Keekorok, whose name is derived from a Maasai word denoting a species of blacked-barked trees that are endemic to the area, was the first lodge to be opened in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve. The site of Keekorok long pre-dates the formation of the Mara itself: known to the Maasai people as Ekorok and an area rich in wildlife which they had lived alongside in virtual harmony for generations, the addition of 'ke' gave the place its now familiar name. Explorers, missionaries and traders gradually infiltrated the area and they must have been awestruck by the beauty of the African plains as by the profusion of animals that lived on them. Inevitably hunters saw an opportunity to amass huge wealth very quickly when commodities such as ostrich feathers and elephant tusks were much in demand in Europe, America and the Far East with the result that the name of Kenya soon became synonymous with that of the Big Game Hunter as personified in the novels of Ernest Hemingway and a string of Hollywood movies several of which were filmed using Keekorok as a base.

The location of Ekorok and later Keekorok was well chosen: not only did it offer shade and permanent water flowing from rocky outcrops, but rich grasses ensured an abundance of grazing animals even during migrations and this in turn meant that the 'Big Five' comprising lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino were never absent. Construction of the lodge commenced in 1962 a year after the game reserve had been formally established. A stream flowing in front of the lodge was dammed in 1972 to form a lake that quickly attracted resident families of hippos and this led to the construction of an elevated walkway from which to view them and the abundant birdlife. Total reconstruction of all public areas was embarked upon in April 2005 following a fire that gutted the main building. The 98 chalets and cottages were completely refurbished and modernised during reconstruction of the public areas in 2005.