In 1959, American star actor William Holden alongside his friends, Ray Ryan and Swiss financier Carl Hirschmann, founded the beloved Nanyuki resort, Mount Kenya Safari Club.
The trio was in Kenya for a tour and other conservation activities before acquiring the property from hotelier Abraham Block and renaming it as it was previously known as Mawingo (Mawingu).
It blossomed over the years with each new addition – luxurious cottages with sunken baths, a golf course, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a sauna, and side-by-side to William Holden’s favorite project.
Holden was a recognised actor whose career spanned 40 years with 80 films and an Oscar award.
Other awards won by the actor include the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1954 and the Emmy Award for Best Actor in 1974 he was also named among the "Top 10 Stars of the Year".
Following his death in 1981, his wife Stephanie Powers moved to Kenya and started the William Holden Foundation.
The foundation offers education programs, lectures, field trips, camping, and practical displays of sustainable farming, cooking, composting, and bio-energy.
After the actor's death, the hotel was bought by Saudi billionaire businessman Adnan Khashoggi and a friend of the late former President Daniel Moi. However, Khashoggi fell into financial difficulties.
The billionaire was forced to sell some of his property and in 2007, Mt Kenya Safari Club was acquired by the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts group.
Billionaire businessman Humphrey Kariuki runs the Fairmont Hotels and Resort group. He also founded Janus Continental Group, employing at least 700 people.
Currently, the billionaire owns the resort amongst other properties in Kenya and beyond.
The resort, sitting on 100 acres, has cottages named after Holden as his owner with one charging up to Ksh28,911 per person per night varying from season to season.
Some of the prominent people that have graced Mt Kenya Safari Club include Winston Churchhill, Ernest Hemingway, John Travolta, and Charlie Chaplin.
The resort is home to the endangered mountain bongo among other animal species including Llamas, cheetahs, hippotamus, Columbus monkeys, and wild pigs.
