10 Best Luxury Lake Nakuru Lodges & Hotels

By Anthony Ham

Lake Nakuru National Park is one of Kenya’s premier parks. Among its many highlights are its highly visible population of rhinos, endangered Rothschild’s giraffes (at risk of becoming extinct in the wild) and tree-climbing lions, along with the possibility of flamingos, and landscapes of lake, escarpment and acacia forests. Such a variety of high-level attractions is all the more remarkable when you consider that Lake Nakuru is among the smallest of Kenya’s top parks. An overnight stay here allows you to take full advantage of everything the park has to offer.

This blog lists 10 of the best Lake Nakuru lodges and hotels. Some are located within the park’s boundaries or just outside, while others are in the city of Nakuru, just a few minutes away.

The accommodations below are not ranked in a specific quality order.

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1. Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge

Foggy view from a terrace of the Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge offers sweeping views and top facilities in a quiet location

Perched high on a hilltop just outside the national park, Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge is a 30-minute drive from the lakeshore. It commands outstanding views across the park and beyond to the distant mountains of the Great Rift Valley (a series of depressions in the Earth running through East Africa and beyond, containing some of the continent’s best-known lakes).

With no other lodges or camps nearby, it feels a little like a rural retreat. However, this is a full-service lodge with a swimming pool, as well as a bar, restaurant and lounge area designed to showcase the panoramic views. Rooms also look out over the landscape. They are large, full of character and decorated in traditional safari colors.

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2. Lake Nakuru Lodge

Couple having a sunset dinner at the Lake Nakuru Lodge Lake Nakuru Lodge occupies a prime position within the park and is a terrific place to stay

Another place with excellent views, set within the national park, Lake Nakuru Lodge looks over the lake from the southeast. From the lodge’s boundary fence, grasslands sweep down the hill toward the lake and its surrounding forests. You’ll often see animals passing by without even leaving the lodge. The old-style facilities here are excellent, with a good restaurant, a fine swimming pool, and rooms that face down into the park. Some rooms have uninterrupted views, which means you could easily sit on your balcony and feel like you’re on safari without going anywhere.

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3. Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge

Women looking at the Lake Nakuru through binoculars from her balcony in the Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge has a great location with fine facilities in a valley filled with trees

Where some of Lake Nakuru’s lodges offer far-reaching views, Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge provides a more intimate experience. Nestled within the national park, it lies hidden from the outside world in a tree-filled valley that winds into the hills not far from the lake. The setting, though different, is every bit as appealing as the hilltop places. The warmly decorated rooms have their backs to the hills and look down through the trees, while stone walkways connect the rooms to the swimming pool, gift shop, bar and wonderful restaurant.

When it comes to driving time, this is one of the closest accommodations to the lake. You can be looking at flamingos within minutes of leaving the lodge.

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4. Ziwa Bush Lodge

Rustic room interior of the Ziwa Bush Lodge Ziwa Bush Lodge offers a bush safari experience in Njoro with top rooms and facilities

The four-star Ziwa Bush Lodge is excellent. It offers good rooms, a quiet rural setting away from Nakuru’s clamor, and a delightfully shaded swimming pool. You’ll find the lodge in Njoro, which is north of Nakuru and was a popular playground for European settlers during the British colonial period. It’s a short drive from here to Lake Nakuru National Park. The rooms have all the comforts of a bush safari tent (wooden floors, safari-themed cushions) and a city hotel (fresh whitewashed bathrooms). The surrounding trees add to the sense of calm that prevails here.

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5. Sarova Woodlands Hotel & Spa

Couple having a romantic evening at Sarova Woodlands Hotel & Spa Sarova Woodlands is the best hotel in Nakuru’s city center, a short drive from Lake Nakuru National Park

Sarova Woodlands may be in the busy city center of Nakuru, but once you step inside the doors, you’ll feel yourself enveloped in calm and classy surrounds. Use the hotel as a base for visiting Lake Nakuru National Park, by all means. The park is, after all, barely minutes away by road. But don’t forget to leave the hotel behind and explore Nakuru’s downtown on foot.

Rooms are elegant and show off a classic luxury style: this is one of the Sarova chain’s signature properties. The bar and lounge area has excellent service and is easily Nakuru’s best place for high-class cocktails, with great meals too. The hotel also has a spa, a health club, the city’s best gift shop and professional service.

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6. The Cliff Camp

View of the Lake Nakuru from The Cliff Camp The Cliff Camp has exceptional Lake Nakuru views and a top location for exploring the park

No lodge has better Lake Nakuru views than The Cliff Camp. Perched on the escarpment (a very long, steep cliff) that overlooks the lake from the west, it will have you sitting and staring at the view for hours. It can be difficult to tear yourself away, especially when you compare the view to the flying scene in the film ‘Out of Africa’. Rooms have a boutique and present-day designer style, with big windows that take full advantage of the views.

For game drives, the in-park location and closeness to the lake give you a head start on most other visitors, allowing you to begin your drive earlier and stay longer as you explore the park.

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7. Hotel Waterbuck

Guests relaxing in the lounge area of Hotel Waterbuck Hotel Waterbuck is a business hotel in downtown Nakuru that is terrific all-round value

Hotel Waterbuck is located in the bustling heart of Nakuru and yet just minutes from the entrance to Lake Nakuru National Park. It’s an international-standard local hotel that’s popular with local businesspeople and international safari visitors. The excellent rooms feature a white-and-burgundy color scheme, and there is a pool and bar. Service is low-key but professional. True to its clientele, the good restaurant serves a fusion of local and international dishes. Nakuru’s vibrant street life starts right outside the hotel’s door.

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8. Egret Savanna Camp

Photo of the interior of the Egret Savanna Camp as viewed from the outside Egret Savanna Camp occupies its own corner of the park, with good facilities spread across the lawns

Hidden away in a corner of the park that sees very little passing traffic, Egret Savanna Camp is a great base for exploring Lake Nakuru. The safari tents here sit beneath soaring thatched roofs, and it’s a real pleasure just to wander the lawns and relax under the ample trees, or by the swimming pool. The open-sided restaurant really adds to the feeling of being out in the African wilds (even though the city of Nakuru lies just beyond the fence). It’s a unique opportunity to stay within the park boundaries without paying high-end prices.

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9. The Midland Hotel

Classy room interior at The Midland Hotel The Midland Hotel is a conveniently central Nakuru hotel with terrific rooms and amenities

Nakuru’s Midland Hotel may sit in the middle of town, but it feels like a refuge from the busy city streets right outside. The handsome rooms with warm color tones (some with carpet, others with wooden floors) are spacious and some have appealing wooden roof beams. The swimming pool feels like it belongs in some tropical oasis, and the open-air restaurant is also a great place to escape the clamor of city life. Best of all, you can be at the gates of Lake Nakuru National Park barely 15 minutes after leaving the hotel’s front door.

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10. Lake Nakuru Flamingo Resort & Spa

Interior of the Lake Nakuru Flamingo Resort & Spa Lake Nakuru Flamingo Resort & Spa has great facilities and is located in Nakuru, close to the park

At the popular Lake Nakuru Flamingo Resort & Spa, you’re in the suburbs of Nakuru but a stone’s throw (almost literally) from Lake Nakuru National Park’s Lanet Gate. Facilities for guests include a swimming pool, a gym and a sauna, while the rooms are filled with personality. The decor features heavy wooden furnishings in a traditional Kenyan style. There’s a light-filled restaurant that does a good job with international dishes, and the bar is a fine place to meet other travelers.

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