Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Debuts in Africa
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Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Debuts in Africa
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Category: Africa Indian Ocean
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2007-10-29
Fairmont Mara Safari Club first of Three Kenyan Icons To Join Fairmont Collection
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced today the Fairmont Mara Safari Club has opened following an extensive renovation program. Surrounded on three sides by the Mara River, and on the edge of the world’s Seventh “New” Wonder of the World - the Masai Mara - Fairmont Mara Safari Club is the epitome of tented luxury. The resort will be joined by two additional renowned Kenyan properties in the coming months; in total, US$35 million of phased enhancements have been invested into Fairmont Mara Safari Club, Fairmont The Norfolk and Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, providing rich and distinctive offerings to guests.
With four poster, pillow-top beds and a veranda overlooking the hippo and crocodile-filled river, each of the 50 tents at Fairmont Mara Safari Club is superbly furnished with its own private, three-piece bathroom, including a number of “outdoor showers” in select tents. The larger-sized accommodations also feature expanded decks which allow for private dining, a new service.
The main lodge at the center of camp hosts an indoor restaurant, bar and library with Internet access to keep the relatives up to date with safari adventures. A spacious outside deck overhangs the river and leads to a heated pool, complete with bar and private massage tents. Outdoor dining will be enhanced with the creation of a boma, a structure influenced by traditional homesteads, where guests can enjoy a cultural dinner reflecting not only African cuisine but also rich musical accompaniment.
Guests can choose from a wide range of activities at Fairmont Mara Safari Club, including game drives and balloon safaris over the Mara plains capped with a champagne breakfast on the savannah or a stroll in the footprints of the hippo-trodden path escorted by a Masai Moran. The location provides a perfect base for visiting the Masai Mara, one of the world’s richest wildlife reserves, and home to an astounding array of animals including zebras, cheetahs, wildebeests, gazelles and of course the “Big Five”.
Fairmont’s commitment to the land and communities where it does business is a hallmark of the brand, and the company looks forward to furthering not only its approach to responsible hotel operations but also developing innovative community outreach programs in Kenya.
Also opening under the Fairmont banner are Fairmont The Norfolk and Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, which are in the final stages of refurbishment. The collection of three properties will afford travelers a variety of options from which to enjoy warm hospitality and create truly memorable experiences. Opened in 1904, Fairmont Norfolk stands as one of Africa’s most talked about gathering places, hosting luminaries like President Theodore Roosevelt and Out of Africa’s Isak Dinesen. Today, the 165-room property serves as a hub of Nairobi business and ideal safari departure point, with four restaurants, an outdoor pool, an elegant ballroom and four function rooms.
Just 190 kilometers (118 miles) to the north, Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, situated at the base of Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa, features 120 rooms in cottages, villas and suites on 100 acres of grounds, as well as a nine-hole golf course, pool, tennis and varied opportunities for adventure including horseback riding, bird watching, fishing, and an animal orphanage, as well as being a celebrated base for safaris. Founded by Oscar-winning actor William Holden, club membership included Winston Churchill, Bing Crosby and John Wayne.
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