A growing number of middle-class Kenyans are opting to holiday without leaving town, checking into nearby hotels, villas and serviced apartments for short breaks that require little planning and even less travel.
Typically, they arrive on a Friday evening or Saturday, spend one or two nights away, and drive straight to work on Monday morning.
The reasons vary. Some check into hotels while their homes are being fumigated, choosing a short stay rather than inconveniencing relatives.
Others simply want to sleep in a cozier hotel bed, enjoy finer linen, or experience a change of scenery and cuisine.
Tray with breakfast on a bed in a hotel room.
Photo credit: Pool
Known as staycations, this relatively new travel segment is driving growth in domestic tourism and boosting bed occupancy, especially during the low-tourism season.
For people with busy schedules, staycations also offer a more convenient alternative to traditional holidays, which often require more time and planning.
Cyrus Muturi, founder of Urban Staycations, is among the entrepreneurs who have positioned their businesses to meet the growing demand.
“We’ve been in business for the past three years and, over that time, we’ve seen a huge increase in demand,” he says. “I now make about 800 bookings a month, organising staycations in hotels and 23 Airbnbs that I have partnered with. This shows there is a large number of Kenyans who prefer travelling locally rather than taking expensive trips abroad.”
Cyrus says a majority of his clients are couples and a group of friends.
Cyrus Muturi, founder of Urban Staycations Limited.
Photo credit: Pool
“Generally speaking, it’s the up-and-coming Kenyan middle class,” he says, adding that these clients tend to request privately owned villas and resorts.
How much do they spend?
“The guests generally fall into three spending brackets,” he says. “First is the luxury client who doesn’t mind spending Sh50,000 a night on a villa for two people, or between Sh90,000 and Sh103,000 a night for a four- or five-bedroom villa. Then there is the client who does not necessarily want something luxurious but still wants the same serene experience and pays between Sh20,000 and Sh30,000 a night. Finally, there’s the budget-conscious client who prefers smaller, quaint spaces, paying between Sh8,000 and Sh14,000 per night.”
While some guests extend their stays to as long as two weeks, Cyrus says the sweet spot for many is between three and four nights.
“The goal is usually to get away for peace of mind, spend time with friends or partners, and create memories,” he says.
For hoteliers and short-stay owners, staycations offer an opportunity to boost occupancy rates. According to the latest Economic Survey, hotel bed-night occupancy increased by 12.6 per cent to 11.6 million in 2025, with Kenyan residents accounting for 45 per cent of occupied bed nights, underscoring the importance of domestic tourism.
“Weekday stays are especially popular among freelancers, the self-employed and employees with flexible work schedules,” Cyrus says. “There is also a small number of guests who take a few days off work to enjoy short stays of five or six nights.”
November, the new December
The staycation trend is not limited to Nairobi. At the Coast, Habel Mwakio, the CEO of Coast Holiday Homes, who has been in the short-term rental business for nearly a decade, says they began seeing a steady upward trajectory at the end of 2020.
“Nowadays, we have a saying in our industry that November is the new December,” Habel says. “Because accommodation prices in December are often double or triple the normal rates, and students are at home from November, many families now choose to travel in November. Some even book for just two nights instead of the traditional five to eight days.”
The biggest draw for coastal staycations, Habel says, is the beach.
“Yes, compared with the Coast, people in Nairobi have embraced alternative accommodation more. But while turnover is higher in Nairobi, hosts at the Coast can earn more because accommodation commands higher rates. What you pay for a three-bedroom apartment in Kilimani will only get you a two-bedroom apartment in Mombasa,” he says.
He adds that most of his clients prefer villas.
“A family of 10 with their own villa can come and go whenever they like, swim in the middle of the night if they wish, sleep until noon and have the chef prepare bone soup when they wake up. You can’t do that in a traditional hotel.”
Hotels are also looking to cater to this new generation of domestic travellers. Established hotels are adapting their offerings, with many now treating staycations as an increasingly important source of business.
Eva Njeri Mwangi, the head of sales and marketing at Tribe Collection Group, says: “Not only do staycations encourage people to disconnect from the busyness of everyday life, rest and reconnect with themselves, they also encourage them to explore their local surroundings.
Eva Njeri Mwangi, Head of Sales and Marketing at Tribe Collection Group.
Photo credit: Pool
“Looking at it from a business perspective, domestic tourism helps sustain demand throughout the year, giving hotels something to rely on during the quieter tourism seasons.”
While the term staycation has gained popularity in recent years, the concept itself is far from new. For Tribe Collection Group, the idea has existed for more than a decade under a different name.
“We’ve had staycation packages for the last 10 years, but they were marketed as ‘resident rates’,” Eva explains.
“At that time, they accounted for about five per cent of our revenue. During the pandemic, however, the concept of staying at a hotel close to home gained significant traction as people sought a change of scenery without travelling far. Our numbers peaked then, contributing between 15 and 20 per cent of our revenue. Today, while the figures fluctuate, staycations have become a lifestyle choice and account for between 10 and 15 per cent.”
A setup during an event to showcase wines from South Australia at Tribe Hotel in Nairobi.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Most guests stay for one or two nights. The clientele skews towards women treating themselves to wellness breaks, families seeking a change of pace or environment, couples looking to reconnect, and young professionals or individuals craving a brief reset from routine.
Of the packages on offer, she says three stand out in popularity: a night safari package featuring evening game drives and a sundowner at Nairobi National Park; a resident weekend package for couples priced at Sh22,000 per night; and a romantic package costing Sh37,000 per night.
For Hemingways Hotels, staycations have become an increasingly important part of the leisure business, accounting for just under 20 percent of revenue.
Longa Mulikelela, the cluster general manager for the two luxury hotels, Hemingways Eden and Hemingways Karen, says their typical staycation guests are young professionals looking to escape the pressures of corporate life or entrepreneurship, families seeking to avoid the high cost of travelling to traditional tourist destinations, leisure groups, couples and solo travellers.
Longa Mulikelela, Cluster General Manager of Hemingways Nairobi and Hemingways Eden.
Photo credit: Pool
“At Eden, particularly, solo stays are quite popular and make up a significant share of bookings,” he says. “Guests also take part in activities including cooking classes with our chefs, paint-and-sip sessions, weaving classes and garden picnics. There is also a strong art and fashion culture embedded in the property.”
Among their most popular offerings is a resident-only package introduced earlier this year. Originally scheduled to run until the end of June, it has since been extended because of continued demand.
“It’s priced at Sh22,600 per person sharing per night on a half-board basis,” he says.
Ultimately, Longa believes the appeal of a staycation lies in its simplicity.
“It gives you all the benefits of a great holiday without the stress of extensive travel,” he says.
