Planning a relaxing and exotic holiday by a beach? Then Afrochic Diani Beach Hotel in Mombasa may be just the right place. The Diani beach is a luxurious stretch of 27 kms of white sands, and is situated to the south of Mombasa Island facing the vast Indian Ocean. This beach is considered the best along the Kenyan coast and the Afrochic hotel has been built right on its edge. The hotel is about one hour away from the Moi international airport in Mombasa and only five minutes from the Ukunda airstrip, which services private charter flights and has flights to Masai Mara every day.

AfroChic Diani Beach Mombasa

Afro Chic Diani

Afro chic Diani is considered a boutique retreat and has only 10 well designed rooms. This gives guests quite a bit of privacy as you are not surrounded by hordes of other visitors, a common situation with other hotels. Out of the 10 rooms, one is an Executive suite called the Queen of Sheba Room. This stunning suite opens out on to a beautiful garden having a fish pond. There are two more suites called the Zanzibar Junior Suite and the Punda Milla, which has an additional sofa bed that can accommodate one more person. All the other rooms have bedrooms with a luxurious double bed and balconies with a panoramic view of the vast ocean.

In each room you will find a television with a satellite connection and a DVD player. There is also a mini-bar and facilities with equipment to make coffee or tea. The suites have bathrooms equipped with large shower, Whirlpool bath tub, bidet and a double wash basin. Guests also have 24 hours free access to the Internet through wireless connection and every room has a mobile phone through which various hotel services can be accessed and can be also used to make other calls.

Staying in the Afro chic Hotel is more like staying in a private villa. Each guest can choose his personalized preference in food and can order an A la Carte menu of dishes from the experienced Chefs. There is a good variety to choose from including Mediterranean, Italian Swahili, Indian dishes as well as main ingredient, sea food. Dining is a pleasant experience and guests can choose where they would like to eat, whether it is from the privacy of their bedroom balcony, or right on the beach.

Afrochic Diani Beach

Afrochic diani kenya

Afrochic has excellent well-manicured garden with a pool equipped with a Jacuzzi. The hotel also offers activities like snorkeling, wind and kite surfing, jet skiing, boat trips, fishing and excursions to the Mwalugunje Elephant sanctuary and Shimba Hills. Arrangements can also be made for spa and gym facilities in the neighboring properties.

Many couples have found Afrochic Diani Beach Hotel one of the best places to spend a honeymoon or just a quiet time together. The staff provides excellent service and past guests have said they are treated like royalty, with attention given even to every detail. The rates are quite reasonable considering that food is also included in the tariff.

Sarova Whitesands Beach Hotel and Spa is a highly recommended resort in Kenya which offers the quintessential African experience. Located on an immaculate stretch of beach on Bamburi in Mombasa’s North Coast, it is spread out over 22 acres of tropical gardens beautifully finished with palm trees and fish ponds. It has the longest seafront in Kenya.

Sarova Whitesands Hotel

Whitesands Hotel is decorated in a fusion of Swahili and Arabian architecture. The East African coastal atmosphere is strongly conveyed in the large, airy lobby which has carved archways, beautiful murals by local artists and a cool marble floor. Rooms are in whitewashed buildings that are no more than 3 storey high, some of which are right on the beachfront.

Sarova Whitesands Hotel Rooms

Guests can choose from garden, seafront and palm view rooms, executive suites and two presidential suites. All rooms have ensuite bathrooms and balconies with pool or sea views, air-conditioning, tiled floors, satellite TVs, a choice of twin, double or triple rooms, mosquito nets over each bed, room safes, mini-bars, tea and coffee making facilities and hair-dryers. There is daily maid service.

Hotel guests staying in the palm rooms and the suites are welcomed with a fruit platter. The presidential suites have two master bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms with jacuzzis, a large kitchenette, fully stocked minibars, two extra rooms in the back for guests, 24 hour butler service, private sunbeds and parking.

The resort has designed activities for the high-energy traveler, the guest seeking pampering and indulgence and programs for kids. A conference center, the largest in Kenya, delivers convention facilities for up to 400 people.

