Like many great things, the first experience to a new place remains etched in your memory for a very long time, and being Sneha Namanandi’s first visit to Kenya, taking the heritage tour at Sarova Stanley was enough to tell her that not all hotels are just but structures.
The Indian actress, model, dancer, and singer was in Kenya for the Indirica Festival - the first-ever Indo – African cultural extravaganza.
She was hosted by Sarova Stanley during her stay in the country.
Out of all the things she could do in the city, doing the heritage tour at Sarova Stanley was a great opportunity for her to learn about Kenya’s history, particularly how Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, came to be.
Walking through Sarova Stanley’s grand fixtures took Sneha Namanandi back to the year 1902 when the hotel was first established. The hotel would later grow to become a host to prominent people from across the globe and in 1952, then Princess Elizabeth now Queen visited the hotel as part of her world tour.
To keep the memorabilia and preserve the history of its growth, seven thematic suites bearing names of the famous people who were influenced or hosted by the hotel were established.
Each of these rooms has its own history and is adorned with artifacts from a period long gone, and they are exactly what constitutes the heritage tour, as Sneha would come to learn.
The actress began her heritage tour at the entrance of the hotel by pushing the more than a century old, revolving mahogany door, there she was, greeted by ancient framed photos, among them a picture of the two-storied hotel taken in 1904.
The Thorn Tree
At Thorn tree café, a third-generation acacia tree stands smack in the middle of the hotel. Here, she learns that the tree dates to a ‘Tree Mail’ which was akin to a post office since travelers used to send and receive messages by pinning notes on the tree trunk. The tree is today used by guests who still pin notes on a modernized message board. Of course, Sneha left a message on her experience in the country.
Interesting to note is that after every 50 years, a new acacia tree is planted and each time this happens, a capsule is buried under the tree. The next planting will be in 2038 and the buried capsule will be opened. Meanwhile, you too can leave a message on the board!
Candlestick Telephone
Next on the heritage walk was the lobby where there’s an old antique candlestick telephone, which was common from the late 1890s to the 1940s. Surprisingly, the phone has been preserved all these years and is still working just fine!
The Churchill Ballroom
On first floor is the Churchill Ballroom and The Exchange Bar. The Churchill Ballroom was named after Winston Churchill, who was then a Member of Parliament after he visited the hotel in 1907. The ballroom’s walls are filled with black and white photographs highlighting Sarova Stanley’s history and the growth of Nairobi.
The Exchange Bar
The Exchange bar, on the other hand, is dotted with exquisite furnishing that gives you a Victorian feel. It was this room that hosted the first Nairobi Stock Exchange. It also has a bell that rings when the most expensive drink has been bought, and when you ring the bell you must buy everyone a drink!
Princess Elizabeth’s Palm Fans
Another striking feature that took Sneha Namanandi’s breath are the ceiling fans. Princess Elizabeth once dined here, and with air conditioning being non-existent at the time, she was kept cool by a series of palm fans, which were operated by a staff member on a bicycle. The fans still exist but are today operated by electricity.
The Karen Blixen Suite
Sneha also visited The Karen Blixen Suite, a room that commemorates the Baroness and Author during her stay between 1914 and 1931. She wrote the books Out of Africa and Shadows on the Grass and she would, on most occasions lunch at the Sarova Stanley. The room contains replicas of her famous paintings ‘Juma’ and ‘The Kikuyu Girl’.
The 1902 Lounge
The executive vibes of the Sarova Stanley suites do not end there, which is how Sneha Namanandi’s heritage walk took her up the floating stairs to the 1902 Lounge. Here, occupants of the room enjoy exclusive boardroom access, specialized services including secretarial services, whole day refreshments among others. Sneha had to try some of the savory cuisines offered by the lounge including some coffee! It just looked too good to pass up!
Unfortunately for Sneha, she didn’t get to visit other suites including the Lamu Suite, one that is reminiscent of the beautiful Swahili culture, and the Presidential Suite, whose name tells it all, a haven for world leaders.
Other places she never got to finish due to time limitation – it was well over an hour already – comprised of the courtyard and the pool deck. Nevertheless, the experience was one of a kind and although only a few suites have been mentioned, it is worth noting that over the years, many people have taken the heritage walk at the Sarova Stanley, which has also hosted celebrities like Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, Gregory Peck, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, and Frank Sinatra.
Sarova Stanley’s Heritage Tour is free. You can make a request and walk through the corridors of history like Sneha Namanandi, and actually complete the heritage walk. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll get inspiration for a movie, or a book like Ernest Hemingway when he made his notes for his novels The Green Hills of Africa and The Snows of Kilimanjaro or Colonel John Henry Patterson, who was inspired to write The Man-eaters of Tsavo which inspired the film The Ghost and the Darkness, during his stay at the hotel.
