- An artist's home that opened its door to the world - and found that the world, when it stepped inside, had no desire to
leave. In 1992, artist and filmmaker Tonio Trzebinski and his wife Anna one of Kenya's most celebrated fashion designers built a home in the forested suburb of Langata, on four acres of land that borders the Giraffe Sanctuary forest. It was their private world: a timber-fronted house filled with their own artworks, their collected African artifacts, their personal library accumulated over decades of life on the continent, their curated textiles and ceramics and sculptures and curiosities. It was, in every sense, a home built by people who had given their entire creative lives to Africa and wanted to live inside the evidence of that love.
For years, Hemingways Eden then known as One
FortyEight operated as a quietly beloved Nairobi secret, known to those in creative circles and the most adventurous end of the luxury travel market. In 2022, the property was welcomed into The Hemingways Collection, joining Hemingways Nairobi and the broader family of properties under that distinguished Kenyan brand. Today it operates as a boutique residence and private gallery a living museum, an artist's home, and one of the most utterly distinctive places to sleep in East Africa.
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The forest around it has never been anything other than wild. Bush babies call through the night. Hyenas drift beyond the fence. The Giraffe Sanctuary's 100- acre indigenous forest, home to over 200 bird species, begins where the garden ends. Guests are welcomed not by a hotel lobby but by Samburu warriors in traditional clothing, and by the smell of a fire already burning in the living room. Hemingways Eden Residence is owned and managed by The Hemingways Collection, which acquired the property in 2022 and has preserved its artistic identity while elevating its service standards to match the Collection's wider reputation for excellence. The Trzebinski family's creative DNA remains deeply present throughout the property in Anna's personal art curation, the hand-selected antiques, the curated library, and the Artisanal Gallery that occupies a central position in the residence. Guests today experience the home as it was always intended: as a total creative environment, not merely a place to spend the night. Hemingways Eden offers just 9 individually designed rooms across three distinct structures a scale of intimacy that ensures no two stays are ever the same, and that every guest receives the property's full personal attention.
MAIN HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM
Super-king bed, private veranda, en suite with bathtub and separate rainfall shower. The most generous room in the house, with direct access to the main living areas.
MAIN HOUSE - LANA & TACHA'S ROOM
King bed, large bathtub with shower over, privately positioned on the first floor.
MAIN HOUSE - STAS' ROOM
King bed, separate en suite with large rainfall shower, treetop views into the forest garden.
STUDIO - THREE LOFT ROOMS
Double-storeyed: king bed and wet room on the lower level, living area with treetop views above. Each loft is entirely self-contained and independently accessed.
STUDIO - TWO UPPER BEDROOMS
Above a shared enchantingly designed living room with fireplace, bar, and dining area - available as a studio exclusive for small groups or couples.
THE COTTAGE
A private, secluded one-bedroom suite with kitchenette and terrace - the most independent option at the property. The Main House and the Studio building may each be booked for exclusive use an option Vard Africa particularly recommends for groups and couples seeking total privacy within this extraordinary creative environment.
Artisanal Gallery (Contemporary African Art)
Private Library (African Artifacts & Books)
The Deck Restaurant & Bar
Chef's Table (Private Dining Experience)
Complimentary Breakfast Hamper
Working Fireplaces
Creative Workshops (on request)
Forest Garden & Wildlife Grounds
Exclusive -Use Options (House/Studio)
Giraffe Centre Adjacent (10 -min walk)
Airport Transfers Available
Nairobi NP & Cultural Excursions
Resident Guineafowls, Peacocks & Ibises
The Deck is Hemingways Eden's restaurant and bar an open-sided, forest-facing dining space that serves both à la carte and set menus for lunch and dinner. All fruit and vegetables are sourced from local farmer's markets or the owner's own kitchen garden: the commitment to freshness and provenance is total. For guests seeking the most immersive culinary experience, the Chef's Table offers a live cooking experience a private, participatory dinner in which the chef brings ingredients, technique, and storytelling to your own table. Subject to availability, it is one of the finest small-group dining experiences in Nairobi. Breakfast is served as a thoughtfully assembled hamper to be enjoyed in your room, on the veranda, or taken out to explore the garden at dawn. Hemingways Eden is where we send guests who have already seen the great hotels of Africa, and who are now seeking something else entirely something that cannot be replicated, branded, or systematized. This is a home. A real home, built by real artists, filled with the evidence of real lives lived with complete dedication to this continent. The sound of bush babies at 3am is not a nuisance here; it is the point. Arriving to a Samburu warrior at the gate, a fire in the living room, and Anna Trzebinski's art on every surface this is an arrival experience that resets everything. We recommend the exclusive-use option for honeymooners and intimate groups. It is, quite simply, unlike anything else we offer. Hemingways Eden represents the rarest category in luxury travel: the property that no amount of money can truly replicate, because what it offers was made by hands and lives and love over decades, not assembled by an interior design firm in a year. Anna Trzebinski's creative vision, present in every object, every colour choice, every piece of art on the wall, gives the property an authenticity that is the most valuable currency in modern travel. We love it absolutely. Hemingways Eden's intimate scale and creative atmosphere make it best suited to couples, solo travellers, and small groups of adults. Families with older children who appreciate art, culture, and the immersive wildlife environment of the forest grounds will find it deeply rewarding. The proximity to the Giraffe Centre a ten-
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minute walk through the forest makes it an exceptional choice for parents who want to combine cultural depth with wildlife wonder. Younger children in the creche- age group are better accommodated at properties with dedicated family facilities such as Hemingways Nairobi or Giraffe Manor.
Photo Gallery
