Hemingways Watamu

My experience was amazing. Beautiful hotel, really friendly staff, clean facilities, a really beautiful view of the ocean. I particularly enjoyed being served by the hostess Redemptor. Cheerful and super friendly. Would definitely recommend

The staff make this place special. From the pool attendants to the restaurant staff - the cooks and the waiting staff - everyone was absolutely superb! Nothing was too much trouble. I'd go as far as saying this is some of the best staff in any hotel I've ever stayed in. And the food was lovely, too. On the surface, the hotel looks great. But look closely and it's tired, ageing and could do with some TLC - take a look at some of our pictures. This is not a five star establishment by my standards - light fittings hanging off the wall in public spaces, marks down walls, bricks missing around the pool, dirty shower surrounds - very disappointing. The apartments were much better than the rooms, though. When we were there in mid-June, the smell off the sea was - at some times - stomach churning. Nothing the hotel can do about that, but something to be aware of. We were told it was rotting seaweed - but the brown sludge I saw (and a soiled nappy in the water) made me suspicious it might be something else. It was very windy, too - just be aware. There was no point even asking to use the tennis court, either - no net and no fence around the court! Beware the mark-ups on the activities, too - our trip to the snake farm was billed at KES 3,500 per person. Entry to the farm costs KES 1,500 and an uber would cost about KES 500 return for a car full. We complained - especially about the disappointing activity anyway (only lasted an hour and no interaction with snakes) and got a decent discount - to be fair, they tried hard to keep us happy. This really could be a five star hotel with a bit of investment.

It's the best I've ever experienced. I mean everything was world-class, the ambience, the service, the rooms, the food, the staff. The Food was basically buffet, the breakfast options were vast, and there were so many to choose from. The dinner options not so many and as much as they tried to incorporate different cuisines each day i.e Italian, Mediterranean, Swahili, they didn't have many dining options, otherwise what was available was delicious. We really enjoyed our stay and would definitely go back.