Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel, Colonial luxury hotel in Nairobi, Kenya

The Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel is a large establishment in Nairobi with 170 rooms spread across five distinct buildings in Tudor-style architecture with manicured gardens throughout. The property features a heated swimming pool and multiple dining venues offering different cuisines and casual to formal settings.

The hotel opened in 1904 as a modest lodging for explorers beginning African expeditions, gradually expanding its rooms and reputation over the decades. It became a landmark destination for prominent travelers passing through Nairobi and grew into the larger complex that exists today.

The hotel's restaurant is named after Lord Delamere, a settler figure of early colonial Kenya, and serves classic cuisine and cocktails. The property also keeps a Ford Model A Roadster from the 1973 "transportation trio" display, combining hand-drawn, animal-drawn and machine-propelled vehicles, still on site today.

The hotel stands on Harry Thuku Road, on four acres with its own tropical garden, within walking distance of the National Museums of Kenya and the Kenya National Theatre. The heated outdoor pool, fitness centre and business centre are on site. The German Cultural Centre and French Cultural Centre are nearby.

A 1973 museum piece called the "transportation trio" combines hand-drawn, animal-drawn and machine-propelled vehicles, among them a Ford Model A Roadster that is still kept on the property. The hotel also served as the base for early explorers heading to the Masai Mara, the Kenyan coast and the Great Rift Valley.