Hotel for the discerning business traveller

Seated in the comfort of the beautiful Bambara Lounge at the Nairobi Serena, two women are in deep discussion throwing glances at their tablets, keying in stuff on their slim-line laptops with their cell-phones placed conveniently on the table.

They are in a Skype meeting with business counterparts in America. Well into the virtual meeting, one of the women glances up and stretches. The waitress quickly comes over and the women order cappuccino as they take a break.

Over the coffee, they look around the artwork on the walls – carved wooden panels by one of East Africa’s finest artists – Expedito Kibulla also referred to as the Picasso of Africa and the carvings of the Bambara people of Mali. The wooden panels are a priceless collection based on African myths and folk stories.

World leaders

Nairobi Serena boasts of world leaders dropping in for meetings –like former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the United States Secretary of State John Kerry and closer home, the Kenyan and African political and business elite. Repeat business accounts for 40 per cent – and in today’s digital age, 30 per cent of bookings are directly done online.

“The consistency of our service has been proven over time. It’s never compromised,” states Daniel Kangu, the general manager who is a veteran hotelier who has been with Serena for well over two decades working his way up from the reception.

“The business traveller today requires a comfortable room and fast, reliable internet which is non-negotiable,” continues Kangu. “And then,” he says taking a break to sip his coffee, “there has to be good coffee. We have the best – our barista Rhoda Kamau is a highly skilled coffee maker who won the Kenya Barista Championship in 2012 and 2013.”

He continues. “We have three types of rooms - standard deluxe, superior and a selection of private suites. All are fitted with systems to power the modern-traveller’s gadgets like their laptops, tablets, USB’s and mobile phones.

“If you watch a business person today or even a leisure traveller dining at the table, you will see that he or she may have two or three electronic gadgets – which have to be powered on demand – hence the investment in the digital telephone system and the charging kits for the phones in all rooms. All these people are doing multiple things at the same time.

“Ten years ago, these things were not even in the picture. There’s so much that has changed in our lifetime that it amazes me. And it’s not going to stop there. We’re going to see more innovation in the digital world like laptops being phased out because they are bulky and replaced by lighter gadgets.

“It means that we have to consistently listen to the needs of our guests.” In keeping with the times, the rooms are continually renovated with the businesswoman and man in mind.

“Time is of essence in the business world – so bathtubs are out and walk-in showers are in, with a full bar, coffee and tea for the room occupant to brew whenever they want and even an iron box.”

It’s a shrewd observation. “The time of the baby-boomers is coming to an end and now we have the 30-year-olds whose needs are different. They are not particularly interested in table napkins and using too much cutlery. They hardly wear ties but dress in smart casual designer labels like Tommy Hilfiger.”

Business and Leisure

Situated within reach of the Central Business District (CBD), Capitol Hill (the new CBD), State House and government offices, Nairobi Serena is at the heart of the city with its beautiful landscaped gardens bordering Central Park.

Stepping out of Bambara Lounge, the reception and every floor boasts an eclectic collection of authentic African artwork collected from around the continent – much of it no longer seen like the Akamba traditional beadwork.

At a glance, it’s a fascinating expose from the tiny figurines of the West African ‘lost wax’ process to the Ethiopian finery and I’m happy to see that Expedito’s ‘Universal Couple’ has finally found a home as a centre-piece in the hotel lobby.

“We’re not a mass product. We want our guests to experience the warmth of pan-African art and feel at home. Our guests can stroll around the gardens for fresh air and not just whizz up and down elevators. We have six-bespoke conference and meeting rooms and the Wi-Fi is accessible everywhere around the hotel.