A three star guest house in Old Doonholm Estate with kitchens and free parking, and a listed address that puts City Square and KICC within easy reach. It suits people who want to cook for themselves and come and go by car, and it does not suit anyone expecting a bar, a restaurant or a lobby to sit in.
01What it is
Rusam Villa Guest House is a three star property on Old Doonholm Estate, and the facilities list is strongest on the basics of a self-contained stay. Rooms are non smoking, with a private bathroom, shower and towels, a TV, a refrigerator and a microwave, and a kitchen in the property. Wifi and car parking are free, and the front desk runs around the clock, with housekeeping and multilingual staff on hand. Where the list is thin is the social side: there is no restaurant, bar, gym, pool or meeting space named, and a surcharge applies to something unspecified, so it is worth asking what that covers before you commit.
For someone staying at Rusam Villa Guest House, the layout of the offer is simple. You get a bed, a bathroom, a fridge, a microwave and a kitchen, and you get a parking space and a desk that never closes. That suits a guest who wants to prepare their own food, keep their own hours and use the place as a base rather than as somewhere to spend the day. It does not suit anyone who wants to eat downstairs, drink on site, or have somewhere to sit with other travellers. Book this one for the practicalities and the location, not for the atmosphere.
02The supplier's photographs
0315 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 Rusam Villa Guest House if the kitchen, the free parking and the 24 hour front desk matter more to you than a bar or a restaurant downstairs, and confirm what the surcharge covers while you are at it. 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 Rusam Villa Guest House?+
It is on Old Doonholm Estate in Nairobi, and it sits 0.38 km from the centre of City Square and KICC. That is the institutional core of the central business district, so you are near the offices and the conference halls rather than in a residential suburb.
What is around the property in the City Square and KICC area?+
Open paving, flags, and the one tower in Nairobi that everybody can name. After office hours the quarter is institutional and empty, so go in daylight, when the deck is open. It is a daytime district rather than an evening one.
Can I cook for myself at Rusam Villa Guest House?+
Yes, subject to the room you take. The listed facilities include a kitchen, a microwave and a refrigerator, so self-catering is the point of the place. Bathroom, shower and towels are listed too. There is no restaurant or bar named, so plan your other meals elsewhere.
How do I check availability and book?+
Availability and room types are shown through app.impt.io, where most rooms can be cancelled free. Have your dates ready, then compare what is on offer against the kitchen and parking you need, since the listed rooms vary in what they include.
