Hotels in Nakuru

If you are looking for Nakuru hotels, look no further. We have drawn up a list of the best hotels in different categories to help you choose the one that is best for your needs.

In the National Park itself, there are various accommodations and hotels. Depending on your budget and requirements, you could stay at one of the lodges, or visit one of the campsites dotted around the national park. Let us briefly review a few of these.

Our List of Hotels in Nakuru

Lake Nakuru Lodge

Found within the confines of the National Park and offers outstanding views of wildlife around the lake as well as unobstructed views of the lake. The mere fact that the national park is located in the park means that guests can view the wildlife even while still in their rooms since the wild animals roam freely close to Lake Nakuru Lodge. Right within the precincts of the Lodge, one can enjoy bird watching thanks to the numerous species of birds within the national park and that reside in Lake Nakuru.

The lodge has some 95 deluxe rooms, all with ensuite bathrooms. The rooms all have stunning views of the park, and for those that need more privacy, two of the suites have a private veranda and sitting room. You are welcome to visit the over 100-year-old room christened the Zebra room, which was the first building at this exquisite lodge.  What is so special about the zebra room? Well, to find out book a trip to the lodge. You will not be disappointed.

The lodge has a restaurant named Mutarakwa restaurant. The name Mutarakwa itself is unique as it is the name given to the Mexican Cedar tree by the local community. The Mutarakwa Restaurant offers buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you would like to sample African, American, or Indian dishes, then a visit to this lodge is a must. The restaurant also offers gluten-free meals as well as vegetarian dishes.  It has two parts; indoors and outdoors. The two areas sit about 150 and 42 guests respectively. Close by there is a watering home frequented by lots of wildlife. Now, how cool is that! Imagine having your meal having an unobstructed view of wildlife drinking from the waterhole! Now stop imagining and book your stay at the lodge and make it a reality.

Naturally, since Lake Nakuru Lodge is right inside the Lake Nakuru National Park, a game drive is a must. On the way to the lodge, your appetite for wildlife viewing will be whetted by the wildlife you will catch glimpses of enroute. Lions, Rhinos, Giraffes, Zebras, Waterbucks, and Buffalos are just but a few of the animals you can expect to see within the Lake Nakuru National Park. So make sure you book a game drive and see all these beautiful creatures in their natural element.

The lodge has an outdoor pool for your enjoyment and a garden where you can go and just relax and take in the scenery. Some of the facilities found at the lodge that can be enjoyed by the guest include Horseback excursions and a gift shop for your mementos. You can also do bird watching right from the lodge with over 500 species to spot, free strong Wi-Fi so you never need to miss that email or message from home, bush barbeques, as well as a spa to get rid of all that tiredness. Get pampered and leave feeling fresh. And why not plant a tree while you are a guest here? This is also offered and in fact, is encouraged for all guests. Plant your tree and the lodge will take care of it for you. For those who would like to have a conference in the serene surroundings of a game park, the Lake Nakuru Lodge offers conference facilities for up to 70 people.

Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge

It is another lodge within the Lake Nakuru National Park. This property is owned by the renowned Sarova Group and is a lodge that will not disappoint. The lodge offers 67 chalet-style rooms and is set on the Lion Hill in the park, hence its name Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge. All the rooms have terraces and offer spectacular views of the National Park and Lake Nakuru. The planners took into consideration the ascension of Lion Hill as well as the surrounding nature to come up with chalets that have views to die for from each chalet.

Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge has suites namely Ziwa, Chui, and Faru, as well as standard rooms. Ziwa, which means lake in Swahili, is the presidential suite oozing luxury. Because of its unique stand-alone location, the presidential suite offers complete privacy through its private terrace and dining area. Ziwa has a fireplace, minibar, and a beautiful view of the lake. It has a bathtub as well as ensuite bathrooms. And if you are a coffee or tea person, you have coffee and tea-making facilities for your cuppa at any time. Treat yourself to some luxury in the middle of the game park by staying at Ziwa suite.

Chui and Faru, the Swahili names for Leopard and Rhino respectively, are equally luxurious with private patios, spate lounge areas, a fireplace, and minibar. These are two-bedroomed suites suitable for families and are near each other. They have ensuite bathrooms as well as bathtubs and beverage-making facilities just like the presidential suite, Ziwa.