Total number of rooms 340
Standard 138
Sea front 128
Palm rooms 66
Executive suites 6
Presidential suites 2

Restaurants

Whitesands Hotel Restaurants

Four restaurants offer options for 24 hour dining. The main restaurant, Pavilions, serves a daily international buffet with a large selection of food. The beachfront Lido Grill services fresh seafood. For casual dining and a 24/7 room service, the Minazi Café has an international menu with wood-fired pizzas, freshly squeezed juices, smoothies and ice creams. Oriental food is served at the Tamanisha restaurant. Drinks and snacks can be ordered by the pool.

There are three bars. Cocos on the beach is great for chilling and guests can enjoy a big screen sports TV, music and pool at the Tamanisha Sports Pub.

Swimming pool

Whitesands Hotel Pool

Four free form swimming pools are interconnected to form a massive swimming area with deep and shallow areas suitable for the kids. Waterfalls add aesthetic appeal and waterslides provide fun in the water for kids and adults. White Sands Mombasa provides extensive areas around the pool with sunbeds for relaxing and sunbathing.

Entertainment
Music and dancing are available nightly at Cocos, an open-air bar which can fit 150 people. Live music is staged once a week.

Things to Enjoy
Through the water sports center, guests can arrange jet-skiing, kayaking, banana boating catamaran sailing, tropical fish viewing through a glass bottom boat, snorkeling, scuba-diving, and windsurfing. Tennis, volleyball, and a gym are on the grounds. Horseback riding, jogging and golfing are nearby. A variety of pampering Oriental, western and Ayurvedic treatments are to be found at the Tulia spa at the hotel.

What’s Cool
The longest beachfront in Kenya, a children’s club which offers baby-sitting services.and handicap accessible rooms and facilities. Exquisite grounds.

What’s Not
Nothing, really. Some guests may want more nightly entertainment.

Location
On Bamburi Beach, Mombasa, Kenya

Directions
14 km north of central Mombasa and 23km from the Moi International Airport.

The Travellers Beach Hotel Mombasa is an all-inclusive hotel on Bamburi Beach, on the North Coast of Mombasa. The air-conditioned rooms are basic but pretty spacious and clean and come with ensuite bath and showers. Bath towels are changed as frequently as required. There are no fridges in the room but the hotel supplies two bottles of drinking water daily. Every room has a balcony.

Travellers Beach Hotel Mombasa

Travellers Beach Hotel is divided into two sections. Guests on a half board stay on the Beach side of the resort while those on a full board are put up in the Club section

There are standard, family or interconnecting rooms, two suites and honeymoon suites in the resort. Rooms are kept clean. Mosquito nets are provided on request.

Total number of rooms 328
Standard 312
Oceanfront 14
Suites 2

Restaurants

Travellers Beach Hotel Main Restaurant

There are 4 restaurants. The Shibe, which is the main restaurant, offers many choices at breakfast including a full English menu with waffles, pancakes and omelets. There is a reasonably priced Indian restaurant, Sher-e-Punjab, which is great for vegetarian food and the Suli Suli grill for seafood. La Pergola serves pizza, pasta and other Italian dishes. The Vunja Joto serves ice-cream. Restaurants are open 24 hours and snacks are provided all throughout the day.

There are two swim-up bars in the pool and the Msafiri Bar in the resort.

Swimming pool

Travellers Swim Up Bar

Travellers Beach Hotel Pool

3 large swimming pools which meander through the grounds, two of which are connected by a “river”. Pools have warm water and are kept nicely clean. There are two shallow pools for kids at the hotel. Fresh towels are provided daily.

Entertainment
Specialty acts on alternate acts for an hour each evening include Masai dancers and snake charmers. Other wise, hotel entertainment is less interesting.

Things to Enjoy
Tennis, table tennis, squash in air-conditioned courts, diving including a school for classes, windsurfing, reef and deep-sea fishing, beach and water volleyball, a gym with jacuzzi, sauna, steam bath, hot and cold plunge pools and massage treatments. The sunset cruise is recommended. After the cruise is over, guests are taken to a floating seafood restaurant where lobster, crab, giant prawns, calamari and fish are served on huge platters.

What’s Cool
The meandering pools are a lovely feature. The water feature is designed such that it starts from inside the Travellers Beach Hotel entrance all the way to the beachfront. The large pool area creates lots of room for relaxing and sunbathing. Friendly staff and good variety of food choices. There is a kid’s club.

