Giraffe Manor: Where History Meets the Wild
Long before it became the world’s most photogenic boutique hotel, Giraffe Manor was simply a 1930s colonial home on the leafy outskirts of Nairobi. Built in 1932 by Sir David Duncan, it was modeled after a Scottish hunting lodge, with ivy covered walls, tall windows, and manicured lawns that stretched into the Ngong Forest. At the time, it was a retreat for Nairobi’s colonial elite, a place where polo matches, garden parties, and fireside gatherings were the rhythm of life.
The giraffes came much later, and with them, the Manor’s transformation into legend. In the 1970s, Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville, a conservation minded couple purchased the house. Betty, in particular, was passionate about protecting the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe, a subspecies whose population had plummeted to fewer than 150 individuals in the wild. To save them, she and Jock brought two young giraffes, Daisy and Marlon, onto the estate as part of a breeding program.
What started as a conservation effort quickly turned into something extraordinary. The giraffes, naturally curious and impossibly graceful, roamed freely around the lawns. They grew used to people, poking their heads into windows in search of snacks or ambling up to the terrace as guests had breakfast. Word spread, and by the 1980s, Giraffe Manor had become one of Nairobi’s most unique stays: part conservation sanctuary, part fairytale hotel, where giraffes were not just seen from afar, but lived as co-hosts of the property.
Today, the Manor remains both a heritage building and a sanctuary, housing a herd of Rothschild’s giraffes alongside a foundation dedicated to their protection. Every stay here supports that mission.
About the Manor
There are some places in the world that exist so perfectly for Instagram that they feel unreal, almost like a movie set. Giraffe Manor in Nairobi is one of them. Those viral shots of Rothschild’s giraffes poking their long necks through colonial style windows, nibbling pellets off breakfast tables, or greeting you at the balcony with their enormous eyelashes, that’s the stuff that has put this boutique hotel on countless bucket lists.
But here’s the thing nobody tells you at first glance, Giraffe Manor is not just a quirky hotel where every room comes with its own giraffe. It’s a historic property with two distinct wings, a limited number of rooms, and very specific spaces where those giraffe interactions actually happen. Some guests get the “wake up with a giraffe at your window” fairytale; others enjoy the giraffes mostly in the gardens or shared spaces. The experience is magical either way, but it’s not identical for everyone.
On top of that, booking a stay isn’t as straightforward as hopping online and reserving a room for a single night in Nairobi. The Manor is part of The Safari Collection, a portfolio of luxury lodges across Kenya, and in most cases, securing a room here means pairing it with another property in their circuit, think Samburu’s desert landscapes at Sasaab, rhino encounters at Solio Lodge, or big cat action at Sala’s Camp in the Mara. In other words, Giraffe Manor is less of a quick city stopover and more of a curated entry point into a bigger Kenyan safari journey.
That’s where most travelers get surprised, the dream is real, but it comes with nuance. To really appreciate the magic, you need to understand the Manor’s layout, the types of rooms available, and how the booking system actually works.
The Manor’s Layout and the Rooms
What many don’t realize before booking is that Giraffe Manor is split into two wings, the Historic Manor and the Garden Manor. Together, they hold just 12 rooms, intimate, exclusive, and each with its own character. But here’s the detail most travelers miss, not every room gives you direct giraffe encounters at the window.
The Historic Manor (the 1930s wing)
This is the heart of the property, the original ivy clad house where it all began. Steeped in history, its rooms are named after giraffes and past residents.
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Betty Suite – Perhaps the most iconic room, with large windows where giraffes can stretch their necks right in for morning treats.
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Daisy – Another favorite, named after one of the first giraffes brought to the estate, also with prime giraffe access.
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Marlon, Jock, Lynn – Luxurious, charming, but not all offer the same giraffe through the window moment. Some face away from the feeding lawns, so guests will interact with giraffes mainly during communal mealtimes or outside in the gardens.
Staying here is the truest way to feel the Manor’s history, with creaky staircases, wood paneled lounges, and a sense that you’re in someone’s old, elegant home rather than a hotel.
The Garden Manor (the newer wing)
Added in 2011 to meet demand, this wing mirrors the original architecture but with a lighter, more contemporary feel. Its rooms are just as beautiful, but their giraffe access varies.
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Salma, Arlene, Kelly, Helen, Edd – These rooms surround the central courtyard and gardens. Guests here will usually meet giraffes in the shared dining terrace or lawns rather than directly at their windows.
The Garden Manor was designed with families and groups in mind, it has larger suites and more space, but it doesn’t always carry the same storybook magic as the Historic wing when it comes to giraffe visits.
