Hard times for forest lodge where Princess Elizabeth became queen

A portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II at Treetops Hotel in Nyeri where she spent her night in1952. [Kibata Kihu, Standard]

Honeymooners' room

The Queen would visit the hotel again 29 years later in 1983 when she was booked into Queen Elizabeth suite, Room 18, famously known as the honeymooners' room.

Nyeri County Director of Tourism, Mary Mithamo said the Nyeri itinerary is not complete without a mention of Queen Elizabeth II.

Even British history is not complete without a mention of Nyeri county.

During that visit, she also visited St Philip's ACK Church in Naromoru which she officially opened in 1952.

"She planted a commemorative tree which still stands, with a plaque "Brazilian Rosewood donated by Major Baynes on the occasion of the visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for mourning service on 2/2/1952 To God Be the Glory," Mithamo said.

But while the historical significance of Treetops Hotel positioned it as a world-class destination for tourists, it has fallen on hard times following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The hotel has been closed since 2020.

"During peak seasons, we would have at least 70 guests which is full capacity, with tourists from Spain, China, UK, and the US visiting to catch a glimpse at the lodge in which a princess was transformed into a queen," says Ndegwa.

Nowadays, it is empty, stark, and cold, with lone buffaloes and waterbucks grazing around the watering hole.

Occasionally, they majestically strut past the vacant hotel that was once full of guests armed with cameras ready to capture memories.

"When the hotel was established the guests used to be armed with rifles aiming to shoot the animals, but later we became a place where tourists were armed with cameras," Ndegwa said.

But nowadays, Ndegwa, and a handful of locals can only look on as the once vibrant attraction for tourists sits forlorn and empty, a relic of the bygone era.

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