Stayed here after two safari camps in Masi Mara and Samburu. We were lucky to have flown into the local airport at Ukunda, so the transfer took only about 20 mins. Unforunately we flew back out of Mombasa and that took over an hour and involved a ferry crossing.
Arriving at the hotel - we were greeted with a drink of cold fizzy - very welcoming after the journey. The check in was done quickly and we were shown to our villa, with the bags being brought shortly after. The rooms were very cold and initially smelt a little damp - however this soon went away. We stayed in a downstairs room - which meant we had a good sitting area and access to a patio outside. The monkees that come into the garden on an afternoon were great to watch. The rooms are of a good size and standard - I would not rate them as 5 star perhaps between a 3 and 4 star. We were aware that the rooms above are smaller.
Room service was OK - but you could never guarentee at what time the rooms would be cleaned etc. Food in the hotel was very good - the main restraunt provided good themed buffets and full cooked breafasts. We had one meal at the beach barbecue that was also very good.(I think the hotel miss a trick by not offerring both as an option each night).
Lunch - the excellent pizzeria on the beach served a good variety of food and was a pleasant place to sit. We had winds most days which helped to keep the heat down.
The beach bar was open until late and again this was a nice place to end the evening overlooking the sea. get to know the attendant on the beach - give him a tip and he will keep the beach beds for you!
We did take advantage of the ability to have a meal prepared in our own kitchens by a chef. This is well worth doing and you can choose from an extensive menu (Remember to tip the waiter and the chef!).
The swimming pool was OK - a little tired and perhaps needs some maintenance (few broken tiles), but still a nice place for a swim up drink. The beach is lovely - however as soon as you go onto the beach - the local beach vendors make a beeline to you. I did find that they were polite - however if you are firm with them they will leave you alone - they did not cause us any offense. Be careful the sa is quite rough here and there is sharp coral - make sure you wear something on your feet!
Overall we enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and the very good pleasant staff. Its not a hotel I would choose for a holiday on its own - but its ideal as a relaxation place if you are contemplating doing a safari.
Entertainment was put on some nights and was OK. However its very quiet on a night. The hotel could perhaps do with another bar with some music? There was wifi available in the main part of the hotel - but not in the villas.
For those of you worried about the problems in Kenya - its far away from Somalia and we saw no problems at all.
We travelled with Kuoni and a big thank you to our rep at the hotel who ensured that our 'all inclusive ' lasted until we left the resort (The hotel stop your all inclusive at midday on the day you leave!). One other point - you have to pay for your safe - being 'all-inclusive' I thought that should have been included.

After a thrilling 4 days Masai Mara safari which we pre-booked from the UK with Twit Travel & Safaris, we arrived in this Resort totally worn out!

The welcome was great! Very warm, friendly and not overdone. We were checked into our room swiftly and soon we had a shower after 12 hours travel under a rather hot sun.

This is the first time I have felt triggered to review & felt I had to thank & praise all the staff at Pinewood. Everybody, from management to the beach attendants smiled each time as they greeted us. Nothing is too much trouble! I will be unfair to mention names of a few staff we remember by name, but all the staff were great.The real JEWEL of this resort. We were on HB, which worked well for us. Lunch each day was a freshly cooked pizza from a wood burning oven...delicious!

On checkout, we were unable to keep our room as new guests were arriving, however, we were given exclusive use of a room to freshen up & kept until we left in the early afternoon. This meant we enjoyed our stay till the last minute, without the hassle of packing & unpacking.....!

This resort is haven of tranquility..we enjoyed every moment of our time spent here and want to once again thank the staff and the management for the seamless service they offer.

We are surely breaking our bank account to return!

This will be a holiday we will remember for a long time. Thank you everybody at Pinewood!

If you want a place with a ton of action, parties, and chaos - look elsewhere. Pinewood is relaxation paradise! The staff treat you like royalty, the food is to die for, and my bed was so comfortable I almost didn't want to leave it in the mornings.

The only downside was the distance from everything. If you want to go shopping in town, expect to pay $30 for a cab ride. But if you just want to lay around the resort and soak up the sun, Pinewood is the perfect place :)

We spent an eight day couples holiday at the Pinewood just after New Year, staying half board in a deluxe suite and following on from a three day safari package in the Maasai Mara park.

Getting there - we flew Nairobi to Mombassa and pre-booked a taxi to drive us down to Pinewood. We were prepared for the cost and the length of the drive (5000ksh and 90 mins on a good day), but probably not the condition of Mombassa itself - incredibly underdeveloped and delipidated, and a shocking reminder of the deprivations of the local population.

Room - we opted for a deluxe suite and were not disappointed. The bed was large - although two singles pushed together to make a double which I find highly annoying - with a large, spacious mosquito net and plenty of room. The bathroom was fine - although there is an art to working the showers and finding the correct temperature.

Food - buffet style with a different theme every night, and different venues too (main restaurant, beach bar, pool). No complaints here, I found the food to be excellent, well prepared and very tasty.

Service - very good. All of the staff are extremely friendly and professional. Tipping not really a problem as the resort runs a chit system - although keep hold of your receipts in order to check the bills at the end of your stay as the point of sale system in operation at the hotel is quite old fashioned and needs a bit of an overhaul. That said, our overall bill was slightly cheaper than expected, so I can't complain!

Half board vs AI - we were half board and were quite satisfied. If you have children who guzzle fizzy pop, or are really into your food and cocktails, then go for AI. If not, I recommend sticking to half board as you will only be spending money during the day and early evening on food and drinks, and as most people are in their beds by 2200hrs there won't be any late nights.

Activities - my fiancee and I were happy to walk up and down the beach, do a bit of exercise in the gym (small, but has a treadmill, exercise bike, stepper, multigym and some free weights - machines need a bit of a service), and generally mong around the pool bar. However, there are plenty of activities available at a price - snorkelling, diving, kitesurfing, horseriding, mountain biking.

Beach - Diani/Galu beach is a white sanded paradise and is an incredible beach. Yes, there are plenty of beach boys who are are a tedious pain and are out in abundance on some days. We ignored them and as we were generally walking down the beach when we encountered them soon managed to loose them. It's also worth mentioning that the wind was incredibly strong during the day, but abated overnight and between 6-8 am was actually relatively calm.

Minor irritations - (1) the room safes were not included in the overall cost and are currently 220ksh per day. (2) Some members of the bar staff spend more time going through chits and manually counting bills than actually serving you, especially in the evenings. (3) hotel guests feeding the colobus monkeys - don't do it!!

Overall - despite the minor irritations this is an excellent resort which is very well run by courteous and helpful staff. It is a small piece of paradise and definitely worth a visit, whether you have children or are just a couple as there is something here for everyone.