Medina Palms

Medina Palms is about a two and a half hour drive from Mombasa, but it is a lovely, small, quiet hotel in beautiful surroundings with very friendly staff. There appeared to be a variety of rooms. Our room was more of an apartment with lounge, fully fitted kitchen, two bathrooms and two bedrooms. As we were full board, we never made use of the kitchen and only used one of the bedrooms and bathrooms. Only one a la carte menu for lunch and dinner, but the choice was more than enough and the food was excellent. We were lucky with the weather and were able to dine outside for lunch and dinner (with no bother from mosquitos). One small complaint was that we had to pay for water with the meals. Not expected in a 5* hotel. A very Moorish theme to the architecture , with ogee arches and interconnected pools running through the gardens and down to the long, white sand beach. You could swim in the pools and the pool attendants were always on hand to supply towels for the very comfortable sun beds, of which there was plenty of choice. Took a few walks into Watamu. Felt quite safe and were never bothered by souvenir sellers etc. We made use of the local motorbike or tuk tuk taxis for our return, (very reasonable price). After four days, we went on a 5 day safari wth Pollmans (see seperate trip adviser report). We had to vacate our room, but the hotel looked after our luggage and we returned for a further five days to the same room. All in all, a wonderful holiday and I would recommend staying at this hotel.

beautiful beach and lovely staff on the beach

room was a bit dirty / tired looking and felt like it needed a revamp

The suite we had was spacious The verandah was nice to sit in The pool beds were comfy Plenty of pools to swim in/sit round

Long and thin so not able to see the sea unless at the bottom end. The outside dining area was very hot, no sea breeze

The hotel runs down to the picturesque white sand beach of Watamu. Hotel has approx 50 rooms . It was blissfully quiet during our stay with only about 50% occupancy. Plenty of comfortable sunbeds and impeccable service from the pool staff. The architecure is inluenced by the Moors. Keyhole arches and running water connecting three swimming pools. Our two week stay was split because of our 5 day safari (a much recommended, wonderful experience). All staff were very friendly. Rooms were kept spotless. Although the lunch and dinner menu were the same, there was more than enough choice to satisfy the most choosy diner. We were on 'full board' and therefore accepted that drinks were not included, however, a minor complaint, for a 5* hotel, was that even water was not included when dining. Took several walks into the centre of Watamu and felt quite safe. Returned by motor cycle taxi or Tuk Tuk at very little cost. A good experience and a way to see local life and culture. A great holiday and would do it all again.

This was my second visit to Medina Palms, and once again it didn’t disappoint. What makes this resort special is the staff. From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel at home, it’s the kind of hospitality that makes you want to come back. A huge thank you to Julius, the gentle giant who welcomed us with warmth and took care of our bags when we arrived. At the beach bar and restaurant, Sharon and David became our daily companions. They looked after us so well, checking in on us frequently that we never had to walk to the bar to get anything. Dinner was always a joy thanks to the smiles from Brian and Sophia, who made the evenings feel relaxed. Colin, the always chirpy restaurant manager was also a good host. Alex at the poolside remembered me from my visit eight years ago which was a nice surprise. I also enjoyed football chats with Dixon at the lobby bar, and early morning gym sessions with Dixon the instructor. Emmanuel at the water sports centre did his best to coax us into doing some water sports but we were too relaxed to take up the offers, next time Emmanuel! I ordered a salad, and when they didn’t have a single ingredient available, David came over, apologised, and asked whether I still wanted it. It may seem small, but compared to my last review of another resort where missing ingredients were common and never mentioned in the hope that we wouldn’t notice, this was refreshing and shows the level of service at Medina Palms. The resort layout, the warmth of service, the facilities, and the beachfront setting are all fantastic. However, the rooms could benefit from some updating as they're starting to show their age in some parts. Nothing major as it wouldn’t stop me returning. We also experienced a stubborn mosquito problem that persisted even after two rounds of spraying. Thankfully, the mosquito nets cover the bed. We’re looking forward to another visit in the future.

Alles!)

We rrived at Watamu after a 2.5 hour car journey fom Mombasa. The resort is lovely and we had a wondrful few days at the resort. The staff and very friendly and were always ready to help .The rooms were clean and service at the restuarant was impeccable . The beach is good but at times lttered with seaweed . Despite this sea was was good to swim and relax . We had good food at the beach bar and resturant and were well looked after by Rupert and Milka . The manger was very welcoming and hepful .This place is ideal for anyone seeking a peaceful getaway from the busy life streses .