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Luxury Lodge · Nanyuki / Laikipia, Kenya
Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club
Where Africa's most storied club meets the eternal snows of Mount Kenya.
Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club
There are lodges, and then there are legends. Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club belongs unambiguously to the second category. Founded in 1959 by actor William Holden, businessman Ray Ryan and investor Carl Hirschman, the Club began as an exclusive private retreat and rapidly became Africa’s most glamorous address — a place where Sir Winston Churchill, Bing Crosby, Conrad Hilton and President Lyndon B. Johnson came to escape the world in extraordinary style, on the slopes of Africa’s second-highest mountain, a few miles from the equator and a world away from ordinary life.
The Club’s story begins even earlier, in the 1930s, with a romance as cinematic as the setting: Rhoda Lewinsohn, a glamorous American socialite, fell in love with Gabriel Prudhomme, a dashing French aviator, during a Kenyan safari. The property they created together — originally named Mawingo — became the seed of the legend that would follow. Today, under the stewardship of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and crowned Africa’s Leading Hotel at the World Travel Awards for four consecutive years (2022–2025), the Club retains every ounce of its original mystique while offering the contemporary comforts and conservation purpose that the modern traveller demands.
Set within its own private 100-acre estate bordering the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, the Club spreads across manicured gardens, indigenous forest, garden ponds and the banks of the Likii River, with Mount Kenya’s snow-capped summit visible on clear days from almost every vantage point. One hundred and twenty rooms, suites and the storied William Holden Cottages offer everything from mountain-view elegance to private riverside seclusion, each one warmed by a wood-burning fireplace and furnished with the refined colonial character that is the Club’s signature.
But Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club is more than a magnificent hotel. It is a working conservation enterprise. In partnership with the William Holden Wildlife Foundation, the Club manages the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy and its critically endangered Mountain Bongo breeding programme — one of the most important wildlife rescue initiatives in Africa, working to save a species with fewer than 100 individuals remaining in the wild. Guests have exclusive access to the conservancy, the Animal Orphanage and the Mountain Bongo sanctuary, making every stay an act of purposeful travel as well as an unforgettable one.
Africa's Leading Hotel four years running — a legendary 100-acre estate on the slopes of Mount Kenya, where William Holden's 1959 dream of the perfect safari club lives on in 120 rooms, a wildlife conservancy and unmatched heritage.
Why Stay Here
- Africa's Leading Hotel — World Travel Awards, four consecutive years (2022–2025)
- Founded in 1959 by William Holden — a legend that has welcomed Churchill, Bing Crosby, Conrad Hilton and presidents
- Exclusive access to the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy and critically endangered Mountain Bongo sanctuary
- 100 acres of manicured gardens, indigenous forest and Likii River frontage on the slopes of Mt. Kenya
- 120 rooms, suites and private William Holden Cottages — all with wood-burning fireplaces and mountain or forest views
- 9-hole par-3 golf course with a fairway that straddles the equator — designed with Jack Nicklaus
- Green Globe Certified — a leading global standard in sustainable hospitality
- Animal Orphanage operated by the William Holden Wildlife Foundation — feed rescued animals by hand
- Slopes Breakfast, Rose Garden Lunch and Open Fire Dinner — three iconic alfresco dining experiences
Our Commitment to Conservation
Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club holds Green Globe Certification and manages the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy in partnership with the William Holden Wildlife Foundation, funding the rescue, rehabilitation and rewilding of Kenya's most vulnerable species. The Club's Mountain Bongo breeding programme is one of Africa's most critical conservation efforts
Rooms & Accommodation
The Club’s 120 rooms, suites and cottages have been lovingly renovated under Fairmont’s stewardship while preserving the character that has made them famous. The aesthetic is refined colonial — dark timber, heritage prints, plush armchairs, high thread-count linens and the gentle creak of a property that has history running through its walls. Every room features a wood-burning fireplace, a private veranda and views of either Mount Kenya’s majestic summit or the lodge’s extraordinary gardens and indigenous forest.
Rooms are distributed across the main house, garden wings and private cottage buildings, each location offering a different relationship with the landscape. Main house rooms capture the full drama of Mount Kenya from broad windows; garden suites offer deep privacy and the sounds of forest birds; the River Cottages nestle beside the Likii River for those who want complete seclusion. The William Holden Cottages are in a category of their own — two-bedroom private residences that carry the Club’s founding spirit most directly and that remain among the most sought-after accommodations in highland Kenya.
Standard Room
Elegantly appointed room with plush bedding, wood-burning fireplace, private veranda and views of either Mount Kenya or the lush lodge gardens. Features oversized rainfall shower, minibar and refined colonial-style décor. Located in the main house or garden wings.
Mount Kenya View Room
Located in the main building, this room commands uninterrupted views of the snow-capped summit of Mount Kenya. The same generous appointments as the Standard Room — fireplace, veranda, luxury linens — elevated by the most coveted outlook on the property.
River Suite Cottage
Nestled by the Likii River in tranquil garden seclusion, this elegant room features a king bed, stone fireplace, private forest-view terrace and complete immersion in the sounds of the river and indigenous forest. Ideal for honeymooners and those seeking maximum privacy.
Garden Suite
Spacious suite with a living area and sofa bed, stone fireplace, and a private terrace overlooking the forest. Traditional décor with a heritage character, combining the Club's colonial roots with contemporary comfort.
