History to stand side by side with modernity at century-old hotel

Rebranding after 100 years is no mean feat.

Repairing 100 years of wear and tear, while maintaining a century’s worth of heritage, and at the same time bridging the gap with modernity may be a formidable task for any entrepreneur.

This is what faced Ms Lucy Kairu as she contemplated what to do with the White Rhino hotel, one of the first restaurants constructed in the Mt Kenya region.

Built in 1910 in Nyeri town for big game hunters, the White Rhino has had a rich legacy spanning pre-colonial Kenya when it was a whites’ only facility, through to the 21st century.

According to history, the hotel got its name from a white rhino that had been shot by hunters and staggered to death at the spot where the hotel now stands.

With its British roots, the homely cottage style hotel has for long been a favourite with high spending visitors to Nyeri and is a major landmark in the town.

The hotel was bought by Mrs Kairu’s late husband Mr Munene Kairu, a former MP for Kieni constituency, in the previous greater Nyeri district.

At the time Mr Kairu bought the hotel in 1984, he was the fourth owner having changed hands three times since it was built by Sherbrooke Walker who later built the Outspan Hotel.

At her husband’s death in 1998, Mrs Kairu had young children who were still in school and she had to leave the hotel under a manager so as to first concentrate on her children.

With the children having finished school, she turned her attention to the hotel and decided to close it for renovations in 2008.

“The hotel was quite old and had depreciated. It had many cracks and even the roof was leaking. Trying to repair it was not feasible since the cost was too high so I decided to close and renovate it altogether,” said Mrs Kairu.

But having been gazetted as a national monument in 2000, the hotel could not be demolished and Ms Kairu had to seek approval from the National Museums of Kenya before doing any work.

Earnest work began in 2009. Since the old White Rhino block had to remain as it was, it took a lot of creativity to give it a much needed facelift.

The hotel’s main entrance was decked with an elegant glass roof that leads one to the reception which has a gleaming tiled counter, and stylish bamboo weaved furnishings.

The antique wooden floor that runs through the old block was re-polished while the serrated walls and stone pillars were repainted.

The Terrace restaurant, directly next to the hotel’s entrance was furnished with grey manila webbed seats and matching tables.

A panel of glass sliding doors opens to the adjacent Terrace garden which is adorned with rustic brass tables and chairs, with oriental patterns that beautifully blend into the garden’s green grass and flowers.

Exotic wood and metal chandeliers which conspicuously stand out from the white ceiling were chosen to complement the extensive use of wood throughout the building.

The décor used brings out an ambience of rich legacy and heritage which carries through to both the Marura and Thingira bars.

Both bars have new additions of chic mahogany counters, bamboo weaved chairs and matching tables.

The design of the bars has maintained the classical touch that is so familiar with the old generation who used to frequent the hotel before it was closed for renovations.

“For the old generation, we have maintained the old block,” noted Ms Kairu.

The dining room with a capacity of 60 has received a fresh look with aquariums and large chandeliers, while the adjoining kitchen has received a major facelift with a tiled floor and walls, and new modern cookers.

The most conspicuous addition to the hotel is an imposing, hip, glass walled, restaurant.

A wooden arch bridge built above a pond with a fountain leads to the restaurants’ entrance.

Specially designed for young patrons, the spacious restaurant doubles up as a soundproof club, with a capacity to hold more than 120 guests.

The restaurant has been lined with a salient mazeras and brick floor and has a centrally placed tiled counter, a PA system and a stage for performances.

The hotel’s 11 rooms have been enhanced with permanently fixed headboards and spring mattresses.

The rooms open with internet linked key cards controlled at the reception and connected to the rooms’ lighting system.

Two conference rooms with a combined capacity of about 80 have been added to the hotel with another large capacity conference hall planned for construction.

This will also have 100 extra rooms and will be located behind the old block on the hotel’s grounds.

“We first want to reopen the hotel and then we will turn to the new construction,” said Ms Kairu.

For guests who want to quickly grab a snack without having to enter the hotel, a stylish Fast Food restaurant has been built next to the main gate with adequate parking for passing motorists.

“We have a new fast food joint just near the gate for people who just want to grab a snack and go,” said Ms Kairu.

The snack bar contains a confectionery for pastries and a grill for chicken and other meats.

A family area with fun items for kids has been added to the hotel along with a ground for events such as weddings and corporate functions.

At night, the hotel’s grounds are lit by automatic solar powered security lights.

“With time we plan to increase the solar panels so as to light even the inside with solar,” added the hotel’s proprietor.

A rainwater collection underground tank with a capacity of 180,000 litres has also been constructed to save on the water costs.

A team of more than 60 staff have already been recruited and are busy making the final touches before the hotel opens its doors to the public in a grand opening that is expected soon.

The impressive overhaul of the White Rhino hotel, is set to raise hotel standards in Nyeri town a notch higher forcing competitors to also up their services.

According to Ms Kairu, Nyeri town being a provincial headquarters deserves to have high calibre facilities and she hopes the move to invest in her home town will motivate other investors who hail from the region to do the same.

“We want to help Nyeri people to feel confident of investing in development of their home town,” she said.