What it is

A sleek 215-room hideaway with two locally beloved restaurants (including a chophouse and a sushi joint) as well as a spa in the neighboring Village Market.

What it isn't

Aesthetically questionable. The hotel is a member of Design Hotels, which is evident at first glance: art and sculptural touches are everywhere you look.

What we think

When business kingpins from across the globe need to take meetings in Nairobi, they’re all too delighted to check in to the Trademark Hotel. The property has perfected the fine art of catering to ascendant CEOs and every other ladder on the corporate rung in each and every guest room, thanks to blackout curtains that fully obstruct the searing Nairobi sun, desks that don’t distract, and zippy free Wifi. The Trademark King guest room is stocked with a king bed, rain shower and oversized closet within its 280 square feet, while the 480 square foot Trademark Suite contains an expansive living room area ideal for late-night meetings with the team. If you’ll be checking in a while, the One-Bedroom Corner Studio Suite is worth the promotion, with its kitchenette, separate bedroom, and a gray crowned crane bird’s-eye-view over the hustle and bustle courtyard of Village Market.

You're here because

You’re always famished when you travel, and the hotel’s Harvest restaurant is exactly the type of place you fantasize about on a flight—with fervently local dishes such as paneer sandwiches with masala fries.

The Moment

Sitting before a glowing candle on the terrace at Hero, the hotel’s sushi restaurant, you almost forget you’re in Nairobi, not Tokyo. And then your waiter brings you something you never once tried in all your jaunts to Japan: lamb curry and prawn maki swaddled in yellow sushi rice.

Restaurants & Bars

Harvest - The open-grill Brasserie focuses on farm-fresh ingredients

Hero - Featuring sushi and other dishes

Location

Neighboring the aforementioned Village Market in downtown Nairobi, and a six minute drive from Karura Forest, where eco-tours, mountain biking, and exploring an indigenous tree nursery awaits.