By KARI MUTU

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Sitting on the veranda of the Ole-Sereni Hotel, off Mombasa Road, and facing the Nairobi National Park makes you forget you are in the city and metres away from a major highway.

I have had meals at the hotel before but recently I had a chance to spend a night at the hotel too.

I checked into a club room, which is larger than the standard room. It has a tall window overlooking the wilderness, now lush and green following the ongoing rains. I get a glimpse of five buffaloes grazing at the nearby watering hole accompanied by white cattle egrets.

The room was well-furnished with wine-red curtains and bed runners, adding warmth to the chilly Nairobi nights. It actually rained most of the night during my stay but I slept soundly because of the double-glazed windows.

In keeping with the hotel’s theme of African chic, the walls are adorned with contemporary paintings of Kenyan communities and wildlife by Kenyan artists.

The deluxe rooms face the city centre. The suite comes with a living room, a dining table with safari-style chairs, a four-poster bed and a Jacuzzi bathtub. It also has a guestroom.

I tried out the Duma Spa for an aromatherapy massage despite advice that the most popular treatments with guests were the Swedish and deep tissue massage, at a cost of Ksh3,000–Ksh8,500 ($30-$85).

For the energetic people, there is a gym and an open-air swimming pool on the lower ground floor, facing the park.

I liked the lively atmosphere of The Big Five, the all-day dining restaurant which has veranda seating as well.

In the late afternoon, the lobby area and adjacent balcony came alive with an evening crowd that enjoys the jazz music playing in the background. The Waterhole Bar, which serves a menu of snacks and light meals, also got busy with both hotel guests and walk-in clients.

The Eagles Steakhouse on the 4th floor offers a fine dining option, ideal for business lunches, elegant and and intimate dining with a view of planes coming in to land or taking off from the nearby Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

A new wing of Ole-Sereni Hotel that will add 130 rooms and 1,400 square metres of space is scheduled to be opened in October.

Ole-Sereni Hotel is conveniently located in the city yet offers the relaxed ambience of a game park hotel.