Treetops Hotel
| Treetops Hotel | |
|---|---|
 Treetops Hotel (2006) | |
 | |
| Hotel chain | Aberdare Safari Hotels |
| General information | |
| Location | Aberdare National Park |
| Country | Kenya |
| Coordinates | 0°21′36″S 36°54′02″E / 0.36000°S 36.90056°E |
| Opened | 1932 |
| Closed | October 2021 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 32 |
| Number of suites | 3 |
| Number of restaurants | 1 |
| Number of bars | 1 |
| Website | |
| treetops | |
Treetops Hotel was a tree house in
Treetops is where Princess Elizabeth was staying in 1952 when she acceded to the thrones of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, upon the death of her father, King George VI.[3]
Beginnings
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The initial idea of Major Eric Sherbrooke Walker, who owned land in the Aberdare Range, was to build a treehouse for his wife Lady Bettie.
The idea grew, and in 1932 the couple oversaw the construction of a two-room treehouse in a huge 300-year-old fig tree ten miles away from Nyeri itself; this was intended as an adjunct facility to the Outspan Hotel in Nyeri, which they had also built and owned.
Initial construction was hampered by the presence of wild animals, as the treehouse was purposely built beside animal trails leading to a nearby waterhole. Labourers and supervisors were often chased away by wild animals, which led to increased labour costs.[3] The first structure had just two rooms, and was only open on Wednesday nights, as a game-viewing platform for guests staying at The Outspan Hotel in Nyeri. Although beds were provided, these were intended for resting or dozing, rather than sleeping.
Accession of Queen Elizabeth II
The visit of Princess Elizabeth and her husband
The famous hunter Jim Corbett, who was invited by the princess to accompany them during their stay there, wrote in the visitors' log book:
For the first time in the history of the world, a young girl climbed into a tree one day a Princess and after having what she described as her most thrilling experience she climbed down from the tree next day a Queen – God bless her.[4]
Political unrest
The
Second Structure
In 1957 Treetops was rebuilt in a nearby
Enlargement
Further demand required the Walkers to accommodate more visitors. Treetops had another level added, and was reinforced - see picture below right. Its capacity was increased to four rooms, including one for a resident hunter.[3][7]
Ownership
In 1966, when Eric Walker was 79, he sold the Outspan Hotel, and with it, Treetops, to the Block Hotel group. In 1978, the owners were Aberdare Safari Hotels Ltd. Eric Walker died in 1976, aged 89.
Present day
With yet more demand following the publicity about the Queen becoming Queen there, the name Treetops was transferred, with the addition of the word "Hotel" to a new 35-room structure with running water and sanitation. . It has four decks and a rooftop viewing platform.
The rise in popularity of the Treetops is partially due to Elizabeth II's visit and accession in 1952, but also partially due to their no see, no pay policy during their early years – a common business policy on safaris, where guests were not charged for services if they failed to see any big game.[8]
Visitors can observe the wildlife from the top deck, the viewing windows in the communal space, or from ground level hides. They can also take motor tours from the Treetops. The Treetops remains an overnight destination, with only overnight luggage being allowed, and visitors being driven in from the Outspan Hotel for the night.[3] Other facilities include a thousand watt artificial moon used to illuminate animals at the waterhole during darkness. Another unusual restriction at the Treetops is a low decibel level restriction due to the hearing sensitivity of many animals, including a ban on all hard-soled footwear.[8]
Currently, the Treetops is run by the Aberdare Safari Hotels which acquired the two properties, Outspan Hotel and Treetops in 1978. Following the success of Treetops, another treetop lodge – the Shimba, was opened by the Aberdare Safari Hotels group in the Shimba Hills National Reserve.
Aberdare Safari Hotels have embarked on an initiative dubbed "Return the Bush" in conjunction with the Kenya Wildlife Service. The initiative involves the rehabilitation of 125 ha of Aberdare National park that has been degraded by the toll the fenced-in elephant population has exerted on the ecosystem. The electric fencing for the paddock covering an area of 16.5 ha around the lodge was completed. The paddocking enables reforestation as well as the natural regeneration of the local flora within the paddock.
The hotel closed in October 2021, after not hosting any guests for over a year due to a drop in tourism caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] But Treetops set the trend, and there are now several similar facilities in the area.
Notable visitors
The visit of Princess Elizabeth cemented the fame of The Treetops. The visit of Princess Elizabeth was immortalised by
Author Willard Price visited while researching his novel Safari Adventure.[11]
References
- ^ Zimmerman, Paul D. (15 September 1968). "Treetops Hotel: Not a Bit Posh But It Attracts a Posh Clientele". The New York Times. p. 88. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
- ^ "Queen Elizabeth's death could revive Kenya's Treetops Hotel". 12 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Prickett, R.J., Treetops: Story of A World Famous Hotel (David St John Thomas Publishers, Nairn Scotland, 1995)
- ^ Visitors' log book of 1954, Treetops hotel, Kenya
- ^ Karimi, Joseph (3 June 2002). "In Nyeri, Memories of Queen's Visit Live On". The EastAfrican. Nairobi: Nation Media Group. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
- ^ "Treetop Hotel Burned by Mau Mau". The New York Times. 28 May 1954. p. 7. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
- ^ E. S. Walker, Treetops Hotel, Robert Hale Publishing, London, 1962
- ^ The Tribune. Chandigarh. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
- ^ Petit, Stephanie (15 October 2021). "Queen Elizabeth's Life Changed Forever at This Famous African Lodge — 69 Years Later, It's Closing for Good". people.com. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
- ^ Nicholas Best, The Man from Treetops, Andrew Lownie Literary Agency
- ^ Price, Willard (1966). Safari Adventure. Jonathan Cape.
- ^ Many Years From Now, Barry Miles. pp. 302–303.
External links
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