Reviews of Giraffe Manor

"We had the most incredible experience!

The staff truly made everything so special!" See all these reviews: 5n in Kenya

"We stayed for two night and were glad we did so as it meant we could spend lots of time with the Giraffes but also visit other places nearby.

The building itself was beautiful, we stayed in Jocks room and were very happy with it. It was well furnished, clean and we liked that they lit the fire for us whilst at dinner so when we returned to our room it was warm. All the little touches were very nice and much appreciated; the hot water bottles and little notes about Giraffes on our bed every night, the hand written welcome note on arrival and the Wine and flowers left in our room to help celebrate our honeymoon.

All the staff were extremely friendly and helpful, probably the best of any hotel we stayed in Kenya, we liked that each room was given a specific staff member to look after you so he got to know us and us him. Peter was exceptionally good to us. Before we travelled we read that the rooms don't have locks on which we thought might be a bit disconcerting but once we were there it didn't bother us at all.

All the food was amazing, I don't think we were given anything we didn't like and they catered very well for vegetarians.

The giraffe interaction was phenomenal and well worth every penny to experience. One morning whilst we were at breakfast I went up to the room to find Eddie patiently standing at the window waiting to be fed.

George the driver was very nice and helpful, we had him for our whole stay and he took us to many places, DSWT, Karen shopping mall, the local craft market and Nairobi museum and was happy to answer our questions as we travelled from place to place. As guests at the manor we were given a private guide around the Giraffe centre which was a nice touch.

We both had treatments while staying at Giraffe manor and they were only okay.

We stayed at 6 places whilst in Kenya and I think this would be our favourite, we will definitely be back." See all these reviews: 15n in Kenya

"If Disney did ainimal experience hotels, then Giraffe Manor would fit in very nicely. The girafffes are wild but clearly habitualised and have a well defined routine, which is breakfast at the Manor then stroll to the Giraffe Sanctuary ( which you can see from the lawn) and back to the Manor for afternoon tea!

The Manor is a fabulous building and our room ( Daisy) was immaculate. It had a huge on suite and it’s own balcony for viewing and feeding the giraffes in the morning, but note it is so high up that only the tallest giraffes can reach and you have to kneel down to feed them, but it is still a great experience. The staff here are excellent and make absolutely sure that you get a perfect giraffe experience. At breakfast the giraffes do come through the windows of the dining room and consume huge amounts of pellets which are given to you in abundance by the attentive staff and at afternoon tea the experience is the same, even ‘kissing’ a giraffe with a pellet in your mouth is easily achieved.

The food here is nothing short of fine dining at its best. It was a bit chilly in the evening when we were there in August, but that didn’t stop you eating out in the courtyard as individual charcoal braziers were placed by the table and provided a lovely ambient warmth. Perhaps the only strange thing is having to order your desert at the same time as starter and main course, but this is a very minor issue and didn’t detract from the experience.

Giraffe Manor is definitely a unique experience which I would highly recommend for a visit, although for me 1 night was sufficient to gain the full benefit of this experience." See all these reviews: 9n in Kenya

"Such fun to be up close and personal with the giraffes. The food was amazing!" See all these reviews: 9n in Kenya; 6n in Tanzania

"I'm sure it's all been said before, a giraffe-lovers heaven. So amazing, so close to the animals, so gentle... It is a quite extraordinary, once in a lifetime experience. Yes, it is pricey but it is completely worth it. Make sure you get there for afternoon tea and if possible stay for two breakfasts. The food was excellent and we had dinner in our own private room with 6 other guests, which was lovely and great stories were shared. The staff are amazing and the giraffe centre across the park is completely worth it as well. We also did the nature tour across from the giraffe sanctuary which was blissful, so many wonderful plants and birds. Save up and go if you can." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya

"Beautiful place, great place to have an unforgettable experience among giraffes, they have a great team that makes you feel welcome at all times and also very helpful at any needs, the rooms are also cozy." See all these reviews: 6n in Tanzania; 5n in Kenya; 4n in Zanzibar

"What an amazing end to our stay! Would recommend for anyone!

The staff were attentive and helpful. Everything was clean and plush surroundings made for a wonderful end to our trip.

