The ONE

Location: Kanani Road, Watamu, Kilifi County, Watamu, KE

Star Rating: 4 Stars

Property Type: Resorts

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Check-out: 10:00 AM

Instructions: To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 24 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation. If you are planning to arrive after midnight please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation. Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions. Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property.

Amenities & Facilities

• Free beach cabanas
• Arcade/game room
• Boat tours on site
• Free WiFi
• 24-hour front desk
• Garden
• Luggage storage
• Designated smoking area
• Concierge service
• Wheelchair accessible
• Outdoor furniture
• Free airport transportation
• Supervised childcare/activities
• Gift shops or newsstand
• Conference space
• Hiking/biking trails nearby
• Kayaking nearby
• Scuba diving nearby
• Television in common areas
• Arcade/game room
• Safe-deposit box at front desk
• Free newspapers in lobby
• On private beach
• Wedding services
• Pool umbrellas
• Tours/ticket assistance
• Wheelchair accessible parking
• Conference center
• Snack bar/deli
• Access to nearby outdoor pool
• Playground on site
• Snorkeling on site
• Volleyball on site
• Free self parking
• Beach umbrellas
• Free beach cabanas
• Free pool cabanas
• Beach sun loungers
• Pool sun loungers
• Beach towels
• Beach volleyball on site
• Boat tours on site
• Art gallery on site
• Banquet hall
• Reception hall
• Tea service
• Outdoor entertainment area
• Walkway to water
• Children's toys
• Fishing nearby
• Swimming nearby
• Water sports equipment
• Wheelchair-accessible van parking
• Wheelchair-accessible pool
• Wheelchair-accessible on-site restaurant

Rooms Available

• Double Room, Garden View

  1 King Bed

  301-sq-foot room, balcony/patio with garden views

  
  

  Internet - Free WiFi

  Food & Drink - Room service (limited) and free bottled water

  Sleep - Bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, slippers, and a shower/tub combination with a rainfall showerhead

  Practical - Desk, single sofa bed, and phone; rollaway beds (free) and cribs (free) available on request

  Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping

  Accessibility - Low-height bed

  Non-Smoking

  Max Occupancy: 3 (3 Adults)

  • Telephone
  • Air conditioning
  • Desk
  • Private bathroom
  • Slippers
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Bidet
  • Toilet paper
  • Sofa bed
  • Bottle of water
  • Shampoo
  • Room service (limited hours)
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Free WiFi
  • Rainfall showerhead
  • Balcony or patio
  • Free cribs/infant beds
  • Bedsheets provided
  • Soap
  • Electrical adapters/chargers
  • Restaurant dining guide
  • Low-height bed

• Double Room, Sea View

  1 King Bed

  301-sq-foot room, balcony/patio with sea views

  
  

  Internet - Free WiFi

  Entertainment - 32-inch flat-screen TV with digital channels

  Food & Drink - Electric kettle, minibar (fees may apply), room service (limited hours), and free bottled water

  Sleep - Bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, slippers, and a shower/tub combination with a rainfall showerhead

  Practical - Safe, desk, and phone; rollaway beds (free) and cribs (free) available on request

  Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping

  Accessibility - Wheelchair accessible

  Smoking

  Max Occupancy: 3 (3 Adults)

  • Minibar
  • Safety deposit box
  • Telephone
  • Air conditioning
  • Desk
  • Private bathroom
  • Slippers
  • Electric kettle
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Bidet
  • Toilet paper
  • Bottle of water
  • Shampoo
  • Room service (limited hours)
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Free WiFi
  • Rainfall showerhead
  • Balcony or patio
  • Free cribs/infant beds
  • Smoking
  • Bedsheets provided
  • Free tea bags/instant coffee
  • Soap
  • Electrical adapters/chargers
  • Restaurant dining guide

• Double Room, Beach View

  1 King Bed

  301-sq-foot room, balcony/patio with beach views

  
  

  Internet - Free WiFi

  Food & Drink - Room service (limited) and free bottled water

  Sleep - Bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, slippers, and a shower/tub combination with a rainfall showerhead

  Practical - Desk, single sofa bed, and phone; rollaway beds (free) and cribs (free) available on request

  Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping

  Non-Smoking

  Max Occupancy: 3 (3 Adults)

  • Telephone
  • Air conditioning
  • Desk
  • Private bathroom
  • Slippers
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Bidet
  • Toilet paper
  • Sofa bed
  • Bottle of water
  • Shampoo
  • Room service (limited hours)
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Free WiFi
  • Rainfall showerhead
  • Balcony or patio
  • Free cribs/infant beds
  • Bedsheets provided
  • Soap
  • Electrical adapters/chargers
  • Restaurant dining guide