Very good selection of food with a varied menu. At the buffet restaurant, guests get different types of soups every day, a choice of 3 or 4 different main courses and a specialty meat carved or prepared on request. There is a selection of desserts and fresh fruit such as melon, mango and passion fruit.

Generally, Travellers Beach offers friendly service and good value for the money.

What’s Not
Rooms are a little dated. Not a whole lot of entertainment during the daytime. All-inclusive guests have to pay when they wish to go to other restaurants.

Location
On, Bamburi Beach., Mombasa, Kenya

Directions
20km north of central Mombasa.

Sun N Sand Mombasa is an all inclusive resort on Kikambala Beach on Mombasa’s North Coast. Each of its rooms has a sea view and a private balcony from which to catch the sunrise. Sun N Sand is set in beautifully landscaped grounds with lush gardens, palm trees and scented flowers.

Sun N Sand Resort Mombasa

The Sun N Sand Mombasa has 300 rooms, varying from standard to lavishly decorated suites. All rooms have air-conditioning, ceiling fans, ensuite bath, private balconies, safes and telephones. Guests are greeted with a refreshing cold drink on arrival.

Sun n Sand Reception

Standard rooms are decorated in shades of green. The deluxe rooms, which are decorated in blue, have a few extras such as refrigerators, tea/coffee making facilities and hairdryers. Guests of the deluxe rooms and suites are greeted with baskets of fruits and flowers on arrival and receive a free daily newspaper.

All suites, including the Royal Suite, have Lamu style furniture from the king-sized beds to the living room furniture. Gold is the dominant color in the Royal suite which has 2 bedrooms with jacuzzi-sized bath tubs, floor rugs strewn everywhere and lovely wall paintings to enhance the ambience of luxury.

Rooms are kept nicely cleaned with daily housekeeping. Towels and linens are changed daily.

Total number of rooms 300
Standard 260
Deluxe 35
Suites 4
Royal Suite 1

Restaurants
There are six restaurants ranging from all day snacks to fine dining and catering to all tastes with cuisines including barbecues, international buffet and oriental food. Guests help themselves to a champagne buffet breakfast, lunch and themed dinners while enjoying fabulous ocean views at the Fahari restaurant.

Reservations are required for fine dining at Safina Grill. Otherwise, there is fine Italian at the intimate La Stella which overlooks the pool and the beach lawns all the day to the ocean. Safari Ranch serves barbecue game meats, poultry, steak and lamb in an atmosphere reminiscent of a tropical rain forest. Delicious Chinese cuisine is served at the China Hut and the Safina snack bar is a fast food restaurant with all day snacks and a bar on the premises.

There are four bars at the Sun N Sand with the main Msafari bar open till 1am.
They are:
• Bahari – the swim up bar in the pool has sunken beds for swimmers to sip their drinks while lazing in the pool’s sparkling water.
• Lamu – decorated like the deck of a ship, it is perfect for pre-dinner cocktails against sumptuous Indian Ocean views.
• Msafari – centrally located, the resort’s main bar is available to guests till early morning hours.
• Safina – overlooks the sea and is a good stop for snacks during the day.

Sun n Sand Pools

Swimming pools
There are three pools, two of which are filled with salt water. The main pool has a 100 m water slide, a swimup bar and tiled beds sunk into the water for swimmers to relax in or they can opt for the outdoor jacuzzi. There are also two pools for kids.

Entertainment
Evening performances by live African bands, traditional dancers, acrobatic acts and local cultural events.

Things to enjoy
Floodlit tennis courts, volley ball, scuba diving and lessons in the pool for newbies, rides in paddle or glass bottom boats, kayaking, sports-fishing, windsurfing, water polo, golfing in 9-hole greens, archery, soccer, basketball, pool, and bowling.

What’s cool

Sun n Sand Frontage

The water slide is great fun! Sun N Sand Mombasa is kid-friendly and its kiddies’ club offers both education and adventure for kids from 4-11 years old. Children get to try their hand at traditional fire making, or swinging from a monkey climber, playground swings and see saws or romping around a jungle tree house. They are also exposed to arts and crafts, a tour of the tropical fish farm and educational documentaries on the wildlife on land and in water.

What’s not
There is no ATM on the premises. The closest one is Barclays Bank at Mtwapa or on Bamburi Beach and the resort does not give a good rate on foreign exchange.

