Baytil Ajaib, meaning the House of Wonder, an 18th century palatial townhouse with only two rooms and two suites, meticulously restored by the proprietors Norbert Herget and Paul Weaver invites the discerning traveler to a world in and around Baytil Ajaib that will enrapture all your senses.
Decorated with authentic Swahili furniture and antiques collected from around the world only accentuate the setting of this 18th-century living experience. Guests who have been kind enough to grace the hotel were The American Ambassador to Kenya and Mr.& Mrs. Riccardo Mutti, the musical director of La Scala, who upon his visit exclaimed” Baytil is like a dramatic historical stage setting at La Scala, except it’s real.”
Seated on the highest point of the island thus providing guests with majestic views of the entire city and sunset to stagger the imagination. The cuisine, a delightful touch of Italian and French, is personally catered to by the proprietors and the staff, especially fruite de la mer, due to the excellent fishing waters surrounding Lamu and the entire archipelago guarantees the most succulent delights. Many wishing to be private rent the entire hotel, which accommodates a maximum of ten guests. Intimacy and personal are the key words at the very core of Baytil Ajaib.
Baytil Ajaib opened in 2000 with the mandate of providing a Swahili experience of residing in an old palatial townhouse, not overly restored so as to not see the ravages of time as the structure is over 250 years of existence, but still carefully brought back to its former structural beauty transformed into a modern exclusive hotel de charme.
Years after the completion of Baytil Ajaib, UNESCO bestowed on Lamu the status of World Heritage which further demanded the enhancement and dedication of various artisans’ skills which needed to be re-acquired and preserved. It is in this real that Baytil Ajaib was restored, researched, later enhanced and produced Artisans with careful training to further the preservation of an almost forgotten unique life style.