor and enjoys south-facing views over the lunch courtyard and sanctuary forest beyond. The room is 35 square-metres and can be either a double or a twin. It also has a sofa which converts to a bed that is suitable for a child if needed. The en-suite facilities consist of a bathtub, shower and single sink. Salma has a private balcony with chairs and table from where guests can enjoy wonderful views of the giraffes approaching the manor in the early morning. Although the giraffes do not have access to Salma’s room, it is a quiet room offering privacy and understated comfort to guests who need to catch up on some rest after a long flight or busy safari. It is worth noting that the stairway up to Salma’s room is a little bit steep and thus not ideal for guests with mobility issues.

Edd-the-giraffe, son to Jock and Lynn, was born here at Giraffe Manor in July 2011 and is now the dominant male and father to all the young calves presently roaming the sanctuary grounds. He enjoys being fed from Jock’s room more than anywhere else and is a gentle giant who will happily welcome a hug in exchange for a few pellets. He is easily recognisable as the largest giraffe here and by the way his offspring hurry out of the way in deference to him when he arrives on scene. Edd’s room is amongst the newest rooms at the manor having been recently built and added to the Garden Manor section of the property in April 2017. It is a ground-floor room of 39 square-metres with striking stained-glass windows above an enormous super-king-sized bed. There is also a sofa in the room which can pull out into a bed for a child if needed. The en-suite facilities consist of a corner bathtub, a large double shower and twin sinks. Although the giraffes do not have access to Edd’s room, guests can enjoy the room’s outdoor veranda area furnished with its own private bar.

In 1911, Denys Finch Hatton travelled to British East Africa with money left to him by his deceased uncle. He bought some land on the western side of the Rift Valley near to what is now Eldoret. He met Karen Blixen at the Muthaiga Club in 1918 and when Karen got divorced in 1925, Denys moved into her house where he lived until a few weeks before his final flight in May 1931 when he crashed his beloved Gypsy Moth in Tsavo National Park. As per Finch Hatton’s wishes, Blixen buried him in the Ngong Hills. The room named after him is on the ground floor of the Garden Manor from where you’ll often see the legs of our spotted residents when you open the curtains in the early morning as they come looking for treats from the rooms above and the adjoining dining room. This ground-floor room of 74 square-metres has a king-sized bed and two single beds in a loft area which is accessed by a small spiral staircase. There is also a small day bed which can accommodate a third child if needed. The en-suite facilities have a uniquely large double-headed shower, twin sinks and a bathtub. There is a fireplace which keeps the space wonderfully warm on the chillier Nairobi nights and a small seating area.

Jock-the-giraffe was named after Jock Leslie-Melville; he lived to be 22 years-old, 19 feet tall and was responsible for fathering over twenty calves, most of which have now been successfully released into Kenya’s national parks. He sadly passed away in July 2009. This lovely south-facing room is still frequented by giraffes looking for treats in the early morning hours. There are pellets in the room from which the giraffes can be fed from the window just like the Leslie-Melvilles once did with the very first giraffes they raised at the manor. From Jock’s room you can also see the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) Giraffe Centre and headquarters, which was founded by Jock when he bought the manor in the 1970s.

Jock’s room is approximately 28 square-metres in size and can accommodate either a couple or two singles (double or a twin). It has a fireplace and both a bathtub and shower in the en-suite facilities as well as twin sinks.

Back in 1932 when the manor was first built as a private residence, the rooms were naturally created according to the original family’s needs and in keeping with the style of a traditional Scottish hunting lodge. Some rooms were large and stately, whilst others were more modest in size. Marlon’s room is a combination of what used to be two small children’s or nanny bedrooms. Once upon a time, these two rooms were known to our guests as Lynn and Marlon. However, in June of 2019 we removed the wall in order to create a delightfully spacious single room that is now the new and upgraded Marlon.

This 36 square-metre bedroom has twin beds that can be converted into a large double bed. There is also an adjoining sitting room with a sofa that can convert into a bed for a child. An east-facing balcony at the foot of the master bed offers guests the opportunity to feed our elegant, long-necked friends as they pass by. It’s the perfect giraffe friendly height! The spacious master bathroom has a shower and there is another compact shower and toilet at the opposite end of the room, ideal for an accompanying child. Guests who stay in Marlon enjoy the privilege of staying in the room named after one of the manor’s original giraffes. Her namesake was everyone’s favourite godfather, Marlon Brando, a friend of the previous Giraffe Manor owners.