The Flamingo Restaurant has a capacity of some 150 people. It offers a buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a dessert buffet. The restaurant serves fresh food from its vegetable garden, and also has live cooking counters for specialty dishes that guests may request. Cuisines offered are diverse including European, Indian, Pan Asian, Kenyan, and global fusion. Nearby, we have the Rift Valley Bar, where one can enjoy traditional dancers’ performances every evening from the bar itself or the adjacent amphitheater. Watch the sunset over the lake with a sundowner in hand. An experience you will treasure for a long time.

Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge has a heated swimming pool where guests can relax during their stay. One can enjoy various pool activities including water Zumba, Water Polo, and water Aerobics amongst others. Facilities include a spa, the Tulia Spa, which is housed in a tent, with Aromatherapy, Holistic, Swedish, and Indian treatments on the menu. The sounds of the birds will ease the stress away from that tired body. A gift shop christened Adia is also available with a wide collection of gifts for self, family, and friends. Special offers are available for weddings, honeymoons, and other celebrations.

Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge offers game drives to the national park that houses it. These could be either self-drive, or you could ride in the open-top vehicles driven by the lodges’ highly experienced guides and see the beautiful birds and wildlife that Lake Nakuru National Park is endowed with.

The Cliff Nakuru

It is a property situated in the confines of Lake Nakuru National Park. This is a high-end luxury tented camp that comprises 10 rooms and is built at the top of a 100-meter high rock face. The tents are built facing the lake and ensure that guests have a 180-degree unhampered view. The bath too contributes to this as it faces outwards meaning that you can enjoy the scenery while you take your bath. The view from the veranda of The Cliff is breathtaking, especially during sunsets and sunrises across the vast Lake Nakuru National Park. The sounds and sights that you encounter are what memories are made of.

The tents are equipped with modern amenities like a minibar, shower, separate toilet, full-time fast Wi-Fi for that very important email you need to send, and beverage-making facilities. The camp also has a well-equipped bar and a restaurant serving mouthwatering meals. For the fitness enthusiast, there is a well-equipped fitness center, with a spa that you can visit after your workout. The resident masseuse will knead away those knotted muscles and leave you feeling refreshed.  A conference center is also available for those meetings that need to be held in a peaceful tranquil environment.

While the scenery from the tents already is awe-inspiring, a game drive in the open-sided four-wheel-drive vehicles provided by the lodge is a must-have. Lots of wildlife can be seen in the park, including the rare Rothschild’s Giraffe, as well as hippos at the lake, rhinos. Buffaloes and hundreds of different bird species including the world famous pink flamingoes of Lake Nakuru.

You are welcome to take a swim in the infinity pool between game drives or even just relax by the poolside with your favorite drink. Enjoy the sights and sounds from the surrounding greenery, wildlife, and birds. This is truly a luxurious experience in the heart of Lake Nakuru National Park.

Lake Nakuru Flamingo Resort and Spa

While not within the boundaries of the Lake Nakuru National Park, is just a few minutes away. It has spacious, well-furnished suites, all ensuite, that are available in Executive, Deluxe, and Standard formats.  The Suites are very spacious and come with a queen-size bed as well as a large sitting area, except for the Standard suite which comes with slightly smaller beds. They also come with a beverage maker as well as a mini-fridge for those cold drinks to cool you off. The suites have cable 32 inch TVs to keep you informed and entertained during your stay. The large windows provide you with ample natural light. A safe deposit box is also provided for the guests.

Lake Nakuru Flamingo Resort and Spa has conference halls with state-of-the-art conferencing facilities. These include HDMI and VGA projectors for those captivating presentations, a presentation laptop, Wi-Fi and cabled internet, and marker pens with writing pads and boards. Two of the halls can hold 400 and 200 people respectively, while the smaller boardroom can hold up to 24 people. The rooms are tastefully furnished with modern furniture. Packages available include residential and non-residential rates.

Lake Nakuru Flamingo Resort and Spa has a beautiful swimming pool that guests can enjoy, as well as having a sumptuous meal and drinks by the poolside. Also, as the hotel name suggests, there is a state-of-the-art spa with a Sauna, steam room, and Jacuzzi facilities to ensure that all that stress after a hard day’s work is gently pampered away. Before that guests can visit the fitness center that has a fully equipped gym and aerobics hall. Take advantage of the qualified training instructors as you take advantage of all that the center has to offer.

