Tribe Hotel, a member of Design Hotels,  is a family-owned and -operated 5-star property in Nairobi, offering travelers many reasons to visit Kenya’s dynamic capital city. Founded in 2008 by Shamim Ehsani and his elder brother Hooman Ehsani, this globally acclaimed hotel and spa represents the best of African hospitality.

© Tribe Hotel

With 128 guestrooms and a 10,000-square-foot spa, this hotel honors African and Kenya’s traditions and culture through its design and acclaimed food and beverage offerings at the hotel’s Jiko Restaurant. Tribe Hotel also boasts a definitive collection of 900 pieces of African artwork and artifacts, curated by the founders’ mother.

“Nairobi is an incredibly vibrant modern African city that combines economic vitality, artistic splendor, a fashion scene, technological prowess and amazing dining and cocktail options,” said Shamim Ehsani, cofounder, director and developer, Tribe Hotel. “While many people may think of Nairobi only as a jumping off spot for safaris, we see it as a compelling travel destination in its own right, with something for everyone, including unforgettable wildlife to see within the city’s limits.”

Tribe Hotel (usually called just The Tribe) was designed by architect Mehraz Ehsani, Shamim Ehsani’s uncle, with stunning interiors by Les Harbottle. The feeling is somewhat New York City chic with an inviting and friendly African ambiance.

© Jiko Restaurant

The Ehsani family also owns nearby 216-room Trademark Hotel, a business-oriented property close to The Tribe that attracts conferences, events and incentive groups. The superhero-themed Hero Bar is a world-famous venue inhabiting Trademark’s ninth-floor rooftop bar. The colorful Hero Bar brings the world’s best bartenders to Nairobi through its pop-up series and guest bartending around the world to pollinate bar culture.

The Ehsani family is dedicated to making Nairobi a global travel destination by creating and maintaining the 5-star Tribe Hotel; the adjacent Village Market complex, East Africa’s largest mall; and Trademark Hotel. All three businesses are situated within a few minutes’ walk of each other in the heart of Nairobi’s diplomatic district.

© Hero Bar

Jiko Restaurant at The Tribe offers flavors of the African continent with authentic, local ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it makes it the first 5-star hotel in Africa to celebrate indigenous cuisines.

Residents of Nairobi spend 50 percent of their disposable income on food and beverages, one of the highest percentages globally, supporting the city’s large numbers of restaurants and bars. The Village Market, East Africa’s largest mall, and The Tribe and Trademark properties all together offer more than 50 restaurants and bars where shoppers can sip bubble tea, munch on Korean fried rice and explore countless global cuisines after a day of browsing its 250 shops.

For half-day excursions, many visitors travel to the historic Kiambethu Tea Farm, about 40 minutes north of The Tribe. Nairobi exemplifies the best of this $1 billion local tea industry, and Kenya is the only producer of purple tea in the world. Visitors can tour the tea farm and see how life there is carried out.

© Tribe Hotel

For another memorable outing, only 30 minutes south of The Tribe, Nairobi National Park offers visitors an opportunity to view lions, cheetahs, leopards, baboons, rhinoceroses, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, impalas, jackals, hyenas, crocodiles and other wildlife. At the park’s Giraffe Center, visitors can feed giraffes by hand. Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, in another area of the park, rescues abandoned baby elephants and raises them to adulthood before reintroducing them to their original natural surroundings in the wild.

Another interesting attraction is a visit one of the flower farms and markets in and around Nairobi. Kenya is the world’s fourth-largest grower and exporter of flowers, generating more than $900 million annually. In Nairobi, there are hundreds of colorful flower farms, and flower stands line major roadways in the city.