andBeyond Suyian Lodge has officially opened its doors in northern Kenya.
Set on 44,000 acres of private wilderness in the heart of Laikipia, the lodge offers complete exclusivity on a wildlife conservancy, as well as a design-led aesthetic shaped by ancient geology.
Created in collaboration with Nicholas Plewman Architects, Michaelis Boyd and Fox Browne Creative, the lodge’s architecture and interiors celebrate an Afro-Wabi-Sabi aesthetic whose trademarks are earthy textures, hand-crafted details and a philosophy that finds beauty in imperfection.
Meaning “wild dog” in the local Samburu language, Suyian marks a continued partnership between andBeyond and Michaelis Boyd, following successful collaborations at Sandibe and Kichwa Tembo in Kenya, and Benguerra Lodge in Mozambique. The brief for Suyian called for a destination that celebrated the wild spirit of Laikipia while treading lightly on the land. One of the area’s most distinctive natural features is its population of elusive black leopards, rarely seen elsewhere, making Suyian a site of both ecological and experiential significance.
Upon arrival, guests are welcomed into a main building that serves as both a hub and a sanctuary. This includes a bar, restaurant, lounge, outdoor terrace, boutique and a map room. A unique feature is the Black Leopard Room – an editing suite where guests can review and process their photography, a nod to the site’s extraordinary wildlife encounters. A short walk away, the pool area offers expansive views and restful indulgence, complete with a pool bar, daybeds and a cooling deck.
Each of the 14 suites features private plunge pools, expansive views and layered interiors that reflect Kenya’s tactile richness, from wild dog-inspired cladding to Samburu beadwork and bronze details. The villas feature domed ceilings in their living and bedroom spaces – an architectural homage to the forms of the surrounding rock sanctuary– while the bathrooms offer expansive views, deep stone bathtubs and circular skylit showers. The ceilings between the domes are vaulted to continue the curved language of the architecture. Each villa also boasts a private plunge pool, a terrace, indoor and outdoor living spaces and a fully stocked bar and coffee station.
Tucked into the rocks, the lodge’s wellness centre offers two treatment rooms, a steam room and cold plunge pool, all positioned for uninterrupted views of the escarpment, and a state-of-the-art gym and shaded yoga studio complete the offering.
Sustainability lies at the heart of Suyian. The lodge is entirely off-grid, powered by solar energy, with water sourced from boreholes, and waste water through onsite filtration and reuse systems. Food waste is composted, and the surrounding landscape has been rewilded with indigenous planting. Green roofs not only insulate but also help the lodge visually recede into the escarpment, continuing the architects’ ambition to embed the building within its natural environment.
Materials were selected with a deep respect for place and climate. Locally sourced stone cladding reduces emissions and echoes the rocky topography. External domes are rendered with earth taken directly from the site, blending seamlessly with the surrounding geology. Interiors are finished in lime plaster, polished concrete and timber – used extensively in wellness areas. All of the doors and shutters are made of Crittall to follow the delicacy of the design.
The setting for the lodge was carefully selected for the potential it offers to contribute to community and conservation efforts within Kenya in partnership with global conservation charity Space for Giants. Its untouched nature and wild spaces, combined with andBeyond’s strict conservation ethics, make it an ideal wildlife viewing destination.
Owned by the Suyian Conservancy Trust, a Kenyan not-for-profit, the conservancy is managed under a plan approved by the Kenya Wildlife Service with oversight from Space for Giants. Once a cattle ranch, the land has been rewilded over decades into a thriving biodiversity corridor, where herders, elephants, lions and leopards now share space. With andBeyond holding sole tourism rights, there is no other lodge on the concession, meaning that guests have the land to themselves.
“From walking with herders to horseback safaris, from architecture inspired by rock formations to the possibility of seeing a black leopard in its natural range, this is Kenya, reimagined for the traveller who seeks more than a checklist,” says Joss Kent, andBeyond Executive Chairman and CEO. “Suyian Conservancy brings the full breadth of Laikipia to life through layered storytelling, meaningful interaction, and a lodge that feels as though it has grown organically from the ground it rests on.”
