A three star hotel on Amara Park at the edge of City Square and KICC. Free wifi, free parking, luggage storage and step free access are the practical draws; there is no restaurant or bar on the list, so you eat and drink elsewhere. The deciding question is whether a daytime quarter with quiet evenings suits your trip.
01What it is
Maria's House lists the practical rather than the social: free wifi, free car parking, luggage storage, a dry cleaning service, a smoking area and wheelchair access. For a three star property in this part of Nairobi that is a sensible set, and step free access plus parking is more than several places at this level bother to provide. The list is thin where an evening is concerned. There is no restaurant, no bar and no gym named, so Maria's House gives you a bed, a desk and a parked car, and leaves the rest of the day to the surrounding streets.
What that adds up to at Maria's House is a short, functional stay in a quarter that works on office time. The location is the whole argument: 0.36 km from the centre of City Square and KICC, so the business and government buildings you are likely here for are within a short walk. The trade is the evening. City Square and KICC is institutional and empty after office hours, and the site's own line is to go in daylight, when the deck is open. Maria's House suits someone in Nairobi for meetings, conference days or an overnight between connections, and who wants parking, wifi and a quiet building. It does not suit anyone who wants dinner downstairs, a bar, or a central address that stays busy at night.
02The supplier's photographs
036 facilities the supplier lists
Facilities are the supplier's list, not a check made on the ground.
04Standing in City Square and KICC
This hotel sits in City Square and KICC, the civic centre of the grid. The streets here are open paving, flags, and the one tower in Nairobi that everybody can name: the state's block, Parliament, the Supreme Court, City Hall, the Kenyatta mausoleum and the 1973 conference centre whose amphitheatre roof and rooftop deck give the best view of the city there is. It is best for the rooftop view and the shortest walk between the civic landmarks. The quarter lies 0.53 km from Kenyatta Avenue at Moi Avenue, which is 7 minutes on foot in a direct line.
After dark it is institutional and empty after office hours. Go in daylight, when the deck is open. If you want somewhere to eat or drink in the evening, this is not it. It suits anyone here for the KICC viewing deck, Parliament or the Supreme Court, and it does not suit anyone who wants company after five.
Read the whole of City Square and KICC05Booking it
Book Maria's House if you want a straightforward, step free base within walking distance of KICC and City Square, and plan your meals and evenings elsewhere in the centre. Most rooms here can be cancelled free, and you book them through app.impt.io. Every confirmed booking removes one tonne of CO2, at no extra cost to you. Five percent of what you pay comes back as IMPT credit, out of the hotel commission rather than added to your bill.
Facts on this page come from the booking supplier's record: star class, address, photographs and facility list. Guest scores come from verified stays. Nobody from this site has stayed here; the quarter copy around it is this site's own.
06Questions
Where exactly is Maria's House?+
It is on Amara Park in Nairobi, on the City Square and KICC side of the centre. The property sits 0.36 km from the centre of City Square and KICC, which puts the conference centre, the surrounding government offices and the main business addresses within a short walk rather than a drive.
What facilities does Maria's House actually have?+
The list is free wifi, free car parking, luggage storage, a dry cleaning service, a smoking area and wheelchair access. There is no restaurant, bar or gym named, so treat it as a place to sleep and work from, with meals and evenings taken elsewhere in the centre.
Is the area around City Square and KICC useful in the evening?+
No. City Square and KICC is institutional and empty after office hours, and the advice is to go in daylight, when the deck is open. If you want a lively evening on the doorstep, this is not the right quarter for it; plan to travel for dinner and drinks.
How do I check whether Maria's House has a room for my dates?+
Availability and room types are shown when you search for your dates, and the booking runs through app.impt.io. Confirm the dates first, then check what is open, since the property is small and the practical facilities, parking included, are worth confirming before you commit.