Lake Nakuru Flamingo Resort and Spa also offers team-building activities on their spacious grounds at very affordable rates. And for the family that is visiting, there is a well-equipped children’s playground with captivating activities that can be engaged in by the young ones. Lake Nakuru Flamingo Resort and Spa also houses a well-stocked gift shop where you can purchase mementos to remind you of your trip to the picturesque town of Nakuru.

For those who want to take some time taking in the fresh air and enjoying the flora and birds, there is a mini nature walk that is provided by Lake Nakuru Flamingo Resort and Spa that will calm you or just help you enjoy some alone time or time with your family and friends. Nature walks tend to make you hungry, so stop by the restaurant and sample the well-prepared dishes from their well-equipped kitchens. After you are well-fed, have a drink at the Bar Lounge where you get your favorite drink with calm soothing background music. Or watch your favorite game on the TV in the lounge. All in all, this lodge offers a home away from home ambiance for both resident and non-resident guests.

Midland Hotel

It is an iconic hotel found right inside Nakuru town. This hotel has been in existence since 1906 and is a landmark hotel in Nakuru. The hotel offers luxurious accommodations, to say the least. All the furniture in this hotel is hand-crafted mahogany, making each piece unique. The rooms in both the new block and the traditional block boast woven rugs made from pure wool creating that homely feeling of warmth for the intrepid traveler. The hotel has two restaurants where you can enjoy their exquisite dishes either in the indoor restaurant or at the outdoor more relaxed terrace restaurant. Make sure to have a taste of the signature Midland Farm Style Chicken. Your taste buds will tingle with delight. Then have a drink at the bar that is fully stocked all in a warm and homely atmosphere. If you want to be immersed in luxury, the Midland Hotel is the place to be.

Hold your conferences or meetings in one of the 6 meeting rooms available. The rooms combined can hold slightly over 400 participants. The interiors and the chandeliers in these meeting rooms will have you feeling relaxed and able to make those all-important decisions. The newly built conference room named the Roosevelt Room is equipped with climate control and is virtually soundproof. It has state-of-the-art multimedia equipment that will ensure meetings are productive and enjoyable. Secure parking facilities are available so you never have to worry while in those meetings that your car could be damaged or even worse, stolen. A stay at this iconic landmark hotel will surely be an experience to remember.

Hotel Waterbuck

This is another hotel in Nakuru. All their rooms from the standard rooms up to the suites are designed to pamper the deserving guest. A total of 216 rooms and suites are available in this hotel in the heart of Nakuru town.

The standard rooms are large and spacious and offer two LCD flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, beverage-making machines and are master ensuite with a hot and cold water shower. The upgrade to that is the deluxe room which in addition to the standard room facilities, has a personal minibar in the room, a safety deposit box, and a bathtub with a toilet and rain shower. The superior room is a larger version of the deluxe room with basically the same facilities.

Then we have the suites, starting with the junior suite. This comes with a sitting room with a work area and a separate bedroom. The bed is a king-sized one, and the room comes standard with hairdryers, iron, and an ironing board. A bathtub, toilet, and rain shower are part of the package. Then right at the top is the room that is simply called the Suite. It has all that the junior Suite offers, but the sitting area is large and spacious with almost wall-length windows to let in lots of natural light. The bedroom area which is separate from the sitting room is spacious and has an LCD TV as well as seats and a vanity table. The bathroom has a glass-walled shower cubicle in addition to the bathtub that is available in the junior suite.

Hotel Waterbuck offers conference facilities through the six meeting rooms at the property. All meeting rooms come with automatic fans, state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, and conference users have at their disposal a fully equipped business center. The halls range in capacity from the big Elementaita Hall with a sitting capacity of 500, to the smaller Taifa Hall with a sitting capacity of 200, then the Aqua Hall which holds 75, followed by the Menengai Hall with a sitting capacity of 60, Then the Flamingo Hall that has a sitting capacity of 30. Hotel Waterbuck caters to all levels of conferences and meetings while offering them all the best services from their ultra-modern equipment and business center. Hotel Waterbuck truly is the benchmark hotel for conferences in Nakuru.

All those meetings would leave one hungry. Therefore, Hotel Waterbuck provides the aptly named Open restaurant, which caters to the tastes of all with tasty mouthwatering dishes, including vegetarian dishes, and the indoor restaurant for breakfast buffets as well as a la carte dining. Send the food to dine with a wide range of drinks from the Rumors Bar. You could also take a dip in the outdoor swimming pool, and have your lunch and drinks served to you there for a relaxing experience. Hotel Waterbuck is worth a try.