  Location
On Kikambala Beach, Mombasa, Kenya

Directions
An estimated 20-25km from Mombasa. The former fishing village of Mtwapa has banks, restaurants and shopping.

Along the picture-perfect south coast, Southern Palms Mombasa on Diani Beach gets top marks for its superb location, a wonderful atmosphere, friendly staff, good food, and kid’s programs. The resort is located on a private beach so guests are relatively spared of harassment from the beach vendors.

Southern Palms Mombasa

Southern Palms has 300 air conditioned rooms, all of which are fully air-conditioned and feature, in addition to the double beds, a standard size day bed to be converted into an additional bed. The floors of the rooms and bathrooms are decorated with ceramic tiles. There are showers in the bathrooms.

The Swahili atmosphere at Southern Palms  is enhanced by the Pili-Pili carved four-poster double beds in each of the rooms and Swahili easy chairs on the good-sized balconies to soak in the eye-catching ocean or garden views.

Southern Palms Room

Rooms overlook the swimming pools and gardens and arrangements can be made beforehand for the ocean front rooms, of which there are 36. All rooms in Southern Palms Mombasa are clean, comfortable and spacious.

All rooms have TV with inbuilt DVD Player with DVDS available for loan from the Business Center, direct dial telephones, a fridge, coffee and tea making facilities, an electronic safe. You have to pay extra to have a stocked minibar.

The luxury suites are furnished with a king-size four-poster bed, mini bar, T.V. and video, spacious sitting area, shower and bath, large balcony.

Total number of guest rooms 300
Luxury suites 2

Restaurants

Southern Palms Main Restaurant

There are 4 restaurants at the hotel. The largest, the Main Restaurant, features a themed buffet which changes nightly. Breakfast is served here and full board guests lunch here as well.

Manyatta, which is under a domed canopy by the pool, specializes in charcoal grilled meat and seafood. All day snacks and light lunches of pizza, burgers, sandwiches and salads and light lunches are available at the Boriti Snack Bar. For dining under the stars, pick the Italian restaurant, La Via Romana. This is only opened in the evening as is the atmospheric El Nomad Lebanese Restaurant at the Fountain Bar in which you dine to the sounds of Jabali music.

Of the 5 bars on the premises of the hotel, the main one is opened 24/7 and those who wish to try their hand at smoking a water pipe should hop on down to the Sargile Hookah Bar. There are two swim-up bars in the pools. The pool closest to the entrance is a salt water pool while the fresh water pool tends to be more popular.

Swimming pools

Pools at Southern Palms Hotel

Swim up Bar Southern Palms

Two extensive free-form swimming pools, deemed the largest in East Africa, fringed by palm trees. There are plenty of sunbeds for lounging on and free towels are readily available. The pools are constantly being cleaned and maintained.

There are also sunbeds on the beach.

Entertainment
Traditional African shows such as Masai dancers and acrobats and dancing till early morning hours. Look out for their specials such as their evening Beach Party which features the Masai warriors for an unforgettable experience.

Things to enjoy
Tennis in floodlit courts, air-conditioned squash courts, beach and pool volleyball, beach walks, water aerobics, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, catamaran sailing, Petanque, tables tennis, pool darts, bird watching, a fitness center and an activity’s club for kids.

What’s cool

Southern Palms on Diani Beach

Private Beach at Southern Palms Hotel

Fantastic and clean swimming pools and easy availability of sunbeds for lounging and free clean towels. Guests are welcomed with a cold towel and refreshing drink. A private beach and security guards on hand minimize harassment from the beach vendors. The friendly staff bends backwards to please the guests.

This is a kid-friendly environment and a baby sitter is available on request.

What’s not
Not a whole lot to do in the surrounding area outside the hotel, you need a taxi ride to other restaurants and bars.

Location
On Diani Beach, Mombasa, Kenya

All images and photographs used in this review are the copyright of Southern Palms Mombasa

The Severin Sea Lodge Mombasa is one of few eco-lodges in Mombasa. Situated on the beautiful Bamburi beach on Mombasa’s North Coast, the lodge has detached cottages which are designed like African huts with thatched roofs. Its newer rooms are in the main building. In keeping with its green mission, it gets its supplies from its own organic farm.

