Ed Hough, a car enthusiast and his wife Moon Hough, a travel enthusiast are owners of a luxury Airbnb property made out of shipping container – tucked away in Ngong, Kajiado County – within the greater Nairobi Metropolitan area.
The property charges a whopping Ksh22,000 a night and has quickly become a fan favourite among Kenyans seeking a leisure or relaxation getaway.
During a June 2023 interview with Business Insider Africa, Moon revealed that the couple acquired the land prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and had no intention of developing it at the time. It was located in a remote area.
Armed with a budget of Ksh2.7 million, the couple bought the used shipping container and began transforming it into the warm Airbnb that it is today.
“My husband loves learning from videos he sees on YouTube and applying what he learns. We employed experts for the more technical jobs, of course, like building the shipping containers,” Moon stated.
The shipping containers were “created” off-site in Nairobi’s industrial area, where welders spent about two months cutting and shaping the three containers, before they were ferried to Ngong by a lorry.
Moon designed the interior of the house with the help of local designers, giving the house a warm Kenyan feeling, as it overlooks the Rift Valley.
The couple had moved to the Northern part of Kenya where they own a tented camp when the Covid-19 movement restrictions hit and businesses began to shut down.
Ed and Moon decided to register their newly-built container home as an Airbnb to earn extra income and the business took off. It offered Nairobians a place to escape to.
“I love how Nairobi’s coolest come and stay in our property. We’ve had music videos filmed here, Kenya’s elite party here, and fashion brands use it as a shoot location,” Moon Hough said.
The house is currently $160 per night and sleeps four people, and it’s booked 25% to 60% per month (depending on seasonality).
Apart from the quite serene environment, patrons can also enjoy multiple activities at the farm.
“Guests can also play farmer during their stay by picking home-grown veggies in the garden, milking the goats on site, or collecting eggs from the chicken coop,” Moon Hough said.
She installed solar panels at the property to cut costs on electricity.
