Nairobi
The capital's 69 hotels, 17 of them 5-star, sit around the central grid and the quarters that ring it.
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Where to stay
Hand-picked hotel shortlists for 45 places, by hotel class and guest rating, each linking to the hotels' own pages.
45 places73 guides
Nairobi is the centre of the country's hotel map, with 69 hotels, 17 of them 5-star. Everything here is measured as a straight line from Kenyatta Avenue at Moi Avenue, so the quarter you choose shapes how much of the city you reach on foot. Beyond the capital, the coast and the Rift Valley carry the bulk of the choices: Mombasa and Malindi each hold 45 hotels, Narok 60, and the lakeside and highland towns add smaller stocks of their own.
Popular places
Mombasa
A coastal city of 45 hotels, 15 of them 5-star, split between the island and the beaches to its north and south.
Photo: Nahashon Diaz / Pexels
Thika
An industrial and agricultural town north-east of Nairobi with 15 hotels, all in the 3-star band.
Photo: Twilight Kenya / Pexels
Naivasha
A lake town of 30 hotels, 5 of them 5-star, where the Rift Valley escarpment meets fresh water.
Photo: Flavio Vallone / PexelsNakuru
Kenya's fourth-largest urban centre, with 30 hotels, 3 of them 5-star, close to a famous lake.
Photo: Twilight Kenya / Pexels
Kitui
A quiet eastern town with 13 hotels, all 3-star, for travellers passing through the semi-arid interior.
Photo: MC G'Zay / Pexels
Malindi
An Indian Ocean town with 45 hotels, 15 of them 5-star, known for its historic Swahili quarter.
Photo: PhotoByMau PhotoByMau / PexelsNyeri
A highland town below Mount Kenya with 25 hotels, 1 of them 5-star, in cool, green country.
Photo: Nahashon Diaz / Pexels3-star or 4- and 5-star: which to choose
The 3-star band is the widest: towns such as Thika, Kitui, Embu, Bungoma, Kericho, Nyahururu, Kisii, Machakos and Kikuyu each list 15 hotels, the smaller places 9 to 14. Most of the four- and five-star stock clusters in Nairobi, Mombasa and Malindi, and along the coast and Rift Valley at Watamu, Kilifi, Diani Beach and Naivasha. If you want a pool, a restaurant and a lift, aim above 3 stars; if you just need a clean base near the road, the 3-star band covers almost every town on the map.
Hotel guides by place
Athi River
Bungoma
Busia
Diani Beach
Eldoret
Embu
Gilgil
Homa Bay
Isiolo
Kajiado
Kakamega
Karuri
Kericho
Kiambu
Kikuyu
Kilifi
Kisii
Kisumu
Kitale
Kitui
Kwale
Lamu
Limuru
Machakos
Malindi
Meru
Migori
Mlolongo
Mombasa
Mtwapa
Nairobi
Naivasha
Nakuru
Nanyuki
Naro Moru
Narok
Ngong
Nyahururu
Nyeri
Ruiru
Siaya
Thika
Vipingo
Voi
Watamu
Questions, answered
Which area is best for first-time visitors?
Nairobi, with 69 hotels and 17 of them 5-star, gives the widest choice and the most 4- and 5-star options. Mombasa, with 45 hotels and 15 5-star, is the coastal counterpart and works well if you are combining city and beach.
Where can families find the most accommodation?
Nairobi leads with 69 hotels, followed by Narok with 60, Mombasa and Malindi with 45 each, and Nanyuki with 38. Naivasha, Nakuru, Diani Beach, Watamu and Kilifi each offer 30 hotels.
Which towns and cities have the most 5-star hotels?
Nairobi has 17 five-star hotels, and Mombasa, Malindi and Narok each have 15. Nanyuki has 8, Naivasha 5, Nakuru and Watamu 3, and Meru and Diani Beach 2.
Where should I stay if I want a 3-star hotel?
Thika, Kitui, Embu, Bungoma, Kericho, Nyahururu, Kisii, Machakos, Kikuyu, Siaya, Kitale, Isiolo, Ngong, Homa Bay, Kakamega and Kiambu each list 15 hotels, all in the 3-star band.
Which towns offer four- and five-star hotels in the Rift Valley and highlands?
Naivasha lists 30 hotels with 5 five-star, Nakuru 30 with 3, Nyeri 25 with 1, and Nanyuki 38 with 8. Eldoret has 29 hotels, 1 of them 5-star.
Where are the coastal options outside Mombasa and Malindi?
Diani Beach, Watamu and Kilifi each have 30 hotels, with Diani Beach and Watamu holding 2 and 3 five-star respectively. Mtwapa offers 23, Vipingo 10, and Lamu 26.