An 83-bedroom urban hotel in Lavington, Nairobi, with four restaurants, seven meeting and event spaces, a rooftop Peruvian dining room, a heated lap pool and a gym.
The Social House opened in Lavington in 2020 and does not behave like a city hotel. It calls itself a house rather than a hotel, and the difference shows on the ground floor: a coffee roastery and cafe-bar open around the clock, a garden dining room, an open-fire grill and a rooftop Peruvian restaurant, all of them serving Nairobi as well as residents. For a UK operator that makes it the rare Nairobi property where the night before or after a safari is worth building an evening around rather than sleeping through.
There are 83 bedrooms in six categories. The house calls them Triple S — simple to operate, stylish in natural tones with a splash of bright colour, sensible in what it puts within reach. Standard doubles, twins and accessible rooms run to 24 square metres with a 49-inch smart TV and a rainforest shower; the Bigger rooms are 37 square metres facing the pool; the Biggest are 48 square metres with a bathtub and a balcony, and each interconnects with a twin. Some twins and the accessible rooms interconnect too, which is the detail that matters when an operator is placing a family or a group travelling together.
Food and drink is where the house spends its personality. Copper is an open-fire urban grill, meat-led with fish and vegetarian options. Inca is the rooftop Peruvian dining room, drawing on Amazonian, Andean and coastal cooking, with sharing plates, live music and DJs. The Other Room is the all-day indoor-outdoor garden restaurant and terrace bar, farm-to-table and open around the clock. The Living Room is the cafe-bar and coffee roastery at the centre of the building, roasting Kenyan Arabica on site. Bedrooms carry the same coffee with a French press.
Seven meeting and event spaces run from The Snug, which seats four, to The Garages at 84 square metres, divisible in two and holding 70 for a cocktail reception. The Shed is indoor-outdoor with a terrace and a three-metre video wall; The Library has its own terrace and a 98-inch screen. Every space has fast Wi-Fi and Samsung electronic flip charts, which puts a small incentive group, a board meeting or a product launch inside the same building as the bedrooms.
Getting there is straightforward. The house is five minutes' walk from Lavington Mall, roughly 20 minutes from central Nairobi and Westlands, 20 minutes from Wilson Airport for light-aircraft safari departures and about 30 minutes from Jomo Kenyatta International, all in reasonable traffic. Two levels of underground parking sit beneath the building, and chauffeured transfers are arranged by the house. Nairobi National Park, the Giraffe Centre and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust are all short drives, so an arrival day has somewhere to go.
Sustainability here is a published programme rather than a towel card. Water is purified and bottled on site, still and sparkling; guest rooms use refillable glass dispensers instead of disposable plastic; about 90 per cent of food produce is grown or reared in Kenya, with herbs, chillies and salad leaves grown on the roof. The house is lead sponsor of Friends of Nairobi National Park and a partner in Plan International's Youth Employment Programme. It is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts' Lifestyle Collection and has taken Kenya's Leading Boutique Hotel at the World Travel Awards in each year from 2021 to 2025.
Kusa Connect represents The Social House to the UK travel trade — building awareness with the specialist operators who programme Kenya, briefing consultants, coordinating FAM trips and handling trade product enquiries. Rates, allotments and contracting sit between the hotel, its ground-handling partners and the operators they contract with.
Why visit
- Four restaurants under one roof, two of them open around the clock, so a first or last night in Nairobi has somewhere to go without a taxi.
- Inca, the rooftop Peruvian dining room, is a Nairobi night out in its own right rather than a hotel restaurant filling a gap.
- 83 bedrooms across six categories, from 24 sqm doubles to 48 sqm rooms with a bathtub and a balcony.
- Interconnecting rooms in the twin, accessible and Biggest categories — the detail that decides where a family or a group travelling together can go.
- Seven meeting and event spaces, from a four-seat snug to an 84 sqm room divisible in two, putting a small incentive group or a board meeting in the same building as the bedrooms.
