The Ark is a charming place to be where you can get up and close to the animals that come to eat the salty earth and drink at the waterhole. Thwe rooms are nothing special, but as you will only be in your room to sleep this doesnt matter.
During daylight there are good possibilities of thating a walk on the boardwalk and watch the birds and squirrels and by evening the buffalos, elephants, different antilopes and the occational hyena plus the nucturnal genet cats, whitetailed mongoose and other animals will visit the area. Even the giant forest hogs will come sometimes.
I stayed up most of the night enjoying the ongoing show at the waterhole with animals comming and going most of the night.
This is not a place to bring children and there is a age limit of 7 years, but I would not recommend bringing teenagers unless they know how to stay quiet and enjoy looking at the animals for hours.

It has been most frustrating! For more than 2 weeks already have I been trying to find out about room availability and gameviewing facilities at Ark as well as Treetops, i.e. somewhere within the Aberdare Park. I wrote to the hotel directly - no response. I then involved 4 different travel agents (1 in UK, 1 in S.A., 2 in Nbi) - no joy.
One said yes, there's availability but no game-viewing; one said all facilities available - just book with us; two said all lodges closed for renovation. So I phoned the Park Warden of Aberdares in Nyeri - long-distance! - thinking he'd know what's what. He said yes, there's gameviewing by Ark in the Park, and so I booked a trip for Feb 2012.
I now learn that The Ark is closed for renovations (and apparently Treetops too), my booking was cancelled, and they seemingly does NOT have gameviewing vehicles. One has to come in one's own car (either self-drive, hired with driver, or on safari package) and do one's own gamedrives.
Does anyone have REAL believable information? Especially about Ark's gameviewing-cars' availability and guide hirings? In all the reviews below I don't see any mention or evaluation of Ark's vehicles and/or guides INSIDE the park. Everyone talks about the waterhole, but not about what's to be seen on gamedrives in the extensive-looking gamepark.
To cut a long story short, I haven't yet been to The Ark or Aberdares, but still would like to go. Alas, this website required me to enter a travel date and so I did ... but it's not true.

The highlight of our trip. The Ark was a memorable experience. Great place to see animals collect at the watering hole. Excellent food. Very professional staff. The layout of the ark is excellent with opportunities to view and take photos across 4 decks. the Aberdare National park is also a different experience from the Masai Mara and definitely worth an exploratory tour. Most people rush through the Ark with just a one night stay. We stayed an extra night and thoroughly enjoyed it.

This accommodation is all about the location overlooking a watering hole in the Aberdare National Park, Kenya looking at the wildlife. You will see elephant, hiena, warthog, buffalo. The hotel is very basic & clean, 1 night is enough, you must stay here when travelling in this part of Kenya. The food in the resturant is outstanding, the best steak i have ever eaten.