There is not much (not surprisingly) on site, however the team provided a minibus for free to take us to the David Sheldrick Centre." See all these reviews: 4n in Rwanda; 2n in Kenya

"Giraffe Manor lived up to its publicity. The manor was a lovely and comfortable place to stay with first class service. The staff that we encountered were very professional, helpful, and warm and engaging. George, who picked us up at the airport (and made sure we got checked in when catching our SafariLink flight) made a positive first impression for the manor. Of course the highlight of the stay was getting to interact with the giraffes. They greet you early in the morning, looking for treats and through the breakfast service. But, I must say, I fell in love with the warthogs whose persistence to go where they were not supposed to was funny and entertaining. This was a great way to relax after the long flights from the U.S. and acclimate to local time. I would highly recommend" See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya

"Giraffe Manor offers quite a unique experience with its visiting giraffes & warthogs, its quasi-colonial air, & lovely setting." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania; 10n in Kenya; 3n in Zanzibar

"i had looked forward to going to Giraffe Manor for a long time. I am definitely a budget traveller and the manor is way over my usual budget. its actually cost me 7 weeks wages to go there. certainly not a drop in the ocean for me. I was disappointed by a couple of things.

on arrival I was taken into the house and told that I wasn't going to be shown around as its early and the place is untidy. i was never shown around in the time I was there, it really didn't look untidy to me but as I was taken up to my room I noticed something on the stairs carpet, possibly a dead moth, whatever it was, it was still there when I left 3 days later.

I hadn't sleep well on my first night as i was cold, i mentioned it to another couple staying there and they said they had a hot water bottle in their bed, i got mine on the 2nd night but it wasn't very hot and made no difference. I also returned to find stains in my bathroom sink, presumably cleaning liquid that had been poured in and then not cleaned. the shower doors are absolutely filthy, water runs off a clean shower door, these haven't been cleaned in some time.

on the last morning I had to pay for a taxi to take me where I was going as apparently there weren't any cars available! as I left I saw a driver hanging around. he may have been about to go out but I had been sitting for well over an hour waiting for a phone call to make arrangements for me. when I got into my taxi he informed me he had also been booked to take me to my evening hotel. It seems the manor were not providing any transport for me on my last day. as I was about to leave Kenya I didn't have much money left and hadn't budgeted for 3 taxi fares.

Also before I left I was sitting with another guest who was leaving to go to the airport. she was offered a packed lunch to take with her, I wasn't leaving the manor for a flight. I was going to be volunteering at the local dogs home for the day and although the other guest was offered a packed lunch in front of me, I wasn't offered the same courtesy.

The food was lovely, I had mentioned a vegan diet when I booked back in November. while I'm not a strict vegan I don't eat dairy, I had been told almond milk was available. I never got any. I shared dairy milk with other guests. when I asked for dairy free yogurt I was told they didn't have it. Out of the 3 days I was there I was given strawberries in a vinegary sauce twice!

On my last night the staff went around the dinner table asking people how they wanted their steak cooked. I'm not sure how much notice was taken as a steak was put in front of me, I passed it to the lady next to me, and another steak was promptly put in front of me again. I also seemed to miss the afternoon tea without leaving the building. a plate was wafted under my nose one day and quickly whisked away as soon as id taken one crisp never to return!

For the amount of money it costs to stay there I would expect a change of sheets every day, they weren't changed at all in the 3 days. I also went from having two towels to one! I knew I'd forget to ask for another so I was unable to have a shower before dinner and again at breakfast

I also don't like name dropping, I'm really not impressed by it and the fact that both Madonna and president Obama have been refused by the manor means nothing to me. I don't care which superstar has been there or not been there.

I had booked a room with the balcony and soon realised I had to be down on my knees to feed giraffes through the gap at the bottom of the railing as they couldn't reach.

While I think the manor is beautiful and feeding the giraffes through the window during breakfast is quite something, I really don't think its worth the money it costs and sadly it wasn't the highlight I was hoping for.

It has to be said that the staff were great, polite, funny and helpful. I love that they remember and use your name, (I wasn't looking forward to being called madam for the duration.

on a more positive note, feeding the giraffe at breakfast was great. also sitting in front of the fire with a drink and chatting with new friends was lovely. just as lovely to sit outside and feed the giraffes before dinner but it was a tad cold for me and I didn't have warm clothes with me.
having a car and driver to take me from craft shop to bead shop and anywhere in between was helpful too.
Richard Trillo [Ed: of Expert Arica] is a superstar, incredibly helpful with all matters Kenya and I never felt any question was too stupid.

having said all of the above I did enjoy my time at the manor and its been a great experience." See all these reviews: 3n in Kenya