We stayed here in July 07, we had a really great time, we did a two day safari with ASC and were very pleased, we stayed in crocodile camp and we could hear hippos grunting at each other in the night - great! We didn't see lions or rhinos but we saw HUNDREDS of elephants, it was fantastic and amazing value for money.

I would advise you don't drink the african safari water bottles provided in the hotel, go into the village and get water from there, we are convinced the ASC water was what gave us bad tummies, but we didn't let it spoil the holiday.

The beach boys and the guys in the village do hassle you a little, but as long as you are polite and friendly they are too.

We had read the reviews of the Watamu Beach Club Hotel and so arrived in Mombasa with a certain sense of trepidation. We had also read the reports about the condition of the road from Mombasa to Watamu and so this was no surprise, although the condition of the coaches we travelled in, both to and from the airport, were. Their condition compared quite favourably with that of the average vehicle to be found on Kenyan roads, but given that African Safari Club (ASC) is a Swiss company I think they should be more concerned with the comfort, and potentially the safety, of their customers.

On arrival at the hotel we received a warm welcome and were shown to our room which, although basic, was clean and remained so throughout our stay, with a continuous supply of hot water and fully functioning air conditioning.

Previous reports you may have read with regard to the food at Watamu beach being fairly basic are close to the mark, although the waiter who looked after us, Big Steve, could not do enough for us. If we needed anything he usually managed to get it for us. One piece of advice though, if you like fresh fruit for your sweet you will be OK, but you will need to get yours before your starter as this is what the majority of the German guests seemed to do, leaving very little for people who waited until they had finished their main course. One alternative to the basic fare was to take a short walk to one of the many restaurants in the village.

The staff at Watamu Beach; the guys looking after the grounds, cleaning the rooms, serving behind the bars, waiting or serving in the restaurant were all friendly, cheerful and will do anything to help you. If you are happy with their service please do reward them appropriately, as I’m not sure ASC do.

We did not book any trips through ASC, but instead chose to arrange these with Tunda Tours. Tunda have an office directly opposite the hotel gates, just ask any of the locals for Abdul, AKA ‘The Mayor’ and I’m sure they will point you in the right direction. Abdul, apart from being a Liverpool fan, is a great guy and sorted us out with 3 trips. A day trip to the Gede ruins and Malindi on which Abdul accompanied us, a 2-day one night safari during which we stayed at the David Livingston Hotel overlooking the Mara river with crocodiles and hippos in the Koyaki/Lemek Wildlife Trust, which is just to the north east of the Masai Mara game reserve, and a trip to Mida Creek mangrove forest that also included snorkelling on the reef which was teaming with fish while we were there.

The main advantage of booking safaris with Tunda is that you fly from Malindi, 15-20 minutes away, and not from Mombasa like you do if you go with ASC which means 5 hours less time spent on ‘that road’

In summary, we only booked our holiday 10 days before we arrived and so got a good deal and, given the price we paid, have no complaints about value for money, which I think we may have had, had we paid full price. As previously mentioned, the food is not great, but you won’t go hungry. If you book a standard room and arrive at Watamu Beach hotel expecting European 3/4-star accommodation you will be disappointed, although some were being refurbished while were there. Some people we met on the holiday had booked a suite, and if you can afford the extra they seem worthwhile, as the we saw was of a much higher standard.

Because this was my 60th birthday treat from my husband, he had upgraded our flight and also booked the only villa on the hotel complex, which was really beautiful, quite a distance from the main hotel, we had our own private terrace, overlooking the sea and a quiet pretty cove.
The meals we did find repetative and bland, but we visited various restaurants in the area and throughly enjoyed the change from the hotel cuisine. Also the ala carte terrace restaurant near the swimming pool, which was more imaginative than the main dining room menu with a more pleasant ambiance. The Hotel we found to be very clean, although slightly tired compared to others in the area, Hemmingways for example!
Sharing our table on the first evening we were delighted to meet Jane and Rose who became our companions and enriched our evenings and several outings with their company. Thank you Rose and Jane if you should be reading this!
The beach and sea were beautiful, but inland the scenery was disappointingly boring and extremely deprived. We privately visited a couple of orphanages and schools taking pencils, sweets and toys. Also visited the bush villages on foot taking food parcels of basic needs to very needy deprived families, accompanied by a couple of boys who had tagged on to us during the organised tour the previous day. Wanted to assist us in any way for very little reward, just pleased to be helping their people. (All a very humbling experience)
Visited Masa Mari Kilimanjari safari for a couple of days, via tiny plane, from private airport in Mombassa. The Safari was disappointing, herding around in a convoy of several buses, watching the few animals backsides as they ran off into the distance, having been made aware of our arrival by clouds of dust. The accommodation at Masa Mari was basic to put it mildly, only cold water and cabin like tiny rooms, but adequate for one night.
The drive back from Mombassa airport was a journey from hell and back, the driver, was we think trying to get back before dark, and after passing about 4 accidents on the road, we begged him to slow down, before we too became a statistic.
The locals were annoying outside the hotel, but if your firm, they will leave you alone. The taxi drivers we found to be very honest and extremely keen to be working.
Both my husband and I visited the masseur lady, next to the beautiful swimming pool (who is paid by the hotel,) (so is very grateful for a tip) a couple of times and she was very good.
The hotel staff were fairly helpful and friendly, ( we had our own daily cleaner of our apartment, who was extremely good) but when we asked the managers for a basic kettle or saucepan to boil water in our apartment (we had a kitchen with fridge and stove etc,) we were told that this was not allowed and that all drinks etc could be bought at the hotel. (We only wanted an early morning cuppa)

Overall this was a holiday to remember, good value for money, but I would add that the extra money upgrade for the villa was well worth the expense for greater space, privacy, peace and quiet.

Went to Kenya for the first time this year. Expected bugs everywhere etc etc. Found Watamu Beach to be clean, fine "flour" sand and really gorgeous setting. The accommodation was basic but adequate and clean with no bugs. The friendly staff could not do enough to help. Loved it. Dinner menu was a little repetitive but pasta, salad and fruit options always to hand. Would suggest to management however that they vary the vegetables a little more as corgettes would not be one of my favourites and I didn't see peas at all until I ate out one evening.

I would recommend this hotel to anyone and wished I had gone here for my honeymoon many years ago. Yes, the beach people are a bit of a nuisance but by the end of the holiday they were laughing and joking with us like friends. These people have little and live from hand to mouth but they are warm hearted and are just trying to stay alive. They certainly did not spoil my holiday and I hope to be able to return one day.