KENYA: Park Inn Nairobi Westlands by Carlson Rezidor To Open Shortly After Easter

A flying visit to Nairobi over the past few days allowed for a closer look at one of Nairobi's latest additions to the hospitality industry, the new Park Inn Nairobi Westlands by Carlson Rezidor.

Ready to open its doors to guests in the space of the next couple of days are only final touches being put on the new property's public areas like the rooftop bar, the lobby and the ground floor restaurant with the outdoor terrace but the meeting rooms, all five of them, and most important the 140 rooms, are ready.

The hotel has a total of 140 rooms, 130 of them well sized and equipped standard rooms while 10 Executive Rooms offer an even larger space for those who need to spread out and work in a more generously appointed room.

The bathrooms are well designed and for a hotel in this category best described as large. And, reminiscent of the mood lighting on modern aircraft like the Boeing B787 can the room lights around the bed also be changed by the touch of a finger on the bedside panel, something which may hopefully inspire what guests need inspiring for.

High speed WiFi connects throughout the building, rooms, meeting rooms, lobby, restaurant and terrace, even the gym if someone needs to check messages while on the treadmill and right to the rooftop swimmingpool with a view over the Westlands area of Nairobi.

The fresh, imaginative colour scheme is novel for Nairobi, with bright variations and the rooms alternating from floor to floor between green and purple.

The same bright colours also impress on the ground floor where a small lobby lounge allows for some informal meetings while the adjoining bar, the indoor and outdoor terrace restaurant - in part under a translucent roof - gives guests that contemporary feeling, further underscored by the unconventional uniforms for the staff, again set alight by colours rather than the 'regular' dull grey or black suits.

The menu presents itself with a range of starters, main courses, desserts but also snacks, available throughout the day and if the soup I was served is anything to go by I certainly look forward to a full meal when in due course returning to the Park Inn after it has formally opened its doors.

As mentioned are there five meeting rooms of different sizes with state of the art equipment for remote light dimming and audio visual connections via laptop to project presentations on the wall mounted screen.

As a special gesture is the Park Inn serving flavoured water to guests in the conference rooms but it is also available in the two restaurants.

Underground parking is ample and a available for guests who come to the hotel for workshops or conferences or those inhouse who prefer to hire their own four wheels instead of opting for the city's Little Ride, UBER or regular cab services.

Caught up in pre-opening sales activities and with all hands needed on deck for the final few days to get everything in ship shape I was doubly impressed by the Park Inn staff to take their time and show me around the hotel.

I only wish the already soft opened Pullman Nairobi by Accor could take a leaf from such a welcoming attitude, which will no doubt put the Park Inn into the good books of local and international clientele.