Shimba Hills hotel put up for sale five years after purchase

Kwale County-based hotel Shimba Hills Lodge, which is Kenya’s only tree lodge in the coastal rainforest, has been put up for sale.

Property firm Bush Telegraph posted the sale offer on its website, seeking a takeover of the lease and all contents.

While the company declined to reveal the value of the property located at the heart of the Shimba Hills National Park, sources say the initial selling price is set at Sh50 million.

When contacted, the hotel’s owner and managing director Gabriele Kampenhube declined to comment on the sale.

“We will be happy to answer your questions some time later as nothing is fixed/granted yet and we are careful especially in order to protect our team,” said Ms Kampenhube.

She purchased the facility in 2014, taking over its operations after hearing of its impending shutdown by the previous owners.

According to the sale notice, the hotel which was built in 1986 has recently been refurbished and started running with new management.

The renovations include the two suites, 18 rooms, common bathrooms, new good quality linen, decorations and general refurbishment of the lodge.

Its location has been described as the major attraction as it neighbours the Shimba Hills National Reserve and The Sheldrick Falls. Shimba Hills National Park is less than an hour’s drive from Diani Beach, a tourist hub.

The treehouse lodge boasts 30 rooms, all of which have balconies overlooking a waterhole.

“The Shimba Hills Lodge is the only ‘tree lodge’ within Kenya’s Coastal rain forest. An award winning design when built in 1986, it was commissioned as a coastal alternative to the famous Tree Tops,” says the website.