- About 30 minutes from Jomo Kenyatta International and 20 from Wilson, so it works as both an arrival night and a staging point for a light-aircraft safari departure.
- Heated outdoor lap pool, a gym and a garden — what a client actually wants after a long-haul flight.
- A published sustainability programme: on-site water purification and bottling, rooftop growing, and about 90 per cent of food produce sourced in Kenya.
Accommodation
- Unit Type
- Bedroom
- Total Units
- 83
- Room Breakdown
- Double-bedded Bedroom · Double bed 180 x 200cm, 24 sqm, rainforest shower, 49-inch smart TV · sleeps 2
- Twin-bedded Bedroom · Two beds 90 x 200cm, 24 sqm, rainforest shower, 49-inch smart TV; some interconnect · sleeps 2
- Accessible Bedroom · Two beds 90 x 200cm, 24 sqm, rainforest shower, interconnects to a king-bedded room · sleeps 2
- Balcony Bedroom · Double bed 180 x 200cm, 24 sqm, balcony, rainforest shower, 49-inch smart TV · sleeps 2
- Bigger Bedroom · King bed 200 x 200cm, 37 sqm, facing the pool, rainforest shower, 55-inch smart TV · sleeps 2
- Biggest Bedroom · King bed 200 x 200cm, 48 sqm, bathtub and balcony, 55-inch smart TV; interconnects to a twin-bedded bedroom · sleeps 2
Room amenities
- Interactive TV controlling in-room dining, restaurant bookings, room service, temperature, lighting and wake-up calls
- 49-inch smart TV (55-inch in Bigger and Biggest Bedrooms)
- Smartphone room key
- The Social House app for requests, bookings and house information
- Rainforest shower
- Freshly roasted Kenyan AA coffee with a French press
- Sustainable Kenyan bathroom products in refillable glass dispensers
- Air conditioning
- Bathtub (Biggest Bedrooms)
- Balcony (Balcony and Biggest Bedrooms)
Dining
- Inca
- Rooftop Peruvian restaurant drawing on Amazonian, Andean and coastal cooking. Sharing plates and cocktails, live music and DJs. Lunch and dinner.
- Wine
- A global wine wall, with reds from Italy, Argentina and South Africa alongside Bordeaux
- Copper
- Urban open-fire grill. Meat-led with fish and vegetarian options; warm, relaxed and intimate. Lunch and dinner.
- Board Basis
- Bed and breakfast, with all-day dining available
- The Other Room
- Garden-inspired farm-to-table dining room and terrace bar, indoor-outdoor, seasonal and locally sourced. Open around the clock.
- The Living Room
- Cafe-bar and coffee roastery at the heart of the house, roasting Kenyan Arabica on site. Casual dining and takeaways. Open around the clock.
- Restaurants On Site
- 4
- Dietary Requirements Accommodated
- Yes
Activities included
- Heated outdoor lap pool
- The Jim — gym with treadmills, multifunction machines and free weights
- Back garden and terraces
- A rolling programme of house happenings spanning art, music, fashion, comedy, cuisine and markets
Optional activities
- Nairobi National Park game drive
- The Giraffe Centre
- Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage
- Chauffeured transfers and city runs
- Yoga and guided wellness sessions
- Sip and Paint, pottery and other creative sessions
- Tailored team-building for corporate and incentive groups
Facilities
- Four restaurants and bars: Copper, Inca, The Other Room and The Living Room
- Seven meeting and event spaces, indoor and outdoor
- Heated outdoor lap pool
- Gym (The Jim)
- Back garden and terraces
- Two levels of underground parking
- In-house Kenyan Arabica coffee roastery
- On-site water purification and bottling, still and sparkling
- Rooftop herb, chilli and salad garden
- House Gifts retail shop
- Fast Wi-Fi throughout, including all meeting and event spaces
Sustainability
- Waste
- Organic waste goes daily to farms for animal feed. Grease-trap sludge is converted to fertiliser by a contractor, used kitchen oil is collected by Münzer so it cannot re-enter the food chain, waste is separated into wet, dry and paper streams, and cleaning detergents are biodegradable.