Guest Reviews

• Henri (8/5): Jacaranda bay - remote location but worth it - I visited The One during off season and covid mitigation rules, and due to this circunstances, I was surprisingly the only customer in the whole large resort. I got very warm welcome and free upgrade to a seafront apartment. Nothing major to complain other than the TV in the apartment did not work, neither did the wifi for some occasions. The resort location is remote from watamu bay and basic services but the hotel have good restaurant and other facilities. I managed to get a cheap uber from Malindi Airport to the Obe but to return I needed to order an expensive (3000ksh) taxi due to the remote location and lack of cars. It is possible to do kite surfing in a nearby resort. Jacaranda bay is amazing due to its gorgeous white banks that emerge in low tides.
• ahmed (6/5): - The site is excellent. But: - Staff very pleasant - advertised as few slot available but number of customers never exceeded a dozen or five percent of total. - Cost is very expensive compared to what is offered - Acces is difficult and google direction was for another hotel - for a full board choice of food was very limited and beverage was not included - No snack available.
• Philip (10/5): - Natural beauty. Spacious and many beautiful indigenous trees. Excellent ocean access.
• Mwikali (4/5): - Property was good, food was horrible! We had to eat outside the hotel
• Fridah (8/5): - Absolutley enjoyed my stay here. The service was top Notch and the facilities were clean and comfortable. Looking forward to a future stay again at the one.
• ShahzadK864 (10/5): Hidden Gem - Getting to this place is a pain in the neck but once you reach there, it's the most relaxing place in the entire Watamu surroundings. The swimming pools are neat and clean while the rooms are very luxurious. The staff is friendly, especially the GM. Would definitely go back there but this time for a week at least.
• kevmeem (10/5): Fantastic! - I've stayed here twice and absolutely love it with our family! The food is one of the best at the coast with variety on the buffet for everyone to find their niche. Excellent Italian flare to the food and great seafood choices! Our children loved the pool options and the beach at low tide is extraordinary. You can walk all the way out to the reef and float back with the incoming tide in a channel just like a 'real' lazy river. highly recommend for the value!
• dianisafarisholiday (8/5): quiet & exotic - The resort is ideal for those seeking to get away from the 'hustle & bustle" of the city. Located about 15km from Malindi town,the dirt road to the hotel resort through African villages. The ocean view from the resort is romantic as most of the rooms face the Indian Ocean with a beautiful beach.. A perfect place for relaxing and a get-away from "normal life"...I would say it's made for couples and those who really want to relax!
• Moretti (6/5): Mare indecente - Manutenzione del bagno scarsa (doccia piena di calcaree). Mare indecente, con parecchie alghe durante le ore di alta marea e sabbia melmosa durante la bassa marea. Cucina più che buona.
• Phoenix0213 (6/5): Okay Hotel - - Perfect place to get away" secret hideout" but not ideal for anyone who wants just more than relaxing holiday as the hotel is located on a dirt road and nothing nearby! The food is okay but no way for vegetarians! The staff knows mostly Italian and do not know whether food is veg or nonveg! Bad experiece there! The local spirits are not upto standard compared to other all inclusive hotels ,the bar is very (un)impressive & no snacks in an all inclusive hotel. The rooms do not have tea/coffee making facilities like other hotels. Perfect hotel for sea food lovers :)
• MatthewP168 (2/5): (Un)Happy new year. - The Ora website map has the hotel positioned within walking distance of Watamu. This was a deciding factor in choosing the hotel as Turtle bay has magnificent snorkelling and numerous good restaurants and bars. Plus I had friends staying in the area. The truth is... The hotel is a long way towards Malindi on a very bad dirt road with NO adjacent facilities. I.e when you're in the hotel, there is really nowhere else to go. Finding the hotel was again an issue. I used the map from their website and google maps on my phone, only to find myself driving round in circles. I tried calling the numbers on the website but none were active. On finally reaching the hotel I pointed this out to the Italian lady that greeted us, only to be met with indifference. The map on their site is truly misleading and I would not have booked if I had known the reality. On Checking into the room we discovered that the curtains were too small to cover the windows. We had to rig up cushions and pin the curtains together with safety pins. Nearly $400 a night? What a joke. I was booked all inclusive. You should ask them what that means because it"s certainly not my idea of what all inclusive is. We asked for an extra blanket or bed sheet only to be told they didn't have any. The food was at best mediocre and sometimes (for example prawns that were not cleaned and powdery) inedible. That's got to be the first time I've gone away for Christmas and NOT put on weight. All in all not a nice experience. What a shame.
• VivienKenya (10/5): Magnificent beach hotel..... - perfect for honeymooners!...i recently took a weekend and visited Ora resort in he North of Mombasa ,i would admit that Watamu Bay is so far the most beautiful resort i have been to this year....its neat /clean,breathtaking white sandy and un crowded beach...almost private....great staff....great service and above all...i am in love with the beds...very comfortable and the general design of the Villas is just awesome.....ill definitely go back and send more tourists to Ora!
