Kenya’s Wellness Hospitality Market Sees Growing Investor Interest

As with other real estate sectors, the hospitality industry in the post-COVID period has witnessed the emergence of niche segments, driven by a shift in consumer preferences toward health, wellness, and experience-led travel. Kenya, in particular, is known for its scenic landscapes and established safari tourism offerings. With its relatively stable economic environment, this presents a compelling setting for the development of wellness-focused hospitality assets. 

A report from the Kenya Bureau of Statistics states that tourist arrivals for 2024 reached approximately 2.4 million, reflecting a 14.6% year-on-year increase. This signals a growing influx of visitors and strengthening confidence in the overall market.

Wellness-focused hospitality is designed to enhance guests’ physical and mental well-being through specialised amenities and services rendered. The Kenya Tourism Research Institute highlighted that Kenya’s wellness economy was an untapped market and is projected to grow at an annual rate of 17%.

In this article, we highlight the recent announcements in Kenya’s wellness hospitality industry. 

Recent Announcements in Kenya’s Wellness Hospitality Industry

Data from Estate Intel indicates a strengthening pipeline in Kenya’s hospitality sector, particularly within the wellness-focused segment, with over 300 keys expected to be completed by 2030. This growth is being driven by a mix of greenfield developments and the repositioning of existing luxury assets.

Here are the recently announced wellness-centric hospitality safaris,  resorts, and boutique hotels coming into the market:

• atONE Resorts and Residences

atONE Resorts is a dedicated wellness resort concept announced in Q1 2026. atONE Resorts is a luxury hospitality development by Akoni Advisory and Investments LLC. They aim to weave indigenous insights and wisdom with modern science to integrate the guest experience. It means honouring the traditions, people, and land. While we await further information on the development stage of this resort, reports show that they are currently inviting partners and investors to help bring the vision to life.

• Developer: Akoni Advisory and Investments LLC
• Developer type: New entrant
• Development type: Green field development
• Development status: Conceptual
• Location: Kenya
• Number of Keys: Unknown
• Service and offerings: Wellness resort and residences

• Rava Boutique Hotel

Rava Boutique Hotel is an upcoming luxury retreat destination located in Naivasha, Rift Valley, Kenya. It is being developed and owned by Lighthouse Beach House, a hospitality company that transformed underused beachfront properties in Nigeria. They began by operating the Light House Beach resort in Tarkwa Bay and the Ilashe area. However, in November 2023, Lighthouse Beach House announced that it had ceased all operations in Nigeria and moved to Kenya.

Their new project, Rava Boutique Hotel, is an 18-room luxury retreat currently in its conceptual stage and seeking investors to help establish it.

• Developer: Lighthouse Beach House
• Developer type: New entrant
• Development type: Green field development
• Development status: Conceptual
• Location: Naivasha, Kenya
• Number of Keys: 18 keys
• Service and offerings: Boutique hotel, yoga centre, lake trips, safari tours, and more

• Pollman’s Tours and Safari 

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, alongside American billionaire David Rubenstein, owner of Alterra Capital Partners, a private equity firm, invested in ARP Travel Group, the company that runs Pollman Tours and Safaris Ltd, in May 2025 for approximately $31 million. The acquisition was approved by the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK).

Pollman’s tours and safaris are among the oldest guided safaris and wellness resorts in Mombasa, Kenya, founded in the 1950s by Karl Pollman and now a leader in wellness-centric hospitality in Africa and beyond.

• Owner: Alterra Capital Partners
• Owner type: New entrant
• Development type: Existing development
• Project Status: Completed
• Location: Mombasa, Kenya
• Service and offerings: Safari tours, transport, and logistics

• Fairview Hotel Nairobi

IHG Hotels and Resorts’ Vignette collection debuts in Africa with the announcement of  Fairview Hotel Nairobi in December 2025. Fairview Hotel Nairobi, also known as Upper Hill’s living garden hotel, comprises 99 renovated rooms and suites located in Upper Hill, Nairobi, representing the brand’s first entry into the African hospitality market. Fairview Hotel Nairobi joins a family of twenty-seven Vignette Collection hotels now open around the world, with a further forty-one developments in the pipeline. The Fairview Hotel, built in 1931 by Rosina Taws, was notable for its green lawns and tall trees and was originally operated as a country hotel. It has now been renovated by IHG Hotels and Resorts, evolving into a luxury hotel while retaining its historical appearance.

• Operator: IHG Hotels and Resorts
• Operator type: New entrant in Africa
• Development type: Existing development
• Project status: Completed
• Number of Keys: 99 Keys
• Location: Upper Hill, Kenya
• Service and offerings: Boutique hotel, swimming pool, fitness centre, meeting rooms, event spaces and an underground wine cellar.

• andBeyond Suyian Lodge

andBeyond opens Suyian Lodge Kenya in July 2025, located on a 44,000-acre private wildlife conservation called Suyian Conservancy Trust. Suyian Conservancy was created and is overseen by the international conservation NGO Space for Giants. It is an unfenced wildlife habitat located in the Laikipia-Ewaso area of Kenya, which holds the highest diversity of large mammal species of any ecosystem of its size in the world. andBeyond, the developer of Suyian Lodge, has an extensive portfolio of lodges, camps and yachts all around the world.

andBeyond Suyian Lodge in Laikipia, Kenya, features 13 standard suites (roughly 1,900 sq ft) and one dedicated two-bedroom family suite built on a cliffside.

• Owner: Suyian Conservancy Trust
• Operator: andBeyond
• Operator type: New entrant in Africa
• Development type: Existing development
• Project status: Completed
• Number of Keys: 14 Keys
• Location: Upper Hill, Kenya
• Service and offerings: Horseback riding safaris, spas, swimming pool, guided nature walks, game drives, gym, yoga, active ranching and more.

In Kenya’s hospitality sector, rising tourist arrivals are being matched by expanding supply, with more than 4,300 keys currently in the development pipeline. These hospitality developments are actively including wellness centres in their amenities. 

Kenya’s wellness-centric tourism is experiencing an accelerating investment cycle, driven by travellers prioritising physical and mental well-being and by Kenya’s natural assets. According to Tourism Research Institute Kenya, the sector is expanding rapidly, with wellness expenditures projected to grow at an annual rate of 17%. 

Our assessment shows that Kenya’s wellness hospitality market is growing rapidly, although it is yet to become a standard feature across the mainstream hospitality sector. We expect that in the next five years, we will see newly established wellness resorts joining the likes of  Voi Wildlife Lodge, Sarova Mara Game Camp, Southern Palms Beach Resort and more.

We love your feedback! Let us know what you think about the wellness tourism market in Kenya by emailing [email protected].

If you have research requirements or are considering investing in Kenya’s property market, contact our Capital Advisors team at [email protected].