Booking a Stay at Giraffe Manor
Giraffe Manor is one of the most sought after properties in Africa. With only 12 rooms in total and the whole world wanting that photo of a giraffe at breakfast, the demand is way higher than supply. Which means two things: you can’t just hop online, grab a night, and be done. And you definitely can’t expect to slide in last minute.
The Safari Collection Rule
The Manor is part of The Safari Collection, which also owns three other luxury lodges across Kenya:
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Sasaab in Samburu – desert landscapes, Samburu culture, elephants, and rugged beauty.
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Solio Lodge near Nanyuki – a private rhino sanctuary with incredible wildlife density.
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Sala’s Camp in the Maasai Mara – a classic tented camp for big cat action and migration sightings.
Here’s the catch, to book Giraffe Manor, you usually need to combine your stay with at least one of these other lodges. This is The Safari Collection’s way of making sure the Manor isn’t treated as just a quick photo-op stopover in Nairobi, but rather part of a bigger Kenyan safari journey.
There are exceptions (especially in very low season), but the general expectation is, if you want Giraffe Manor, you build a whole Safari Collection itinerary.
How Far in Advance You Need to Book
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Prime rooms (like Betty or Daisy): often booked 12 to 18 months ahead.
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Other rooms in either wing: you might find space 6 to 9 months ahead if you’re lucky.
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Last minute? Very rare, unless someone cancels. Even then, you’ll need flexibility.
Nights and Minimum Stays
Most guests stay 1 to 2 nights. That’s enough time to enjoy breakfast and afternoon tea with the giraffes without it feeling repetitive. But you can’t count on getting “just one night” unless you’re tying it into a bigger trip with The Safari Collection.
What the Booking Includes
A stay at Giraffe Manor is all inclusive, meals, drinks, transfers to and from Wilson Airport (for your safari flights), and of course, endless giraffe encounters. What it doesn’t include is the Nairobi chaos outside the gates, which is why most people either fly straight in for their Manor stay or use it as the beginning/end of a longer safari.
Activities and What to Expect at Giraffe Manor
A stay at Giraffe Manor is short and sweet, most people book just one or two nights, but those hours are packed with charm. The giraffes, of course, are the headline act, but the property and its surroundings offer much more if you lean into it.
The Iconic Giraffe Encounters
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Breakfast with giraffes: The main event. In the Historic Manor dining room or on the terrace, the giraffes wander up to poke their heads through tall windows, hoping for pellets. It’s equal parts hilarious and surreal to have a giraffe sharing your toast and tea.
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Afternoon tea on the lawns: Another highlight. Picture delicate pastries, scones, and champagne served as giraffes stroll by and warthogs snuffle in the grass. It feels like stepping into a scene from a storybook.
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Bedtime visits (sometimes): Guests in the right rooms (Betty, Daisy, Marlon) may have giraffes come up to their windows in the evening, looking for a final treat before retreating into the sanctuary for the night.
The rhythm of the giraffes is predictable, mornings and late afternoons are their social hours. Midday, they tend to wander off into the forest.
Beyond the Giraffes
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The Giraffe Centre: Right next door and also run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, the Giraffe Centre is open to the public but free for Manor guests. Here you can learn more about the Rothschild’s giraffe conservation program and even feed the giraffes from a raised platform.
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Exploring the grounds: The Manor is set on 12 acres of private land within 140 acres of indigenous forest. Guests can stroll the lawns, birdwatch, or just soak up the peace of Nairobi’s leafy suburb of Karen.
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Cultural visits: The Safari Collection can arrange trips to nearby spots like the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (famous for its orphaned baby elephants), the Karen Blixen Museum (former home of the Out of Africa author), or shopping trips to local artisan markets and beadwork centers.
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Wellness & downtime: The Manor offers spa treatments, cozy lounges with fireplaces, and quiet corners for reading or sketching. It’s designed to feel like home rather than a hotel, so downtime here feels restorative, not transactional.
Conclusion
What makes Giraffe Manor unforgettable isn’t just that you get close to giraffes, plenty of safari lodges offer wildlife encounters. It’s the intimacy of the place. With so few rooms, every guest is known by name, and every giraffe interaction feels personal. Meals are communal but warm, the staff treat you like part of the family, and the whole stay feels suspended in time, equal parts Edwardian manor house and African sanctuary.
In the end, Giraffe Manor isn’t just a hotel, it’s a story, a conservation legacy, and a living fairytale. For those willing to play by its rules, it delivers something no other place in the world can.
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