Only yesterday he had kicked in a door at the top of a dark staircase, knocked an attacker to the floor, kicked him in the stomach, crunched his teeth one by one and then allowed a beautiful brunette, naked under an evening gown, to leave unmolested by the fire escape.

ECONOMIST: Robert Brooks and Mickey Spillane

Aside from the Art Deco-tinged hotel which has a two-story entrance hall, staircase and dark wood furniture the property is home to the 100-acre Giraffe Centre, a breeding facility for Rothschild giraffes and a place for conservation and educations programs.

FORBES: Outlandish Outposts: Giraffe Manor in Kenya

The mansion's grand staircase had long since been removed, but the dark wood moldings, carved wood details and plasterwork survived in many of the rooms, as do gilded ornamental flowers and leaves.

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