Severin Sea Lodge Mombasa

It has a water purification plant to clean wastewater before it is dumped and it has replaced all fences on the grounds with hedges for birds to nest in. Its water supply is heated with solar panels and it recycles all materials. Wasted food is given to the pig farmers to feed their stock, garden trash is composted and all other materials are recycled.

Rooms in the Severin Sea Lodge come in two different styles – the more luxurious Comfort Class rooms and the Karibu rooms. The Karibu rooms are more basic and come with double beds, individually controlled air conditioning, mosquito nets, showers, toilet, a sitting area and a terrace.

The more luxurious Comfort class rooms have private baths with showers, a toilet, and some rooms have double sinks, individually controlled air conditioning, mosquito net, 1 or 2 fans, hairdryer, coffee, a minibar, balcony or terrace and a fruit basket on arrival. They are furnished with Lamu carved furniture and beds.

The new Comfort Class rooms in the main building have similar features but are larger and are equipped with a flat screen and satellite television.

Comfort Class Room at Severin Sea Lodge

The Admiral Suite is designed with a separate living room and kitchenette, a bar and lounge area with satellite TV, a shower and bathtub, a separate changing room and a balcony from which to enjoy the panoramic sea view.

All rooms are cleaned and linens exchanged daily.

Total number of rooms 200
Comfort Class rooms 100 (36 new ones in the main building)
Karibu 100
Admiral Suite 1

Restaurants
There are 3 restaurants, the most interesting one being the Imani restaurant which is housed in an old African dhow. The dhow used to ply routes between Zanzibar, Dar-es-Salam, Tanga and Mombasa carrying loads of mango wood, cotton and maize. It is now an excellent seafood restaurant.

Dhow Restaurant At Severin

The main restaurant, the Kisima, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and stages themed-buffets. It serves a good traditional English breakfast with bacon and baked beans and pretty delicious bread rolls and soup for lunch and dinner. The Flame Tree Bistro dishes up pizza and pasta for lunch and dinner and the Pool Grill Kisima is the place for snacks.

The two bars at Severin Sea Hotel, the Safari Bar and the Swing Bar, stay open till midnight.

Swimming pool
2 free-form swimming pools, one with a small waterfall and water slide. The one located away from the beach is quieter whereas the second pool, which faces the beach, tends to be busier. Wooden sun beds are arranged around the pool and on the grass facing the beach.

Entertainment
Live African bands playing jazz and reggae and traditional African dance and music

Things to Enjoy

Wellness Spa at Severin Sea Lodge

Shops at Severin

Wind surfing, beach volleyball, tennis, table tennis and golfing nearby. The wellness spa offers treatments on the beach or in the spa itself.

What’s Cool
Its commitment to the environment has garnered several German tourism awards for sustainability. Severin Sea Lodge is the first hotel in Kenya to have an environmental manager to oversee the implementation of its eco-mission. The Imani restaurant is definitely unique. The lodge also offers several wedding packages including a sunset ceremony on a dhow or on the Nguuni game reserve with wandering giraffes and antelopes as special guests!

What’s Not
The beach tends to get clogged up by seaweed. The beach boys on the beach are particularly aggressive. Some of the older Comfort Class rooms within the detached bungalows at the hotel need updating. There is no kid’s club nor activities specially designed for kids.

Location
On, Bamburi Beach., Mombasa, Kenya

Directions To Severin Sea Lodge:
12 km north of central Mombasa and 20 km from Moi International Airport.

All images and photographs used in this review are the copyright of Severin Sea Lodge Mombasa

Serena Beach Hotel Mombasa is deemed to be the best hotel in Mombasa’s north coast. A quiet sanctuary off the main road, it is located right on Shanzu Beach and overlooks the Mombasa Marine National Park, a 200-square kilometre National Marine Reserve.

Serena Beach Hotel Mombasa

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Designed like a 13th century Swahili town, Serena Hotel has winding walkways, inner fountain courtyards, and open air markets. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with a coconut-fringed beach, bougainvillea and other tropical flowers and trees on the grounds and a swimming pool with a swim up bar. It also has state of the art conference facilities.

The Serena Mombasa has 164 air conditioned rooms, all nicely equipped with lots of towels and bathrobes. Rooms are cleaned and turned down daily.

