Where the super rich stay in Nairobi

According to the New World Wealth report published last March, over 200 super-rich individuals who visited Kenya in the year ending June 2014 chose to stay in only two hotels – Hemingways and Villa Rosa Kempinski.

Africa received over 30,000 multi-millionaire visitors during the period under study with 12,000 of these preferring to stay in South Africa.

The inclusion of the two hotels in Kenya is not surprising considering that they are the very portraits of luxury at the moment.

Hemingways was ranked fifth in the continent after La Mamounia in Morocco, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge in Tanzania, Royal Mansour also in Morocco, and the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa in South Africa.

Since it opened its doors in April 2013, Hemingways Nairobi has been a preferred destination for celebrities including movie stars, European soccer stars and musicians. The hotel’s main selling point is its butler services that make the checking in process a flawless procedure. Guests are usually taken straight to their rooms rather than spend time at the reception filling admission papers. This is done at the guest’s leisure while in the room.

On the other hand, Villa Rosa Kempinski is popular with visiting heads of state. It boasts 13 super rooms including the stately Presidential Suite on the top floor.

Worldwide, Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas took the top honours as far as visits by the super rich in the world are concerned. Apart from Bellagio, six other hotels in the top ten are also in the United States.

The New World Wealth report tracks habits of individuals with a net worth of over US$10 million (Ksh930 million). The current report uses data collected from 20,000 multi-millionaires’ spending habits between June 2013 and June 2014.