To most of us, having a pet at the dinner table means suffering a dog underfoot, maybe even the random cat hopping up to snoop. But at Giraffe Manor, a unique hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, the long-necked animals regularly visit guests at the dining room table by poking their necks into windows in search of some treats!
The manor, which opened its doors to guests earlier this year after it was purchased by Tanya and Mikey Carr-Hartley, is located on 140 acres of protected forest. It's home to eight rare Rothschild giraffes, which are roughly 15 feet tall — the perfect height for sticking its head into your second-floor guest bedroom in search of a snack. Beware: 13-year-old Lynne is reportedly the leader of the herd and can be persistent about getting treats!
The leggy giraffes are just part of experience: the forest is also home to warthog families, antelope and many species of birds. Rooms start at $160 for daytime stays and up to $360 for overnight boarding. If guests and families want to learn a little more about their new long-necked friends, a visit to the property’s educational Giraffe Centre should satisfy a desire for both knowledge and doing good — the cost of entry benefits projects to protect endangered wildlife in Kenya.
"Having the giraffes so close is very special and something which people can now experience by staying in one of the six rooms at the hotel," Tanya Carr-Hartley, who crew up near the estate, told U.K.'s Daily Mail. "Mikey’s family have been involved in the protection of animals for many generations ... We are now absolutely overjoyed to be involved with the protection of this very endangered species."