Garden Rooms at Serena Beach Hotel

The Village rooms are in the shady courtyards of the Swahili Village and the best ones are the ocean view rooms at the front. The upstairs rooms have balconies, and the ones downstairs have verandahs for outdoor seating.

All have wonderful Swahili design features such as carved balconies, coral pillars, fretwork screens, carved doors, gleaming arches, stone-carved niches and lovely Lamu-styled furniture. Nicely appointed modern bathrooms have showers, bath tubs and toilets.

The garden rooms in Serena Beach Hotel Mombasa are larger and have views of the garden with some glimpses of the ocean. They have carved balconies, broad verandahs, brass-inlaid furniture and a blue-green décor scheme which echoes the colors of the ocean and the swaying coconut trees. The toilet is separate from the bath tub and shower and there are twin wash basins.

Restaurants

Dining at the Jahazzi Grill Restaurant

Guests have the choice of three restaurants, a buffet restaurant, a place for snacks and the main restaurant, the Jahazzi grill. The buffet breakfast is extensive with egg stations, Swahili dishes, 6 different kinds of fresh juices, fruit, pastries, home made jams and marmalades, cold cuts, cheese and hot dishes. Lunch is served by the pool. The Jahazzi Grill is an open air restaurant for dining under tropical stars and swaying palm trees. It offers excellent seafood – prawns, crab, fish, lobsters and oysters – as well as steak, chicken and pork.

There are several bars on the grounds including a swim-up bar in the pool. Complimentary coffee and tea are available all day.

Swimming pools
There is one pool with a swim up bar. Sunbeds are set out around the pool and on green grass on the beachfront.

Pool at Serena Beach Hotel

Entertainment
Music from live bands, dancing and Swahili market nights in the “village squares” with food and music.

Things to enjoy
Windsurfing, deep-sea fishing, catamaran sailing, introductory scuba diving lessons with certification and snorkeling, boat rides in a glass bottom boat, tennis in flood lit courts, squash in air conditioned courts, water aerobics and gym aerobics, fully equipped gym with instructor, beach walks and nature trails with the resident naturalist, volleyball, table tennis, darts and pool

Nearby
Jogging in the Bamburi Nature Trail, golf course.

Serena Beach Hotel Room

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Total number of guest rooms: 164

Village rooms: 40

Village sea-view rooms: 26

Garden rooms: 48

Junior suites: 8

Luxury suites: 2

Family rooms: 6

Family sea-view rooms: 2

Prime rooms: 32

All rooms at the Serena Beach Hotel have air-conditioning, mini bar, safe and Satellite TV. Mosquito nets available on request.

What’s cool

Arriving at Mombasa Serena Hotel

Maisha Spa at Serena Hotel

Arriving guests at the Serena Mombasa are treated royally on arriving with a refreshing cold drink and towel to freshen up with. The Swahili- village ambience has a lovely local feel. The beach is clean and suitable for swimming and walking. The off shore reef is fabulous for viewing at least 250 marine species such as turtles, crabs, butterfly fish, parrotfish, sea urchins, cowries, moray eel, lionfish, starfish and sergeant major fish.

Its world class Maisha spa has private courtyard treatment rooms and outdoor showers. Treatments are also offered in massage tents on the beach. There are steam rooms, saunas and outdoor jacuzzis, a hair salon, and yoga classes in a specially constructed yoga podium suspended over a calm pool of water.

This is a kid-friendly environment. Kids love the butterfly conservation program at Serena Hotel which maintains breeding areas for over 12 species of endangered forest butterflies. Mature butterflies are released onto the hotel grounds.

What’s not
A single pool is a small drawback. However, the sea is calm as it is protected by the offshore reef and the water is clear and warm for swimming.

Location
On Shanzu Beach, Mombasa, Kenya

Directions to Serena Beach Hotel
20 km north of central Mombasa along the main Mombasa-Malindi highway. Serena Mombasa runs a daily shuttle bus into town and there is a wide selection of taxis available. Moi International Airport is 27km away and there is a small local airstrip nearby in Shanzu.

All images and photographs used in this review are the copyright of Serena Beach Hotel Mombasa

Situated on the lovely white sand Nyali Beach, the Reef Hotel Mombasa is perceived as the alternative to travelers who cannot afford the luxurious 4 star Sarova Whitesands Resort and Spa. It is an all-inclusive resort with options for half or full board.

