Sarova Woodlands Hotel & Spa, Nakuru

Overview

Sarova Woodlands Hotel & Spa is Nakuru city’s leading contemporary hotel, set on a leafy avenue in the upscale Milimani neighbourhood adjacent to State House, just 2.5 km from the central business district. Opened by the Sarova group as a modern counterpart to its in-park Lion Hill lodge, it combines 147 stylish air-conditioned rooms with a full spa, health club, pool and some of the best conference facilities in the Rift Valley. With the main gate of Lake Nakuru National Park only about 10 km away, it doubles as an excellent base for safari day trips — and its 4.6 rating across thousands of guest reviews speaks to consistently polished service.

About the Property

The hotel is an unmistakable landmark on the way to Menengai Crater, designed in a contemporary style softened by gardens, a courtyard and mature trees that give the property its name. Guests move between the Cinnamon Restaurant with its live cooking stations, the relaxed outdoor Courtyard café, the poolside and the Tulia Spa. As part of Sarova Hotels & Resorts, the property participates in the Sarova Zawadi loyalty programme, and its gift shop stocks quality Kenyan artefacts sourced directly from artisans across the country.

Quick Facts

• 147 air-conditioned rooms and suites, from Superior Rooms to a Presidential Suite
• 2.5 km from Nakuru CBD; ~10 km from the main gate of Lake Nakuru National Park
• 1 km from Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site; ~9 km from Menengai Crater
• Full-service Tulia Spa, sauna and health club/gym
• Year-round outdoor pool with garden and city views
• Churchill Ballroom (up to 450 reception) plus three boardrooms — among Nakuru’s largest conference venues
• Cinnamon Restaurant (buffet, à la carte, live cooking) and The Courtyard al fresco café
• 24-hour room service, free Wi-Fi and free parking

Location

The hotel sits just off the main Nairobi–Nakuru highway on the approach to Nakuru town, in the quiet, secure Milimani residential area next to State House — close enough to the city for business and shopping (a supermarket is a five-minute walk), yet peacefully removed from the bustle. It is ideally placed for the Rift Valley circuit: Lake Nakuru National Park (~10 km), Hyrax Hill (~1 km), Menengai Crater (~9 km), Nakuru Golf Club (~4 km), and day trips to Lakes Elementaita, Naivasha, Bogoria and Baringo.

Accommodation

All 147 rooms are en-suite and air-conditioned with blackout curtains, premium bedding and a pillow menu, 43-inch satellite LED TV, tea/coffee facilities, minibar, safe, work desk, VOIP telephone, high-speed Wi-Fi, hair dryer, bathrobes and slippers, and complimentary bottled water, with daily housekeeping and 24-hour room service. Hypo-allergenic bedding is available on request, and the hotel offers wheelchair-accessible facilities.

Dining

Cinnamon Restaurant serves a fusion of local and international flavours — including well-regarded African and Indian cuisine — through buffet and à la carte menus, with live cooking stations adding theatre to breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Courtyard is a relaxed outdoor garden space for coffee, snacks, casual meetings and sundowners, and there’s a stylish bar and lounge plus 24-hour in-room dining.

Facilities

Tulia Spa with massage and treatment rooms, sauna, fully equipped health club/gym, year-round outdoor pool, Cinnamon Restaurant, The Courtyard café, bar and lounge, Churchill Ballroom and three meeting rooms (Patterson, Huxley, Hemingway), business centre, concierge and tour desk, gift shop, gardens and terrace, laundry/dry cleaning, free Wi-Fi throughout and ample free secure parking.

Why Choose Sarova Woodlands

• The most polished full-service hotel in Nakuru city — modern rooms, consistent Sarova standards and outstanding guest ratings
• Perfect two-in-one base: city comfort with Lake Nakuru National Park game drives just 15 minutes away
• Nakuru’s premier conference address — a 450-capacity ballroom plus breakout rooms make it the region’s go-to for meetings and weddings
• Full wellness offering: Tulia Spa, sauna, gym and a year-round pool
• Quiet, secure Milimani location next to State House, minutes from the CBD
• Excellent dining, with live cooking stations and standout Indian and African menus
• Sarova Zawadi loyalty benefits and easy pairing with sister lodge Sarova Lion Hill inside the park

Get There

• By road from Nairobi: ~155 km / 2–3 hours on the A104 Nairobi–Nakuru highway; the hotel is just off the highway in Milimani, shortly before Nakuru town centre.
• By air: Fly to Nairobi (JKIA or Wilson, ~140 km) or Eldoret International (~127 km) and transfer by road; charter flights can use the Lake Nakuru National Park airstrip.
• To Lake Nakuru National Park: ~10 km / 15 minutes to the main gate — easy for morning and afternoon game drives.

Activities

• Game drives in Lake Nakuru National Park — rhino, flamingos, Rothschild’s giraffe and tree-climbing lions
• Hiking and viewpoints at Menengai Crater, one of the world’s largest calderas
• Exploring the Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site, 1 km away
• Day trips to Lakes Elementaita, Naivasha, Bogoria and Baringo, and Hell’s Gate National Park
• Golf at Nakuru Golf Club (~4 km)
• Spa treatments, sauna, gym sessions and swimming
• Shopping and nightlife in Nakuru city; conference, wedding and garden events at the hotel