In Nairobi, Kenya, there’s a famous hotel called Hemingways Nairobi. It’s located in a nice area called Karen. This hotel has 45 rooms and is really fancy, like a work of art. It was built by a guy named Richard Evans, who people simply call Dicky. He’s a big fan of sports, like rugby, fishing, and golf, and these sports inspired the design of the hotel.
Now, let’s talk about Augusta National Golf Club, which is in Georgia, USA. It’s a very exclusive golf club that’s been around for a long time. Only very important people get to play there. If you want to be a member, you can’t ask to join. They have to invite you!
Dicky wanted Hemingways Nairobi to look like old plantation houses in Georgia, with a symmetrical design and columns. He thought it would be elegant and spacious.
Before Hemingways Nairobi, Dicky also created Hemingways Watamu and a luxury camp called Ol Seki Mara in Kenya.
But Dicky’s story didn’t start with hotels. He was born in Cornwall, UK, and had a great life there, playing rugby and enjoying the nice weather. He became an engineer and worked for the United Nations and the World Bank.
One day, he came to East Africa for work and fell in love with the place. He also visited the Kenyan Coast and loved it. That’s when he thought about starting a business in hospitality.
However, things got tough in Uganda when a bad leader named Idi Amin caused a lot of trouble. Dicky lost some friends during that time. He went back to Europe but came back to East Africa later.
In Kenya, he worked on water projects and became friends with Gary Cullen, who liked fishing too. They decided to start a fishing outpost in Watamu.
Dicky also started a horticultural company and later sold it. Then, he bought a hotel in Watamu called Seafarers and turned it into Hemingways.
Dicky’s journey in the hospitality business has been hard work, and there are more chapters to come.
The East KE 