Reef Hotel Mombasa

Reef Hotel Room Interior

The Reef Hotel has three types or rooms – superior or standard rooms with ocean views and those facing the garden or pool. The superior oceanfront rooms have double beds and a divan and a few extra features including a video player, a mini-fridge and hairdryer. The standard ocean or garden/pool view rooms have double or twin beds. Some of the standard rooms are designed as triples to accommodate families or large groups. All rooms have a balcony, air-conditioning, fans, bath and shower, TV and a room safe.

Rooms are comfortable and clean. Towels are changed and fresh bars of soap made available daily.

Total number of rooms 134
Standard sea facing 96
Superior sea facing 15
Garden Wing 23

Restaurants
There are 3 restaurants and five bars in the Reef Hotel. The quality of food gets good marks, especially its extensive breakfast at which hotel guests can help themselves to porridge, pancakes, toast, Danish pastries, eggs, sausages, potatoes, beans and fresh fruit.

Lunch by the Pool at Reef Hotel

Dinner is a themed buffet such as African, Chinese and Indian served at the breezy Main Restaurant which is located in the main gardens. In the open air restaurant with high thatched roofs, guests can enjoy a vast variety of desserts such as rice pudding, sponge cakes, bread and butter pudding, fruit, cheese and crackers.

View from Balcony Reef Hotel

Karibuni is a casual bar serving cocktails and excellent cappuccinos and espressos. The Tanga Bar on the beach has a covered sit down area with lovely views of the pool and the beach and swimmers needing quick refreshment have access to a swim-up bar.

Evening entertainment hubs around the Pool Bar which is the main bar in the Reef Hotel Mombasa. It has commanding views of the gardens, pools and the ocean and is the stage for evening shows and live music. The Lounge bar is a sports bar with a wide screen TV whereas the beach bar is open during the day and is transformed into a pulsating music club at night.
Swimming pool
Two swimming pools, one of which is right on the beachfront.

Entertainment
Nightly entertainment, a disco and music bar.

Things to Enjoy
Tennis, pool gymnastics and water polo, wind-surfing, sailing, kayaking, scuba diving, archery, mini-golf, archery and snooker.

What’s Cool
Guests are greeted with a glass of refreshingly cold fruit juice. There is a pool for lap swims.

What’s Not
The disco is opened from 1am-4am every night. Although younger guests like the late hours, some guests find the noise too loud.

Location
On Nyali Beach, Mombasa, Kenya

Directions
12 km from Mombasa and 21 km from Moi International Airport.

Plaza Beach Hotel Mombasa offers bright, nicely colored rooms with wide balconies. Some of the rooms have a view of the white sands of Bamburi Beach and the blue water of the Indian Ocean while others open up to the shady tropical gardens or the pool.

Plaza Beach Hotel

A small boutique hotel with Moorish design and terraced gardens, its air-conditioned rooms come with ensuite bathrooms which are equipped with a shower, twin or double beds, satellite television, mini bar, in-room safe and hair-dryer. Rooms are airy and spacious and, in a nice touch, the hotel uses shipwheels as headboards. Some rooms are handicap accessible. Baby-sitting services are available at this mid-range hotel..

It has a defined eco-conscious mission and sources food from nearby organic farms and uses solar energy to heat the water. Plaza Hotel Mombasa has a conference center with state of the art facilities and a business center.

Restaurants

Restaurant Plaza Hotel

A buffet restaurant set in the tropical gardens serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Themed dinners and a la carte menu with seafood, local and international dishes are also available. Snacks and casual dining are served at the poolside cafe.

Under shady trees and swaying palms, guests can count on sandwiches, light meals, exotic fruit juices, cool beer or tropical cocktails. And for a little bit of indulgence, there are ice cream ad pastries as well. The lounge bar doubles up as a coffee bar.

All-day room service is available.

Swimming pool
There is a free-form pool on the grounds.

Entertainment
Nightly entertainment at dinner.

Things to Enjoy
Windsurfing, sailing, jet skiing, fishing, beach volleyball, table tennis and billiards. Massages can be arranged with the therapist on call.

