A four star apartment block on Othaya Road in Lavington, part of Greater Nairobi rather than the centre itself. It lists kitchens, balconies, a pool, a gym, a spa, a garden and secure parking, so the deciding question is simple: do you want a self-contained flat on the ridge, or do you need to be inside the CBD?
01What it is
Soft Life Crib in Lavington is a four star apartment property at 36 Othaya Road, and the list it puts forward is the list of a self-catering flat with hotel services bolted on. Apartments with kitchens or kitchenettes, ovens, microwaves, fridges, coffee, a bath, a shower, a WC, towels, sheets, slippers, irons and boards. Then the building around them: lifts, air conditioning, non smoking rooms, a safe, smoke detectors, a 24 hour front desk, 24 hour security, concierge, currency exchange, laundry and dry cleaning, cleaning, first aid, free wifi and internet access, free car parking and general parking, a shuttle service and public transport connections. Eating and drinking: breakfast, lunch, restaurants, bars, banquet space. Leisure: indoor pool, swimming pool, gym, spa, massage, games room, table tennis, playground, garden, terrace, balcony, TV and video. Thin patches: the facilities list runs long and undifferentiated, mixing a golf course with a minibar, and there is no guest score on file to test any of it.
What that adds up to is a serviced flat on a ridge, not a hotel in the middle of things. Soft Life Crib in Lavington sits 4.04 km from Upper Hill and Community, which is the nearest of the ten quarters this site covers, and that gap is the whole decision. The street is new concrete built for the car and the conference room, so a car or a shuttle matters more here than a doorstep. After dark it is safe and dull: hotel bars, and a ride anywhere else. Book this if you want space, a kitchen, parking, a pool and a gym, and you are content to eat in or drive out. Do not book it if your day is built around Kenyatta Avenue at Moi Avenue and you expect to walk to it, or if you want street life outside the gate.
02The supplier's photographs
0336 facilities the supplier lists
and 22 more on the supplier's own record. Facilities are the supplier's list, not a check made on the ground.
04Standing outside the ten quarters
These hotels are not in Upper Hill and Community, and they are not in any of the ten quarters of the centre this site covers. They sit well outside the centre, in the inner suburbs, and Upper Hill and Community is only the nearest of the ten quarters. That matters more than it sounds: you are staying in the wider city, and anything in the CBD means travelling in and out for it. The ridge itself is new concrete built for the car and the conference room, and most of the CBD's office space has been moving up there since the 2000s, which is why you find the tallest towers in the country, the big hospitals, the aid agencies and an expressway ramp to the airport on it. The quarter sits 1.9 km from Kenyatta Avenue at Moi Avenue, which is 24 minutes on foot in a direct line.
Upper Hill and Community is best for meetings, a quiet night close in, and a fast run to the airport. After dark it is safe and dull: hotel bars, and a ride anywhere else. If you want the centre on foot, this is not the right base.
Read the nearest quarter, Upper Hill and Community05Booking it
Book this one only once you have settled how you will move between the ridge and the centre, because that gap decides whether the flat works for you. 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 Soft Life Crib in Lavington?+
It is at 36 Othaya Road, in Lavington, within Greater Nairobi rather than the central business district. The site measures it as 5.2 km from Kenyatta Avenue at Moi Avenue, which is 66 minutes on foot in a direct line. Treat that as the honest gap between the flat and the centre.
What does the property actually list for guests?+
Apartments with kitchens or kitchenettes, ovens, microwaves, fridges, coffee, baths, showers, towels, sheets, slippers and irons. Around them: lifts, air conditioning, non smoking rooms, a safe, smoke detectors, a 24 hour front desk, 24 hour security, concierge, laundry, cleaning and free wifi. Food and leisure cover breakfast, lunch, restaurants, bars, a pool, gym, spa and garden.
Can I walk into the city centre from here?+
It is not a walking address. The site puts it 4.04 km from Upper Hill and Community, which is the nearest of the ten quarters this site covers. The street is built for the car and the conference room, and after dark it is hotel bars and a ride anywhere else. Plan on a car, a shuttle or public transport.
How do I check availability for Soft Life Crib in Lavington?+
Availability and room types are checked through app.impt.io, where most rooms can be cancelled free. The property has twelve photos on file, so you can see the apartments and the building before you commit. If you need a kitchen, a balcony or parking confirmed, say so when you check.
