Kenya
Hemingways Eden
The moment you step through Hemingways Eden’s doors, it feels much more like a home than a hotel; perhaps because it once was. Originally designed and built by designer Anna Trzebinksi and her late artist husband Tonio, this former family home – located in the sleepy suburbs of the tourist parts of Nairobi – has been transformed into a beautiful boutique space. As inspiring as it is serene, Hemingways Eden has established itself as a welcoming, creative and collaborative space where guests are promised a unique cultural experience – both within the walls of the hotel, and out in the vibrant city it calls home.
Location
In the peaceful suburb of Langata on the edge of Kenya’s bustling capital city of Nairobi, you’ll find Hemingways Eden – just a 45-minute drive from Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The property is bordered by a giraffe sanctuary forest, and sits within large, lush garden grounds where wildlife freely roams. Here, you’ll be perfectly positioned to explore Nairobi and many of its must-see highlights, including the Giraffe Sanctuary, Nairobi National Park, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and the Karen Blixen Museum – all within short driving distance. It’s a place from which to experience blossoming, modern Nairobi at its most authentic.
Your room
Maintaining a feeling of intimate exclusivity, Hemingways Eden has only 9 bedrooms in total. There are three bedrooms in the main house, five in the Studio Annex (three of which lie within double storey studio lofts) and the artist in residence cottage. Stylishly and thoughtfully crafted with a keen eye for design, each room is a haven replete with beautiful original artwork, bespoke furniture, and artefacts collected by the Trzebisnki family from across the continent. With picturesque views out to well-kept grounds and equipped with all the amenities you could hope for, you’ll soon find the everyday fades as you embrace your new surrounds.
Why we like it
First and foremost, Hemingways Eden is more than just a hotel. Both its history as a family home, and its aim to be a hub where locals and guests might gather, means that there’s a unique opportunity to connect with people – and with their stories – when you stay here. Threads of different lives and cultures can become interwoven, in the wonderful way they often are when we travel – and the communal open-plan dining area, bar, living room and veranda of the main house work nicely to facilitate this. And if that wasn’t enough, Eden also has its own bar and restaurant, ‘The Deck’, where a roof canopy adorned with twinkling lights covers a relaxed set up of sofas, coffee tables and comfy chairs. It overlooks the crowning jewel of Hemingways Eden’s garden: a peaceful lake where you’ll often spot flamboyantly feathered peacocks striding by. You will also embrace the Samburu and Maasai cultures of Kenya staying here.
Where Nairobi is so often perceived only as a stop off en route to safaris elsewhere in Kenya, Hemingways Eden is succeeding in its mission to break this long-accepted cycle. It’s a place we know you’ll want to stay for a very, very long time.
