Sarova Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya

Location:

The 4-star Sarova Panafric Hotel is located in a quiet area in Nairobi off Uhuru Highway and Kenyatta Avenue, near Central Park. We found that there wasn't too much to do within walking distance of the hotel other than visit Central Park.  

Room Comfort:

The rooms were small yet comfortable. We stayed in two different double rooms and both rooms had two single beds pushed together. The beds in both rooms were identical and very comfortable. The bathrooms were also small but had all the necessities, including decent toiletries. Each room had satellite TV and wireless internet. The furniture in the rooms was outdated but adequate for Nairobi. In the evenings, after it rained, the staff usually plugged in a mosquito repellent lamp in the room to kill mosquitoes. Unfortunately, the staff wasn't always consistent in providing these as they forgot to provide one in our room 25% of the time.

Cleanliness:

The hotel rooms, pool, lobby and restaurant were very clean. The hotel staff wore clean and professional uniforms.

Service:

The service was consistent with the great service that is provided at hotels in Kenya. Check-in and check-out were simple and efficient. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. For security reasons, there was a security guard on every floor. The cleaning staff are also very kind and polite. We had an issue with our room and the staff responded to us before we could mention it to them. They quickly and efficiently attended to the issue and, with our permission, changed us to another room with out any hassle. They apologized immensely for the problem, even though we caused it. We thought their response time to the problem was fantastic and their ability to resolve the problem was outstanding.

Food:

Breakfast buffet is available at the hotel and was good. There was a good variety of options to satisfy everyone. We enjoyed it.

Overall Value:

Overall, this is an average hotel in Nairobi. Our rating would be higher if this hotel was classified as a 3-star hotel and not the 4-star that it is. The rooms are clean but small. The location is quiet, which depending on your criteria, could be a good or bad thing. The hotel should add a fitness center for the price.

Other Notes:

There was a very reasonably priced gift shop in the hotel, but, according to the gift shop owner, was closing permanently by the end of the year. We are not sure if there are plans for someone else to run a new gift shop at the location.

Our Rating: 3/5   Year Reviewed: 2009

Expedia.ca and Priceline.com offer the best prices for this and other hotels in this area. You can also visit the hotel's website at: www.sarovahotels.com

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