Presidential suites the height of understated style

They are the crowning glory of any hotel worth it's salt and are designed to appeal to the fine taste of dignitaries and celebrities. Tricia Wanjala shows why these rooms and their guests are fussed over.

When it comes to hotel stays, there are presidential suites, and then there are the rest of the rooms. For a small fraction of the population, their hotel experience is fussed over by numerous staff and paid for handsomely. These are the high-flying dignitaries who demand nothing but the best and for whom a very special wing is reserved – the presidential suite.

The Stately feel of this suite at the Hotel Intercontinental in Nairobi, is created by rich mahogany frames and understated accessories. [PHOTOS: JENIPHER  WACHIE / STANDARD]

Tucked away from the prying eyes of the public, these spacious, high-security accommodation facilities tailored to meet the demands of distinguished clientele such as heads of state and other dignitaries, celebrities and business moguls are  the crown of the hotel.

In the city of Nairobi, hotels that feature presidential suites include the Serena hotel, Safari Park Hotel, Panari Sky Hotel, Laico Regency hotel, Lillian Towers, Intercontinental and Tribe hotel. Home and Away took a special tour of some these VIP facilities:

HOTEL INTERCONTINENTAL, NAIROBI

The Hotel Intercontinental is of course under the global five-star Intercontinental franchise and has been running for the past 40 years. The recently refurbished presidential suite has been a short-term home for a number of high-calibre personalities, including the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her predecessor Colin Powell.

It is situated on the very top of the hotel — on the 7th Floor, with views of Kenyatta International Conference Center and Uhuru park. It occupies 298 Square Meters and has 1 adjacent room specifically for it. The presidential suite is however designed to have six security rooms adjacent to it and this entire section can be sealed off from the rest of the wing.

Design: It is designed in the style of a plush modern apartment complete with all of its own amenities. The décor is tasteful and comfortable, incorporating stately and conservative elements with an earth-toned colour scheme. Rich mahogany furniture blends with gold and cream striped upholstery, accentuated by warm brown brocade curtains.

This suite consists of a large bedroom with king-sized bed, a spacious lounge, jacuzzi, Turkish shower, kitchenette and sunroom.

Service: A butler is on call 24 hours to cater to the guests’ every whim, and the room has very tight security including sound-proof and bullet-proof windows. The presidential suite’s door is fire proof and electronic. The windows are bullet proof and sound proof.

Housekeeping (including a personal butler) and food and beverage staff (chef and service staff) serve the dignitary. Cuisine is made for presidential suite guests according to their personal preference.

Charges: The rates per night for this presidential suite are US $2,800 (Sh246,400) plus 28 per cent taxes and fees.

NAIROBI SAFARI CLUB

Further downtown, the prestigious Lillian Towers Hotel, also known as Nairobi Safari Club, is the region’s first all-suite hotel. It was built in 1984.

The Nairobi Safari Club offers an entire wing comprising of seven rooms that are often let to one delegation.

 When Home & Away visited, a number of the suites were under occupation by a large delegation of government ministers from around the continent here to attend a conference. The entire wing comprises of seven rooms that are often let to one delegation.

 An adjacent room, identical to the master suite, is provided for the deputy, say a Prime Minister, and the doorway connecting the rooms can be locked if they prefer. Here from the 16th floor, the view is amazing — a beautiful panorama of Nairobi from Ngara all the way to Upper Hill. In the background, you can hear the peaceful quiet hum of the city. Situated adjacent to the CBD the location is perfect because it is relatively easy to get to official functions in the city within a matter of minutes.

Service: The public relations manager, ***, gave us a guided tour and explained to us that when a head of state or similarly distinguished guest is to stay at their suite, they normally are given very short notice.

Immediately the entire staff team is put on high alert, and both presidential wings are prepared to immaculate standards. Sniffer dogs arrive, the hotel is combed, and highly trained hotel security personnel are stationed in cooperation with the nearby Central Police Station and officers dispatched from State House if the visitor is a guest of the state.