- Water
- Sensor taps in public washrooms, sub-metering across laundry, kitchen and mains supply, and water-efficient bathroom fixtures cutting consumption by up to 20 per cent.
- Energy
- Property-wide energy tracking through e-gauge metering, solar panels paired with electric heat pumps, efficient lighting with dimmers, timers and motion sensors, and card switches tying room air conditioning to occupancy.
- Community
- Partner in Plan International's Youth Employment Programme, providing orientation, practical skills training, assessment and employment for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including people with disabilities.
- Conservation
- Lead sponsor of Friends of Nairobi National Park (FoNNaP), founded in 1995 to support the Kenya Wildlife Service in the park and the surrounding ecosystem.
- Local Sourcing
- About 90 per cent of food produce is grown or reared in Kenya. Mint, thyme, rosemary, parsley, soft lettuce and yellow Peruvian chillies are grown on the roof.
- Single Use Plastic
- Still and sparkling water is purified and bottled on site, and guest rooms use refillable glass dispensers for oil, soap and shower gel in place of disposable bottles.
Practical information
- Wifi
- Fast Wi-Fi throughout, including every meeting and event space
- Power
- Type G (UK) sockets, 240V
- Currency
- Kenyan Shilling (KES)
- Languages
- English and Kiswahili
- Time Zone
- East Africa Time (UTC+3)
- Accessibility
- Accessible bedrooms with twin beds, interconnecting to a king-bedded room
UK trade information
How The Social House reaches the UK travel trade
The Social House is represented in the UK travel trade by Kusa Connect, an ATTA member UK rep company founded by Graeme Watson.
For UK trade enquiries about The Social House, contact Kusa Connect or speak directly with Graeme Watson — founder of Kusa Connect (ATTA member), former SATSA Board Director.
- Property
- The Social House
- Location
- Lavington, Nairobi, Kenya
- Property type
- boutique hotel
- Nearest airport
- Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) (Approx. 30 minutes in reasonable traffic)
- Bedrooms
- 83, across six categories
- Restaurants
- Four — Copper, Inca, The Other Room, The Living Room
- Meeting & event spaces
- Seven, from 4 to 70 guests
- Affiliation
- Preferred Hotels & Resorts — Lifestyle Collection
- Opened
- 2020
- UK trade rep
- Kusa Connect — ATTA member
- Trade contact
- Graeme Watson, Founder
Frequently asked questions from the UK trade
How is The Social House sold to the UK travel trade?
UK travel agents recommend The Social House to their clients, who book through specialist UK tour operators, who in turn work with the destination's Destination Management Companies for in-country operations. Kusa Connect is The Social House's UK trade representative and does not take consumer or retail-agent bookings.
Where is The Social House?
The Social House is in Lavington, Nairobi, Kenya. The nearest airport is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), approximately 30 minutes in reasonable traffic from the property.
Who represents The Social House in the UK?
The Social House is represented in the UK travel trade by Kusa Connect, a boutique UK rep company for African travel founded by Graeme Watson — a former SATSA Board Director, ATTA member and member of the Institute of Directors UK. FAM trip availability, trade product information and operator introductions are all handled through kusaconnect.com/contact.
What is near The Social House in Lavington?
The Social House is at 154 James Gichuru Road in Lavington, west of central Nairobi. It is five minutes on foot from Lavington Mall, and in reasonable traffic about 10 minutes from Junction Mall, 15 from Westlands, 15 from Nairobi Hospital and 20 from the city centre. Two levels of underground parking sit beneath the building.
How far is The Social House from Nairobi airport?
