Fairmont The Norfolk

Unfortunately we were only there for one night - but everything was lovely !
The staff were wonderful
And the express breakfast was lovely

Tatu is a top restaurant, and all the staff were excellent

Exceptional in every sense.

Environment and the property

Very good

Almost everything.

Sehr angenehme , luftige Frühstücksatmosphäre / bis 11 Uhr! :-)

Pretty gardens. Nice decor in the public areas. Very helpful staff

The service was absolutely amazing!!! The staff were all so warm and welcoming, helpful and all very polite and professional.

Excellent service, beautiful garden and fascinating historical hotel.
Thank you!

Dear Russell,

​I am writing to formally express my extreme dissatisfaction with my recent stay at Fairmont The Norfolk, which concluded on January 3rd.

​I arrived at property immediately following a six-night stay (December 25–31, 2025) at the Fairmont Mara Safari Club. My experience at the Mara was "unforgettable" and among the "best days of my life," defined by "impeccable service," "genuine smiles," and "absolute grace" from every staff member. Attaching the email i sent them the moment i left hotel for you to see the contrast. The staff there does not have NO word in their dictionary. Exemplary stuff...

​Unfortunately, the service at The Norfolk was a 1/10 by comparison. The stay was nothing short of pathetic due to the following:

​Verbal Harassment and Aggression: A Front Desk Executive had the audacity to call my room to argue with me in a raised voice simply because I inquired about the status of a delayed request. This confrontational behavior resulted in a distressing scene in the lobby and is a complete violation of Fairmont’s "effortless hospitality". Apparently being sarcastic is being abusive at Fairmont Norfolk. God help the staff and hotel. I confronted the person at lobby that's when she realised the messed with wrong person for wrong thing. Her words quote verbatim - '' It's just half an hour'' for sending a person to check why AC was not working in the room. 4-5 hours to resolve a basic ac issue.
Dull and Unresponsive Staff: Unlike the Mara team, who possessed "contagious enthusiasm" and "cheerful energy," your staff was dull and lacked basic engagement.
Gross Service Inefficiency: Basic requests, such as a tablespoon, took 20 to 30 minutes to fulfill. At the Mara Safari Club, the team "always managed to provide whatever food we were craving at any time" with total efficiency.
​Infrastructure Failures: The Wi-Fi was non-functional throughout my stay. Despite complaining approximately 20 times, the issue was never resolved. The AC complaint was lodged to check at around 11.30 only to be fixed around 2-3 pm.
​At the Mara, I felt "at home" due to the team's "warmth and efficiency". At The Norfolk, I felt harassed and ignored.

Furthermore, I must highlight the complete lack of knowledge and professionalism regarding the hotel’s own policies. My booking through Hera explicitly included a $100 daily Hotel Credit. However, the staff’s handling of this benefit was both confusing and patronizing.

​Lack of Transparency: At check-in, there was no clear briefing on where the credit could be applied. Instead of a seamless experience, I was forced to repeatedly ask whether it covered food, beverages, or spa services.
Inconsistent Policies: The staff’s responses were contradictory. Initially, they claimed it was strictly an F&B credit excluding the alcoholic drinks. When I corrected them—noting it was a 'Hotel Credit'—they eventually conceded, but acted as though they were 'doing me a favor' rather than honoring a confirmed booking benefit.
Arbitrary Restrictions: Most egregiously, I was initially told it could not be used at the Spa, despite 'Hotel Credits' typically covering all on-property outlets. This is a clear violation of the terms provided via my booking agent. I eventually decided not to spoil my vacation anymore and not use the credit for spa.
​Being treated with such 'notorious' and dismissive behavior is unacceptable. A guest should never have to argue with staff to receive the benefits they have already paid for.

​Given that this stay was a total failure of brand standards and caused significant distress, I am requesting compensation for my stay. I had intended to "gladly recommend" Fairmont properties to friends and family based on my time in the Mara, but this experience has severely damaged my trust in the brand.

We as a tourist visit not to gain bad experiences. This one experience has compelled us not to advise our friends (at least 10 of them) who were/have booked Fairmonts in kenya.
Because of 1 hotel all 3 have to suffer beyond repair. Further will inform in the group of our travel agents (FORA Advisors) as well who bring most of the traffic to Fairmonts in Kenya.

​I look forward to your prompt response regarding this issue.

​Regards

This is the second time we have stayed here it is excelent.

We worked with Eston, the tour coordinator, to book a driver / guide for a city tour for a free day in Nairobi.

Duncan, our driver and guide, was absolutely wonderful! He drove us around the central business district to start, highlighting key landmarks and historic buildings. Then, he helped us hunt down an ATM that would work for us. Next up was a visit to the top of the KICC Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Nairobi, for a marvelous view of the entire city. After that, we visited the Nairobi National Museum as well as the attached snake and reptile park - lots of interesting anthropological, cultural, and environmental info. We closed out the day with a delicious lunch and some souvenir shopping at a local mall.

Throughout the day, Duncan entertained us with a very pleasant conversation and lots of facts about Nairobi and Kenya. His obvious enthusiasm for his city and country were contagious, and we got a very special first impression of Nairobi. Thanks to Duncan for facilitating such a great day!

We love this hotel. It’s our third stay here and we always enjoy the atmosphere. The staff are so friendly and welcoming and the rooms are comfortable and spacious

Chef Davis the Toma Hawk steak out of this world. Just fabulous!

Tevin his service too was amazing can’t put it in words!

#Great experienced

Beautiful setting historic hotel with great grounds