William Holden Cottage
The Club's most iconic accommodation — a private two-bedroom cottage named for the legendary actor and co-founder of the Mount Kenya Safari Club. Features a communal living space, fireplaces in both bedrooms, a private garden terrace and the full heritage character of the original 1959 property.
Experiences & Activities
Every moment at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club is crafted to immerse you deeper in the wild.
Eco-safari and Wildlife Conservancy Drives
Explore the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy on guided game drives led by expert naturalists. The conservancy is home to the critically endangered Mountain Bongo, as well as giant forest hog, olive baboon, bushbuck, eland, zebra, buffalo, leopard and over 180 bird species.
Horseback Safaris
Explore the Club's 100-acre estate and beyond on horseback, moving quietly through indigenous forest, past garden ponds, llamas and peacocks, with Mount Kenya commanding every horizon. The eco-safari horse riding experience is available for riders of all levels and is one of the most intimate.
9-Hole Golf Course
Tee off on one of Africa's most beautiful and unusual golf courses — a 9-hole par-3 course where one fairway straddles the equator, allowing golfers the genuine curiosity of driving from the northern hemisphere into the southern in a single stroke.
Dining
Dining at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club is an experience as layered and surprising as the property itself. The signature all-day restaurant faces the snow-capped mountain directly, its windows framing one of the most extraordinary backdrops of any dining room in Africa, while the menu celebrates the remarkable agricultural abundance of Central Kenya — the freshest produce from the fertile slopes of Mount Kenya, prepared with the skill and confidence that four decades of legendary hospitality demand.
The Colobus restaurant offers a more intimate, theatrical experience — an open kitchen where chefs prepare gourmet dishes using locally sourced ingredients before guests, blending bold flavours with culinary artistry in a setting that is as engaging as any show kitchen in East Africa. A buffet breakfast is served daily; afternoon high tea on the pool deck is a Club tradition beloved by generations of guests.
But the Club’s most memorable dining moments happen outside. The Slopes Breakfast takes guests onto the mountain hillside at dawn; the Rose Garden Lunch unfolds amid blooming roses beside a running stream; and the Open Fire Dinner on the banks of the Likii River gathers guests around the campfire for gourmet evening meals under a highland sky dense with stars. Private in-room dining, pond deck service and bespoke event catering for up to 300 guests complete one of the most versatile dining programmes in Kenya.
Gallery
Best Time to Visit
Perched at 2,100 metres above sea level on the equatorial slopes of Mount Kenya, the Club enjoys a climate unlike anywhere else in East Africa — cool, crisp mountain air, dramatic morning mists, and a temperate quality that makes it a welcome respite from both the coast’s heat and the dry season’s dust. While wildlife in the Maasai Mara or Amboseli is governed by the rhythm of rainfall, the Club’s pleasures are more constant, making it one of Kenya’s finest year-round destinations.
The dry seasons — January through March and June through October — offer the clearest views of Mount Kenya’s glaciated summit, the most reliable game viewing in the conservancy, and the fullest activity programme. July and August are the Club’s busiest months, when the northern hemisphere’s school holidays bring families to the highland sanctuary in numbers that are easily absorbed by the 100-acre estate.
November and December are particularly atmospheric. The short rains bring the gardens to their lushest and most colourful, the mountain is frequently wreathed in dramatic cloud formations, and the festive season at the Club — with its open fires, high teas and alfresco dinners beside the Likii River — has a warmth and intimacy that is among the most celebrated in East Africa. The Rose Garden is never more beautiful than in December, when the altitude roses are in their fullest bloom.
April and May (the long rains) bring the lowest rates and the quietest experience on the estate, but the highland climate means the Club remains operational and enjoyable — the gardens are extraordinary, wildlife in the conservancy is active, and the spa and indoor comforts come into their own. A stay in the green season at Fairmont Mount Kenya is one of Kenya’s best-kept secrets.
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Rates & Seasons
Rates are per person per night and inclusive of accommodation and meals as specified. All rates in USD.
| Season | Per Person Sharing | Single Supplement |
|---|---|---|
| Jul-Oct, Dec 20-Jan 5 (High/Peak Season) | $750 | $300 |
| Jan 6 -Mar, Jun (Mid-season) | $500 | $199 |
| Apr-May, Nov (Low Season) | $350 | $148 |
* Rates subject to change. Conservation fees may apply. Please enquire for current availability.
Location & Getting Here
Destination
Nanyuki / Laikipia, Kenya
Conservation Area
Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy
Nearest Airstrip
Nanyuki Airport (NYK) — 35 min drive
Transfer Time
Approximately 35 minutes by road from Nanyuki Airport. Road transfer from Nairobi (JKIA or Wilson) takes a
Getting Here
Daily scheduled flights from Nairobi's Wilson Airport to Nanyuki with Safarilink and AirKenya — approximately 45 minutes. Charter flights from JKIA to Nanyuki available. Road transfer from Nairobi is a comfortable 3.5 hours and passes through the charming highland town of Nanyuki before arriving at the Club's gates. The property is located at the equator marker, P.O. Box 35, Nanyuki
Safaris That Include This Lodge
Explore handcrafted itineraries where Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club forms part of the journey.