The Dive Center at the Plaza takes divers of all experience – from novices to pros – to 25 dive sites to swim with sea turtles, parrot fish, sting rays, moray eels, white tip reef sharks and whale sharks, the latter being one of the highlights of diving in Mombasa.

What’s Cool
Plaza Beach Hotel Mombasa has eco-friendly practices and its food, made with organic ingredients, is pretty good.

What’s Not
Could do with more variety during the evening entertainment and on-site activities.

Location
On Bamburi Beach, Mombasa, Kenya

Directions
12 km north of central Mombasa and 20km from the Moi International Airport.

Amp up your holiday with a stay in the suites in Pinewood Village Beach Resort where your personal chef drums up food according to your whims. Based in Galu Kinondo beach south of Diani, this small boutique hotel has a quiet and private beach with a calm lagoon ideal for water sports such as windsurfing, kite surfing and snorkeling. It is recommended for those who want to relax and chill.

Pinewood Village Mombasa Hotel

Recent renovations over 3 years till 2008 have updated rooms, spa and restaurants and bars and added a gym, business center, wi-fi spots and a boardroom for business meetings.

Room at Pinewood Village Mombasa

Pinewood Village offers rooms and suites with attached bathrooms, air-conditioning, balcony, ceiling fans, tea and coffee making facilities, internet access, mini bar and hairdryer. Guests in executive rooms and suites have double showers, bathtub (in executive suites) fridge and a choice of garden or seafront views. Suites come with a spacious living room.

Rooms are decorated simply and comfortably in colors that reflect the sea, sand and sky. White is the dominant color with colored fabrics, wooden furnishings and interesting seashell and pebble accessories reinforcing the casual beach ambience.

The resort is made up of a cluster of detached villas with the standard rooms upstairs facing the garden and the suites downstairs with either a seafront or garden view.

For breakfast, chefs prepare pancakes and omelettes on the spot with ham, sausages, fruit juices and pastries available at the breakfast buffet. For lunch and dinner, there is usually pizza or an impressive selection of seafood.

Pinewood Village has a very well equipped water sports center which is also a PADI dive center. Avid divers love nearby dive sites, as there are regular sightings of whale sharks, dolphins and manta rays. There are introductory and full courses for scuba divers, windsurfers and kite boarders, the latter finding the constant winds and boat-free waters ideal for their sport.

Total number of rooms 58
Deluxe 36
Suites 18
Executive rooms 2
Executive suites 2

Restaurants

Bahari Restaurant at Pinewood Village

Pinewood has four restaurants.. The Bahari serves breakfast and dinner, the Tamu snack grill provides lunch and afternoon tea. Jahazi bistro serves only lunch while Peponi Restaurant stages barbecues and themed dinners. Suite guests have the services of their personal chefs.

There are three bars open at various times from 9 am to 1am, by the pool, on the beach and in the lounge.

Complimentary coffee and tea are available 24/7 in the Bahari Lounge.

Swimming pool

Pool at Pinewood Village

There is a swimming pool with a jacuzzi.

Entertainment
Basic entertainment with acrobatics and some cultural performances on Tuesday and Friday evenings.

Things to Enjoy
Aqualand water sports is a top-class center. The protected waters combined with constant winds create ideal conditions for windsurfing and kite-surfing. Being close to the Pemba Channel which is famous for big game fishing, sports fishermen get fine catches of marlin, sailfish, wahoo, dorado and kingfish. Aqualand runs a tag and release program to preserve rare and endangered species.

Pampering is available at the Amani spa and those needing a good workout have the Amani gym, tennis and squash courts in which to do so.

What’s Cool

Beach at Pinewood Village Mombasa

Water sports enthusiasts love the facilities at the Pinewood Village. The nearby coral reef creates flat water which make it easy for novices to pick up new skills; pros love that the ocean here is pristine and uncrowded. The quiet, boutique hotel atmosphere is great for those who want lots of down-time.

What’s Not
Its secluded location is too quiet for those who hanker after a lot of activities and entertainment. There are no televisions in the rooms – those who must have their TV fix wander down to the TV lounge at the hotel.

Location
On Galu Kinondo Beach, Mombasa, Kenya

Directions
Approximately 45 kms south of central Mombasa. Moi International Airport is nearly 2 hours away. There is a small local airstrip at Ukunda.