http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2009-11-24T00:56:53Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/ http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/11/13/155645/19 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/serenahotel2.jpg" class="top"><p>Tennis superstar Serena Williams is in Kenya for a three-day charity tour and she's decided to shack up at a very fitting hotel for her, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Serena+Nairobi+Hotel/local/1385"><b>The Serena Hotel</b></a> in Nairobi.<blockquote><p>The one half of the William&#146;s tennis sister-act and nine grand slam singles title winner, was befittingly whisked to Nairobi&#146;s Serena Hotel where she will be based during her stay in the country. </blockquote></p><p>Aside from having the same name as an athletic idol, The Serena Hotel is not a bad place to stay. The hotel has views of downtown Nairobi and the city's Central Park and has some of the modern comforts we need, like a pool, satellite TV and wireless internet hotspots. There's even an in-house salon juliana 2008-11-13T16:06:06-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/9/11/82649/2036 <![CDATA[<p><i>HotelChatter's newest contributing editor <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/user/ScarlettLion"><b>Scarlett Lion</b></a> is filing her stories from Uganda. Every now and then, she'll be sending us dispatches about the hotel scene here and around Africa. Got questions? <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com">Send 'em to us</a> and we'll get them answered. Enjoy.</i><p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/bizcenter.jpg" class="imgborder"><p><i>This is actually a hotel business center in San Francisco.</i><p>The average internet caf&#233;, dotted throughout any big city in Africa, will cost less than a dollar an hour. But, it might take about an hour to open your webmail. The average <b>luxury hotel business center</b>, however, will cost about $10 an hour. It will provide the user a connection speed that reminds him or her of the days of AOL and that grinding modem sound, now ScarlettLion 2008-09-17T13:35:55-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2007/3/7/115733/1249 <![CDATA[<p><object height="325" width="268"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j51GhggNFQ8"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j51GhggNFQ8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="325" height="268"></object></embed> <p>If you want to step away from your desk for 30 seconds and get a hotel window view of Nairobi, Kenya, then here's your chance.<p>This was shot from a room at Nairobi's <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Meridian+Court+Hotel/local/341/"><b>Meridian Court Hotel</b></a> during the Tuesday market, with lots of vehicles and walkers going in every direction. <p>The clip doesn't exactly come with high praise for the hotel itself though. Here's the description:<blockquote><p>A vid I shot from the Meridian hotel in Nairobi, on my first morning. The hotel was somewhat over priced and the <b>swiming pool was full of green pond scum!!</b> Later found a cheaper hotel just 5 mins from the national archive. But still I have Tim L. 2007-03-07T14:14:17-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2005/12/19/174842/45 <![CDATA[<img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/2474/skating.jpg"><p> <a href="http://www.eastandard.net/travel/hm_news/news.php?articleid=24621"><b>Panari Hotel</b></a> opened its doors 12 years ago as a "top class hotel" including: impressive lobby, several shower options: including normal, multi-jet, and steam, satellite TV and internet access.<p> However, what makes this hotel different is inside the property is the first ice skating rink in Kenya. Up to 200 skaters can double axle and triple salchow on this 15,000 sq. ft., solar powered rink.<p> The only issue? At $12 per skate, most Kenyan's will never get a sniff, as the price is just too high for most. <p> The only other Africa countries with ice rinks are South Africa and Egypt.<p> <p><b>Related Stories:</b><br>&#183;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eastandard.net/travel/hm_news/news.php?articleid=24621">Paradise at Panari</a>[The Standard]<br> &#183;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4543576.stm">East Africa's Ice Skating First</a> [BBC]<br>&#183;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294207-i9695-k338124-_Flights_from_Nairobi_to_Madagascar-l2055408-Nairobi.html#2055408-m10559.html">Panari GEM0330 2005-12-19T17:48:42-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2005/11/9/105141/850 <![CDATA[<img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3/jessica_simpson_africa.jpg"><p> While Jessica Simpson didn't want to talk with Billy Bush about anything but shoes--and can you blame her?<p> We know where Jessica and her creepy Dad shacked up while in Nairobi Kenya for <a href="http://www.operationsmile.org/">Operation Smile</a>.<p> The $525 a night <a href="http://www.lonrhohotels.com/norfolk/introduction.html"><b>Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi</b></a> housed the Simpsons in Africa.<p> The hotel is a popular package property--usually bundled at the start and finish of a safari package from <a href="http://www.abercrombiekent.com/">A&amp;K</a> and others.<p> So what is it like to stay here? A guest who visited the Norfolk earlier this year had this to say:<p> <blockquote><p> Location is across from a local college. Lots of street activity. I was informed NOT to travel outside the hotel at night on markj 2005-11-09T10:52:44-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/