Nairobi has one charm which should not be denied it. That is the fine, broad, well-metalled main street that runs for more than a mile straight from the railroad depot to the Norfolk Hotel." Even in 1909, when Nairobi was a swampy collection of corrugated iron roofs and dirt tracks, WS Rainsford, in The Land of the Lion, had something good to say for it.

Nearly 100 years later this East African city, which borders a major game park, is an unusual blend of western sophistication and African charm. Most tourists, arriving after a long flight, will stay in Nairobi before embarking on safari. Their accommodation - location, ambience, comfort and price - can make the difference between loving and loathing this major African hub.

Modern Nairobi has grown up around the Norfolk Hotel, which opened in 1905. Roads and buildings constructed since (including the nearby university) ensure there is no longer a straight route from the station. But the Norfolk is still central enough for access to shops, business and the National Museum, and comfortable enough for guests, once inside, to be unaware of the exterior bustle. Brass ceiling fans and potted palms transport you into the refined lifestyle of former times, and guests in safari outfits play to the Out of Africa image. Lord Delamere, an early patron, used to take pot shots at street lamps from the Norfolk verandah, but today this is a shade-covered restaurant frequented by Nairobi's more affluent residents.

Not far from the Norfolk is one of the city's lesser-known hotels, the Nairobi Safari Club. Until recently it was limited to members only and its leather furniture still generates a clubby ambience. One selling point is that every room is a suite, so occupants have ample personal space. For this reason it is favoured by business people who prefer the fact that the "club" reputation ensures a limited flow of Nairobi's human traffic.

Like the Norfolk, the Stanley, on bustling Kenyatta Avenue, has a long past, but apart from the Thorn Tree Café and the sepia photographs adorning the foyer, the Stanley concentrates on the present, cultivating the atmosphere of a London hotel. The Thorn Tree was once a stopping point for travellers who used the tree's trunk as a message board. A few messages still adorn the bark, but cybercafés have replaced the bush telegraph. Nevertheless, the Thorn Tree is still a meeting place for locals, who, after years of using it as a pavement café, now sip their cappuccinos protected from the vagaries of street life by a glass screen.

Downtown Nairobi is bisected by the six-lane Uhuru Highway, choked with vehicles crossing the city. Although it flanks the road, the imposing entrance of the five-star Grand Regency is isolated from the noise and pollution. Entering this hotel is like stepping into Europe. The marble art deco foyer merges into a vast, airy atrium and is a pool of calm in the city centre. From the magnificent atrium mural to the exclusive Summit Club, the opulence belies the fact that for most of its life the hotel has been run by a receiver. Despite this unusual management arrangement, the Grand Regency retains its reputation as one of the best hotels in town.

On the other side of Uhuru Highway, near Nairobi's scrubby central park, is the Serena. Owned by the Aga Khan, every hotel in the Serena chain, while maintaining similar standards, has individuality. This one is furnished with the best African workmanship, so that (unlike in the Grand Regency) you know you are in Africa. With more parking space than any other downtown Nairobi hotel, it's also a business hub where politicians and bureaucrats meet to discuss Africa's future. Pedestrians could walk to the shops from here, but they take a risk crossing the highway. The nearby arboretum is a more peaceful alternative. Further up the hill, and only ten minutes' drive from Wilson (Nairobi's second airport) lies the Fairview, owned and run by the same family since 1946. This hotel is popular with independent travellers and NGO staff, who enjoy the personal touch. It's also one of the few hotels that makes no price distinction between residents and tourists. The Terrace restaurant is favoured (especially for lunch) by local office workers, who appreciate the garden surroundings, while those in a hurry prefer New York-style sandwiches made to order. At the northern end of the highway, near the Naivasha Road, is the busy area of Westlands, where the Landmark Hotel sits opposite an indoor shopping centre and a rambling craft market. A five-minute taxi ride towards Parklands will take you to the Holiday Inn Mayfair Court, where the Spur Restaurant, part of a South African chain, draws a local crowd in the evenings.

Lower budget hotels tend to vary widely and their websites don't always reflect the real thing. The long established Six Eighty Hotel (just off Kenyatta Avenue) and the Heron Court Hotel (in Milimani Road) are generally good bets. The Heron Court also offers small apartments, but is located close to a sleazy nightclub.

The Comfort Inn, at the corner of Monrovia and Muindi Mbingu Streets in town, opened in recent months and is still fairly pristine. But be aware that walking around this area at night is not recommended. Nairobi Backpackers, also in Milimani Road, is a hostel in a 1940s colonial house, run by former overland guide Steve Bates.

If there's no reason to stay in Nairobi itself, then start your journey from the suburbs. Those going north to Mount Kenya and Samburu could sojourn at the Windsor Golf and Country Club, among the coffee estates of Kiambu. This is more a hotel with a club attached.

The manicured greens could be Sussex, while the monkeys, coffee bushes and view of Mount Kenya (subject to weather) are pure Africa. The ex-pat club members, however, and the excellent sporting facilities, endow an international flavour. At the same end of town, on Thika Road, the 64 acres of parkland around the Safari Park Hotel contain a casino and theatre. Spacious, cosmopolitan and dynamic, the Safari Park is loved by airline crews, who are fussy about where they stay. It is also the headquarters of the Safari Rally-quite a coup when you consider that wealthy motor sport teams can take their pick. At the opposite end of town, en route to the Masai Mara and Lakes Naivasha and Nakuru, and near the National Park, are the suburbs of Karen and Langata. This is Kenya cowboy country, where settler descendants still live the privileged lifestyle of their grandparents.

Romantic types will fall in love with Ngong House, with its luxury "tree-houses" scattered through forested gardens. You are unlikely to meet any settlers here except for the Belgian father and son who designed and built the tree-houses. From five metres up, the sunset view over the Ngong Hills is spectacular.

Close by is Giraffe Manor, probably the only place in the world where you can feed giraffe from your lunch table. The owners also run a nearby education centre, where local schoolchildren learn about their endangered environment and feed the rare Rothschild's giraffes that live there. In the quiet depths of Langata stands a small, discreet hotel, Macushla House. It has only six bedrooms and is adorned with the owner's personal collection of local art. While tourists come here on the first or last night of a safari, business people stay longer, preferring the surrounding bush to the concrete jungle. It's a long way to town from Macushla, which is hard to find if you don't know where you're going, but for anyone wanting to hide, this is the place.

Those on a much lower budget should drive down the Magadi Road, bordering the Nairobi NP, and stop at the campsite near Park Place. Here there are bandas (traditional wooden houses), safari tents, dormitories, a campsite, a restaurant and cold beers - just take your sleeping bag. Because Nairobi teeters precariously between the First and Third Worlds, it's important to select your hotel carefully. Staying somewhere that suits your itinerary and expectations can greatly enrich your experience of this dynamic city.


How it Hits the Pocket

Up to US$560
Ngong House (Full bd)
Giraffe Manor (Full/half)

US$250-$350
Serena
Norfolk

US$150-$250
Windsor Golf and Country Club
Grand Regency
Nairobi Safari Club
The Stanley
Safari Park
The Landmark
Macushla House

US$ 50-$150
The Fairview
Mayfair Court Holiday Inn

Under $50
The Six Eighty
The Heron Court
The Comfort Inn
Nairobi Backpackers
The Nairobi Park Services Campsite
Prices per double room. Rates at some hotels may be negotiable. Check whether rates include government taxes and service charges.