About 30 minutes by road from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) and about 20 minutes from Wilson Airport (WIL), both in reasonable traffic. Wilson is the departure point for light-aircraft safari transfers to the Maasai Mara, Samburu and the northern conservancies, which is what makes the hotel work as a staging point rather than only an arrival night. Chauffeured transfers are arranged by the house.
How many rooms does The Social House have?
Eighty-three bedrooms in six categories. Double-bedded, twin-bedded, accessible and balcony rooms are 24 square metres with a rainforest shower and a 49-inch smart TV. Bigger Bedrooms are 37 square metres with a king bed facing the pool. Biggest Bedrooms are 48 square metres with a king bed, a bathtub and a balcony. Every Biggest Bedroom interconnects with a twin, some twins interconnect with each other, and the accessible rooms interconnect with a king-bedded room.
Does The Social House suit families or groups travelling together?
The interconnecting rooms are the reason it does. Biggest Bedrooms each interconnect with a twin-bedded room, some twin rooms interconnect with one another, and accessible rooms interconnect with a king-bedded room, so a family or a party travelling together can be placed side by side rather than scattered down a corridor. A heated outdoor lap pool, a garden and a 24-hour cafe make a long-haul arrival day easier to fill.
What restaurants are at The Social House?
Four, and they are open to Nairobi as well as to residents. Copper is an open-fire urban grill, meat-led with fish and vegetarian options. Inca is the rooftop Peruvian restaurant, drawing on Amazonian, Andean and coastal cooking, with sharing plates, live music and DJs. The Other Room is the all-day indoor-outdoor garden dining room and terrace bar, farm-to-table and open around the clock. The Living Room is the cafe-bar and coffee roastery at the centre of the building, roasting Kenyan Arabica on site.
Does The Social House have meeting and event space?
Seven spaces. The Shed is 68 square metres on the ground floor, indoor-outdoor with a terrace and a 3m x 2m video wall, holding 60 for a cocktail reception. The Garages is 84 square metres on the fifth floor, divisible in two, holding 70. The Library is 36 square metres with its own terrace and a 98-inch screen. The Snug, The Studio and The Workshop are small fifth-floor rooms seating four to eight. Every space has fast Wi-Fi and screens, and Samsung electronic flip charts are available.
Is The Social House a good first or last night before a Kenya safari?
It is built for it. Four restaurants under one roof mean an arrival evening does not need a taxi, two of them serve around the clock for clients landing at difficult hours, and Wilson Airport is about 20 minutes away for the next morning's light-aircraft departure. Nairobi National Park, the Giraffe Centre and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust are all short drives, so a spare day at either end has somewhere to go.
Is The Social House part of a hotel group?
It is independently owned and Kenyan-run, and a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts' Lifestyle Collection — so it appears in Preferred's inventory and the I Prefer loyalty programme while remaining an independent house rather than a chain property.
What has The Social House won?
The house has been named Kenya's Leading Boutique Hotel at the World Travel Awards in each year from 2021 to 2025.
What does The Social House do on sustainability?
It runs a published programme rather than a towel card. Still and sparkling water is purified and bottled on site; guest rooms use refillable glass dispensers for oil, soap and shower gel in place of disposable plastic; about 90 per cent of food produce is grown or reared in Kenya, with herbs, chillies and salad leaves grown on the roof. Energy is tracked property-wide with solar panels paired to electric heat pumps, water fixtures cut consumption by up to 20 per cent, and organic waste goes daily to farms. The house is lead sponsor of Friends of Nairobi National Park and a partner in Plan International's Youth Employment Programme.
How do UK tour operators contract The Social House?
Through the ordinary trade channel. UK travel agents recommend the hotel, specialist UK tour operators programme it into their Kenya itineraries, and those operators contract through their Kenyan ground-handling partners. Kusa Connect is the hotel's UK trade representative: product briefings, consultant training, FAM trip coordination and trade product enquiries come through kusaconnect.com/contact. Rates, allotments and contracting terms sit between the hotel, its ground partners and the operators they contract with, and are not published here.