Subiaco Retreat Centre - Karen

About this space

Subiaco Retreat Centre is a Catholic retreat centre on Windy Ridge Road in Karen, on the south-western edge of Nairobi, about two kilometres off Ngong Road past Karen town. It is owned and run by the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing (Nairobi Priory), who founded it in the mid-1990s as a quiet place for prayer and reflection, and it now also hosts conferences, training and celebrations. The sisters also farm on the property and run a clinic and herbal shop there.

Its facilities include conference rooms set up for meetings, seminars, workshops, training sessions and corporate events, with comfortable seating, audio-visual equipment and high-speed internet. Outside, the centre has well-kept grounds and gardens that it offers for weddings and for photo shoots, as well as space for camping and team-building activities. Accommodation comes in three types: standard rooms with a private bathroom, executive rooms with a king-size bed and smart television, and cottages with a sitting area and veranda. The centre doesn't publish capacities for its rooms or grounds, so group sizes should be checked when enquiring.

The centre suits church and organisational retreats, strategic-planning days, staff training and residential workshops, and its grounds are offered for wedding celebrations and for photography, from weddings and graduations to engagement shoots. Schools, youth groups, churches and companies can also book camping and team-building packages.

Meals are prepared by the centre's own catering team, which also offers outside catering for weddings, conferences and private functions, with menus tailored to the group and budget. Wi-Fi is available in the rooms, and the centre can arrange transport for groups, including airport transfers. As a religious house, it keeps a calm, contemplative atmosphere, which suits gatherings that value quiet surroundings. Rates aren't published, so packages are quoted on request by phone or email.