Me my wife and son stayed at this hotel for 14 days in November,this hotel is amongst one of the best hotels we have stayed in.
Whilst it is a small hotel the food was of a very high standard,the hotel was very clean,the staff always made us feel very welcome,we would recommend this hotel to every one

I had a very pleasant stay at the Serena Nairobi. My room was ready early am as I arrived very early. Nice dinner buffet . Staff was accomodating and as a single woman was very attentive to my safety. They were courteous and helpful. I also had a day room on my return home and it was clean and ready when I arrived.Overall I enjoyed the hotel and the extra safely measures they have installed. Very comfortable rooms, with safe and mini bar with fridge.

I had to make a quick trip to Nairobi and was unable to secure a reservation in any other hotel in Nairobi. Having had a negative experience at the Serena in June this year, I was very hesitant, but had no choice and decide to give it a try all the same.

Nothing has changed in my opinion. The staff here are either poorly trained or are simply obsessed with group tourists who seem to be their main focus. As a lone traveller you don't stand a chance here. Arriving past midnight after a 24 hour flight, I had to park my rental at their "satellite parking" across the street because their main parking lot was full. I first attempted to pull up at the entrance to remove my luggage but a rude bell hop/concierge ordered me to move . I then had to cart my luggage across the road through a very poorly lit area, I was afraid I could get mugged.

Once at the reception I was practically ignored by the receptionists as they chatted away with other guests. The lady receptionist who eventually checked me in kept making faces as I spoke to her and seemed all so eager to get me out of her way.

The room was not fresh. The bed was so hard I could hardly sleep. The bedding were very rough and had the smell of cheap detergent. There was mould in the bathroom the toilet could not flash.

Their breakfast was ok, but nothing to look forward to, and besides you would be lucky if the waiters ever catc h your attention. Other than the tourist crowds, they had one of those local political groups meeting over breakfast, and I think that is the hotel's priority. After breakfast I asked at the front desk if I could speak with the front office manager whom I happen to know, having met him in the past while he was an assistant manager at Serena's Mountain lodge. The gentleman I asked turned round and made a very offensive and racist remark in Swahili to her colleagues, he probably wasn't aware I speak swahili, so I just walked away to avoid unecessary confrontation. Shortly after I checked out and moved on to The Fariview .

Overall, stay away from Nairobi Serena. Of all the places I have stayed anywhere in the world, this was by far the worst experience. I've had better experiences at a roadside motel 6/red roof inn. There are much better and reasonably priced hotels in Nairobi. I have stayed at Serena's mountain lodge and Mombasa locations in the past and my experience was better., but based on this experience and the other one back in June, I will never stay or recommend anything with a Serena name on it.

I have stayed at this hotel for over 100 days, spread over about 1.5 years, all on business. It is clearly seen as one of the 'places to stay' and is now dominated by large tourist groups. It probably works for them as it looks good, has some music in the bar, and a decent buffet. However, once you go below this level seems are not that great, a fact that tourists won't notice.
Service is often poor, especially at dinner where you are almost told: "You will have the buffet?" This is because a substantial service tip is included. If you don't take the buffet you could wait 45 minutes. If you have laundry done you pay USD6 for one shirt. You should get two bottles of water each day in the room but the chances of this are 50%. The beds are very uncomfortable and the a/c often blows damp air that probably will give you sinus problems. Overall prices are inflated and I have never been in a hotel that so consistently gouges its guests. Basically they know they are popular and that most guests won't care about the problems noted above.
On the plus side, there is a nice pool and the food is of generally good quality. There is a quiet restaurant upstairs where you can get away from the hordes and receive better service.
If you are in Nairobi on business you are advised to look elsewhere.