Just before the guest’s entourage arrives, a crimson red carpet is laid from the hotel entrance through the lobby. All sets of keys to the presidential suite are surrendered to his delegation, and the very senior members of management are on call around the clock to cater to this guest. Most heads of state travel with their own personal chef, and normally he will work in close co-operation with the head chef at Lillian Towers to prepare whatever the guest wishes to eat.

Design: The actual suite is decorated in vintage 70’s style using classic retro colours, including caramel, avocado, mustard and beige. It is tasteful and very subdued in keeping with the more traditional style of many heads of state who regularly visit, especially from within the continent.

It also features the highest ceilings in the hotel to give the impression of power, and original watercolour paintings adorn the walls, which are covered in decorative wallpaper. The sitting room is immense, with two separate seating areas for guests and a personal bar complete with stools and counter for indoor dining services, and a butler on standby. Facilities include tea, coffee, complimentary wine, and a fruit basket.

The sitting room of the presidential suite has a guest washroom or cloakroom. Brown leather sofas make a cosy sitting area to entertain guests, and in the separate dining area a fully laid dining table is complete with fresh flowers. Both the sitting room and bedroom have large plasma screen televisions.

Cost: Charges start at US $1,000 (Sh88,000) per night for this suite.

TRIBE HOTEL

This ultra-modern boutique hotel is situated next to the village market in Gigiri.

Explains the Director, Mr Shammim Ehsani: “This was the last room to get ready, the crowning glory of the hotel. It is actually one of the most booked suites, and we have a lot of regular customers so at least one week in a month it is occupied. A lot of passion went into creating it. It was finally ready eight months after the hotel was opened.”

The exquisite interiors have given this award winning hotel – Tribe - a good name in the industry.

Design: In contrast to the very popular “rockstar” suite penthouse in this hotel, the presidential suite was designed to be something more subdued and dignified for heads of state, royalty and other more conservative high-caliber guests. In keeping with the rest of the hotel, they have a unique ethnic design theme incorporating elements from around the world with furniture in this suite alone sourced from Kenya, Italy, South Africa, Thailand the Middle East.

Eco-friendly and sustainable materials have been used, including bespoke pieces designed by Swiss furniture-maker Jutah Wilhelm who worked in collaboration with skilled Kibera craftsmen using metal, cowhide and other materials.

The interior designer is also an avid collector of art, and African artists shine brightly in this suite, which showcases gorgeous bronze warrior-statues from Benin, abstract oil paintings from the renowned Sudanese painter Salah Ammar, Cameroonian caricature statues, not to mention Bakuba cloth draperies from Mali and custom-made decorative bathroom frames by Sospeter Omondi.

Black-out curtains are provided to stave off jet lag, and an L-shaped sofa adds a homely feel to the room. A fresh floral bouquet adorns the glass dining table, and sumptuous coffee-table books all about African art and travel are thoughtfully placed in the sitting room. Pale cream-coloured Italian leather seats together with fine hand-woven Persian rugs create a classy yet understated elegance, while a huge gilded mirror creates that larger-than-life opulence. A huge plasma screen TV is provided for the guest’s entertainment.

Inside the master bedroom, exquisite attention to detail is reflected in the selection of specially hewn sandstone walls, the material imported from India. A granite and marble shower and stand-alone tub are sheltered in a cocoon-style bathroom covered in organically-shaped copper slate walls.

 A spacious private balcony with its own outdoor furniture provides a serene escape. It faces the beautiful Kiambu forest and guests enjoy a soothing view of lush greenery in the surrounding protected wetland. The view also includes the cascading waterfall and swimming pool of the hotel so guests in this special suite are serenaded by the sounds of cool water.

Service: Aside from the usual high-security requirements of this room, the guest’s every whim is catered to, and he or she is able to order anything they would like to eat, which will then be prepared by the chef.  For security reasons, the names of dignitaries who stay here cannot be disclosed, but one of the well-known celebrities who did is the Hip Hop star Akon, during the last MTV Mama awards.

Charges: A night at this particular suite will cost US$1,500 (Sh132,000)