Times are changing and so is the travel and hospitality industry. Travelers are becoming more adventurous and open minded about new accommodation options while on the lookout for the best deals in town. Megan; One of the friends I met in last year’s KilifiNYE‘s  was in town with her friends! She constantly inboxed me asking for places to visit and things to do during their much planned October East African trip. She was keen on  trying everything that would make them feel like locals.I still laugh whenever I remember how hard she tried to fit in by calling herself ‘dem wa Nai‘(A Nairobian chic) with a deep British accent.

Exactly a day after they arrived,she invited me to see where they were staying.

She earlier on had mentioned that they were not keen on staying at a hotel at all and had seen a homely guest house on airbnb which they all unanimously settled for. She couldn’t wait for me to check out what was to be their home for the rest of the week. Top of her requirements was a  place they could effortlessly access matatus or Nganyas…

Getting to The Swan Place

A random web search and you find quite a couple of offers for home stays in Nairobi. There’s also quite a couple of airbnb listings. In most cases however, the listings hardly ever live up to what you see in their photos. So when Megan said she was checked in to a homestay, my ‘usual’ stereotype was instantly activated.

The Commute to The Swan Place was quite easy, took about 25 minutes by matatu from the city center. She picked me from the bus stop the we walk for about a minute or two to their home;The Swan Place. 

The Swan place.

Touch of elegance and class in furnishing

Walking through the doorway that led to the living room, I could have sworn my jaw must’ve hit the floor  from the pleasant surprise that awaited.Well maintained brown leather seats, matching throw pillows, a fluffy shaggy rag that sat comfortably on the polished wooden floor… and a naturally lit rooms. The house was clean and fresh and had a simple artsy interior decor. The soft toned snow white walls and the rich toned art pieces created a sharp contrast that would make any interior designer green with envy. Meagan’s house tour immediately debunked my biased airbnb myth. If anything, the photos did a lot of injustice to the swan place.

Common sitting area.

Dining area.

A steady shift in travel conventions: Home the Swan way

Now more than ever, travelers are opting out of the routine lonely and often pricier hotels and checking into shared and social homestays. Preference is mostly for conveniently located listings near major shopping malls, recreation facilities, entertainment spots and a few minutes’ drive from the city centres. The Swan Place lives up to all these considerations.It is two and a half minutes walk from the Junction shopping mall. and a four minute drive from The green house shopping mall and a five minutes drive from Prestige shopping mall. For party animals, there are quite a number of night clubs and sports bars lined up along the same road. Meagan loved brew bistro from their previous night out. She also mentioned it took them forty minutes to get to the house from the airport.

The Swan Place offers a different kind of accommodation that is getting many peoples attention. It is a home away from home. Guests get to have a more authentic experience and a chance to live like ‘locals’.

One of the four bedrooms per house.

Get in the Kitchen: Put your African Cooking skill to the test

Fully equipped kitchen.

Meagan was thrilled that the care taker had agreed to get her someone to take her to the nearby Toy market to shop for green groceries. She wanted to learn how to make ugali. The whole time I did not realize that the sheepish smile on her face meant that I was going to cook the ugali.

In addition to guests cooking for themselves, there is a resident chef, who is always happy to make finger licking food and an info booklet with restaurants that offer food delivery services.

The place has a fully equipped kitchen with a full sized refrigerator, microwave, and cooker.

Home away from home

Many people suffer homesickness when they wander out too far from their nest. When you have free wifi 24/7 at The Swan Place, home is only a click away! At the guest lounge, the Swan place offers, cable TV and on less busy days, this can be the perfect place to curl up with a book.

If you live in Kenya and in search of a place to hide away for the weekend, the swan place is your best alternative.

We sat down to enjoy pancakes and coffee made by one of Megan’s friends as I helped them create their itinerary.

Well, thanks to Megan, now I know where to hide in this city!

Tell your friends to tell their friends of this small piece of goodness on Ngong‘ road.

The Swan Place also can be rented out per room. So if you are travelling alone you can pay for your room and still access the common kitchen,dining area and sitting room.

The Swan Place has two houses with identical amenities, hence don’t ever fret if you have a bigger group of   visiting friends, family or business partners.

For more info on location, availability, booking and general inquiries, check out their website. or get in touch by calling direct on +254721 997 953.

Wishing you a lovely stay.