A beautiful trip covering Nairobi, Mount Kenya and Malindi with tips for wonderful stays

This one is indeed a Five Star hotel!
Huge and comfortable bed. Nice japanese restaurant. Good and plentiful breakfast buffet. The location is excellent with the MRT station across the street. Overall quality of the food, facilities and accommodation is very good!

However, the delivery of services by hotel staff clearly needs improvement.

• Cleaning by housekeeping is done seemingly rushed and clearly overlooking details with stains left behind where you don't want to see them. 
  
• Swimmingpool area was deserted of service and lounge chairs lacking cushions and just overall uncomfortable. 
  
• Bell service took forever to show up when I wanted to leave and the bill at checkout had to be recalculated manually due to the promised IHG discounts on food not having been processed, thus also took way too long (over 30 mins). 

Whilst I had a nice stay, the improvement areas make me conclude that the value for money could be a lot better!!

This hotel has everything to be a small patch of paradise just a stone's throw from London.

Amazing grounds, gorgeous lounge rooms for afternoon tea and Champagne aperitif with canapés, an exquisite spa, some beautiful suites in the Mansion and the pièce de résistence: an exquisite spa containing a beautiful black tiled 22m indoor pool. 

If only, ...... 

• If only investments in interior decoration, such as carpets and furniture, hadn't stopped, then you wouldn't be walking on murky beige-brown-ish floors, looking at scratches and faded plexiglass side tables or sitting on stained white sofas. 

• If only, the claimed 5* quality resulted in similar quality, discipline and professionalism of waiting staff, rather than those that prefer chatting with each other. 

• If only, they hadn't sold out to becoming a hotel focused on attracting conference groups that can't be kept apart from regular guests, then you might actually be treated well and feel special, which makes forking out a hefty sum to treat yourself to a special weekend actually worth it.
  

It saddens me to say that besides the spa, the Grove actually doesn't meet expectations anymore. I first came to The Grove when it had just opened and it was such a fabulous experience. Unfortunately that is no longer possible, I felt like an invisible and unimportant guest during my stay, and no matter how beautiful the surroundings are, that just really makes it not worth it. Too bad, as I had really wanted to try that gorgeous junior suite in the mansion. Ah well....

A trip down memory lane...

Wellness sanctuary at a coconut farm in the Philippine jungle

Paradise found in this spot of heaven....