Affordable Hotels in Nakuru

Sleepway Cottages

Offer secure accommodations right next to the Lake Nakuru National Park for those on a budget. Rooms are clean and spacious and have a writing table. The rooms feature blackout curtains, a beverage maker, Flat-screen TVs, a walk-in shower, room service among other features. Sleepway Cottages also offer free breakfast for its guests. There is a business center available with internet access. It is also a walking distance of some of the finest nightspots in Nakuru town.

Claire De Lune Moonlight Hotel

This is a budget hotel in the middle of Nakuru town. Rooms here range from the standard rooms to the higher-priced Deluxe Double rooms and Superior Double rooms. The rooms all come with a private shower, but the double rooms are also provided with an electric kettle. Claire De Lune Moonlight Hotel provides free Wi-Fi for guests as well as free secure parking. All rooms come with a flat-screen TV.

Claire De Lune Moonlight Hotel has a good restaurant that provides continental and buffet breakfast. While at the hotel, one can enjoy outdoor activities such as aerobics, bike tours, walking tours, game drives, hiking as well as enjoy the prolific nightlife of Nakuru town. There is a business center which provides meeting and banquet facilities, as well as other office services.

Kambi Amani Eco Camp

It is a campsite situated not far from the entrance, right inside the National Park. The word Nyati is Swahili for Buffalo. This campsite is run by the Kenya Wildlife Services but has no facilities so campers would have to be self-sufficient to stay there. The campsite is under acacia trees. So thorns may have to be contended with. But the site is safe from wildlife.

Reedbuck, Naishi, Rhino, Chui, Soysambu, and Kambi Nyuki Campsites are all Kenya Wildlife Services operated campsites that have no facilities.

Makalia Campsite on the other hand also operated by the Kenya Wildlife Services has basic facilities like a toilet, water, and a bathroom. It is situated near the Makalia waterfalls within the National Park.

A bit about Nakuru

For many people worldwide, the preferred holiday destination is the beautiful country of Kenya. A land blessed with pristine beaches, tranquil lakes, the beautiful Rift Valley, awe-inspiring game parks, and peaceful and welcoming people. But for most, when they think of Kenya as a preferred destination, what comes to mind is the coastal area of Kenya with its warm weather, sandy beaches, and wonderful marine life that are found there. However, that is not all the country has to offer. Further inland, we have the Great Rift Valley that runs from Lebanon to Mozambique cutting across Kenya. The Great Rift Valley boasts beautiful lakes and escarpments. The valley hosts a lot of wildlife, as well as being a birdwatchers’ paradise due to the numerous species of birds found. In the Kenyan Rift Valley, there are three exceptional lakes, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Elementaita.

Since Independence up until the 2010 constitution was put in place, the country was divided into provinces, with Rift Valley being one of the provinces, headquartered in Nakuru. With the advent of counties, one county that was formed from the Rift Valley Province was Nakuru County, headquartered again in Nakuru. This county became the 32nd county in Kenya. The 4th largest town in Kenya is Nakuru, the headquarters of Nakuru County. Within the vicinity of Nakuru town lies Lake Nakuru, home to wonderful wildlife, especially the world-renowned pink flamingo. Lake Nakuru itself is part of the larger Lake Nakuru National Park. And dotted around the park are many lodges and hotels.

Nakuru town and the Lake Nakuru National Park offer many activities for any traveler. That means therefore that for one to enjoy all that Nakuru has to offer, one will need some form of accommodation. Before delving into some of the accommodations available, let us briefly go through some of the activities that one would be able to enjoy in Nakuru.

As earlier stated, Nakuru lies in the Rift Valley. The valley boasts of an escarpment that is just a beauty to behold. Just on the outskirts of Nakuru lies Menengai crater which is considered a dormant active volcano since it erupted last about ten thousand years ago. It sometimes shows signs of life and therefore cannot be referred to as an extinct volcano. The volcano is within the Menengai forest which has rich flora and fauna. The forest is a birdwatchers’ paradise hosting numerous species including the Verreaux’s eagle. Apart from those excursions, there are visits to the national park as well as specific visits to the Lake. On top of that, Nakuru town is renowned for its nightlife with many nightspots operating every day. So after a day out discovering the wonders of creation, you can unwind at one of the nightspots then head off for a peaceful night’s rest.

And that wraps up our list of hotels in Nakuru.

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