Entarakuet Hotel
If there is one thing that is sort after by residents of Nairobi, it’s a venue for a quick out of town getaway. Corporates within the city often look for conference and team building venues that are closer, but also offering a different environment and experiences. It gets worse when one exhausts all the known venues around Nairobi Metropolis and your budget can only afford a day event. Sometimes a venue/property doesn’t have to be cozy. It only needs to have a quiet neighborhood, enough space, good food, recreational facilities, hospitable staff, clean amenities and accessibility. Tour operators will also be looking for a venue that can fix quick meals while on transit, offer accommodation, prepare an event venue on request and facilitate efficient customer service.
This past weekend, I visited an exciting property. I would be right if I said it’s an upcoming hospitality giant. This is because it has everything I have mentioned above. To highlight a few; it is close to Nairobi city, it has extensive space, it is within a very quiet neighborhood, it has great food, it is accessible (right on tarmacked highway), it has recreation amenities and has amazing staff. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Entarakuet Hotel.
This property is located in Kajiado County. It is along Kiserian-Isinya road. Entarakuet Hotel is 44 kilometers from Nairobi and only 15 kilometers from Kiserian. Like I mentioned, it is very close to the capital. When someone mentioned a nyama choma hang out, a swimming weekend or a squad outdoor get together in Kajiado, venues such as Olepolos and Oletepes came to mind. Well, there is a new kid in the block.
The name Entarakuet is derived from a Maasai name for an Antelope. Judging from the animal sculpture at the reception, I would be right to conclude that it’s a Maasai name for a Thompson’s gazelle. This is not to mean that you will get game meat here though 🙂 Entarakuet is known by the locals as a Nyama choma joint.
For this reason, it has many gazebos enough to host various groups without being in each other’s space. Families who flock here for lunch and hangout have spaces guaranteed. It has a sports bar that hosts football fans over the weekends.
Entarakuet hotel has a restaurant suitable for fine dining. When looking for a quiet time with your partner, this venue gives you ambience and full experience. The restaurant is also used to host resident guests as well as walk-ins who wish to be served there.
Recently, Nairob-Kiserian-Isinya road has become a darling route for safari vehicles going to Amboseli and Tsavo National parks. This hotel offers a great venue for quick meal stop overs. With accommodation coming up, the hotel will offer alternative overnights for guests flying outside the country.
Now that I mentioned up-coming accommodation, let me highlight something about it. Entarakuet hotel has an extensive space and this has enabled them to set up rooms away from other amenities. When going to where the rooms are located, you would think you have exited the hotel and are now in a different property. This guarantees quietness and privacy for guests spending the nights. According to the Manager, the hotel will have a separate entrance to the accommodation site. There will be a resident swimming pool and reception for people at the rooms.
There are a number of rooms that are ready for occupancy. At the moment, a double room (2 people) costs ksh. 6000 per night on bed and breakfast. The rooms are spacious, cozy and intimate.
For those who love camping, there is a ground that doubles up as a wedding venue. There are washrooms coming up to serve the campers, but at the moment the hotel allows them to use one of the rooms. The camping ground is also far from the bar and restaurant and away from the rooms. Overlanders would have a field day here because of the extensive space. The campsite is accessible to overland trucks and the amenities coming up will make this hotel a 5 star campsite.
Entarakuet hotel has a swimming pool, which has an adult and kids section. It also has a sitting area and changing rooms. The pool is open to walk-ins at only Ksh. 300.
The kids are well taken care of. If they are not swimming, there is a well-equipped and spacious playground. Again, the playground is away from gazebos and meeting places. This makes sure that there is no noise disturbance to guests holding private meetings.
Talking of private meetings, there is a tree lounge. It’s literally build on a tree without cutting any branches. This lounge is conducive for private meetings, birthday parties or that Chama retreat.
Entarakuet Hotel has a conference hall that can host both small and large groups. There is a banda hall next to the conference that can be used to host lunch or tea for delegates.
Entarakuet hotel has a section dubbed “koroga” This is an area with a sitting area, gazebos and an empty center stage. It also has a kitchen with a sink and grill. The hotel hires this space out to individuals, groups and families who want to do their own meals. However, the kitchen is not equipped and this means you will have to come with your utensils, gas cookers and anything else you may require to prepare meals. The space is enough for group dynamics, be it games, dancing, prayers, talks, and meetings. Koroga, can also be used by overlanders at the camp site as well as team building groups who would want to do their own meals.
If you are looking for your next getaway, a company retreat, a conference venue or a team building package, Entarakuet hotel should be on your mind. Safiri Nasi will also be on standby to assist with your reservations.
This hotel has great potential and I cannot wait to see it in a year’s time.
Entarakuet hotel await……….
Photography by Travel With Eliud