• Nolan_Van_Rooy (8/5): Great Beach Holiday - Been there July this year (2012) and must say I actually enjoyed it. Food was not of the best and the wine was watered down. Other than that, staff were great and the tours we went on were excellent. Great for relaxation and winding down. It is windy but still warm enough to take a plunge in one of the two pools or the ocean. They do however have to improve on their wine, food and TV channels.
• VivianN125 (2/5): Worst holiday ever - Food crap (unless you like pasta and more pasta). TV crap & repeats, beach revolting, nothing to do when it rains and no shelter either. Staff good, management crap, rooms crap. Very, very windy and little shade. Kudu Travel tours crap. We cancel one tour and are still waiting for our money back. Go at your peril. Viv and Linda Nethercott
• S0nki (8/5): Great for a quiet holiday. - great spacious clean rooms. good staff. nice beach. however, the food is a little bit of a problem. especially if you are vegetarian. need to tell them in advance and insist that you get veg food. a 2 types of inclusive packages soft - only soft drinks by glass are included. and all - all local alcohol plus soft drinks all by the glass are included. as it is fairly new, there are some teething problems but they are working their hardest to get everything under way. only thing is it is quite far from the main road.
• HomerSimpson2 (6/5): Pleasant staff, nice country, dreadful food - On the beach, windy, staff very helpful, food not good. No water sports at hotel
• MD_SataoCamp (8/5): WATAMU BAY - 30JUN'12 - To get to Watamu Bay you need to drive 10km past the Gede Junction (if you are coming from Mombasa) and you will find a sign for the hotel. You then turn off the road to the right and crive 10km on a marram road to reach the hotel. You will pass Twiga Hotel, Jacaranda Hotel and a couple of other Italian properties before reaching Watamu Bay. We went during low season and so were not expecting to find many people there. We were welcomed nicely with a warm towel and a welcome drink before being shown to our rooms. The hotel has a childrens club, spa as well as 2 pools and 2 bars. The swimming pools are large and are salt water (much better for you than chlorine and don't make blonde hair turn green). The rooms are very nice, bult in rondavel cottage style, 2 rooms down and in some 2 rooms up as well. The rooms are modern and have a double bed and a sofa which pulls out into another double bed, they have AC, fridge and most have television with a few channels (CNN, Nat Geo Wild, Sport and a couple of Italian channels). The bathrooms have anice shower, bidet and toilet. The restaurant offers buffet normally but due to small numbers of guests the hotel had advised us in advance that the menu would be table d'hote. We had a selection of 4 starters, 4 antipasta, 4 main courses and a desert for lunch and dinner. Portions are large and filling. Breakfast was a buffet with a selction of cereals, fruit, pastries, cheese, ham, sausage, beans and eggs of yoru choice - so plenty to satusfy everyone. The hotel has a promande along the seafront and a beach area located at one end of the property. We did not find any animation going on but hardly surprising with only 10 people but that didn't stop the kids from organising there own games. We enjoyed ourselves immensly.
• Uffe (4/5): Laaangt ude. - Det er utroligt man kan pladsere et hotel for enden af en 7 km. utrolig vanskellig farbar jord vej ved en strand det næsten er umugligt at bade fra p.g.a. døde koraler med skarpe kanter og tide vandet. Desuden de få t-v kanaler man kan se er for det meste syncroniseret med italiensk tale og wifi dyrt, langsomt og ustabilt. Udvalget i restauranten yderst sparsomt og absolut ikke noget at skrive hjem om . Vi forlod hotellet efter 3 dage selvom vi havde forudbetalt for 5 og ikke kunne få refundet noget.Flot hotel fra 2010, ejet a 4 italienere, vi var så godt som de eneste gæster i et hotel med plads til flere hunderede? Det er fordi det eruden for sæsonen sagde man!
• Jeff (10/5): Wonderful Hotel - A wonderful hotel and I Loved the ambience and the hospitality from the staff.The management was handy to help.The only thing they have to find ways of improving their access road which was unfortunately poor.
• davido124 (2/5): The Worst Hotel I Have Ever Stayed At!! - It is tough to know where to start with the short comings of this property. We had a clear booking that stated All Inclusive which the Hotel refused to honor saying that they only did some kind of soft inclusive package. This meant that even a bottle of water from the bar was charged, and over charged for, which bearing in mind the water from the tap is undrinkable starts to get very expensive. Add to that they have a captive clientele and the prices at the bar were outrageous. The hotel advertises 2 pools and 2 restaurants, 1 of each was closed. The hotel is in the middle of nowhere so even popping out to the shops for a few sundries was impracticable. It did not help that we were the only paying guests at the hotel so the staff couldn't be bothered with us. The stairs to get to the beach were like a mirror they were so slippery, there was no warning of this and my wife slipped and hurt herself quite badly, when informed of this the Manager, Stefano, who I have to say was one of the most arrogant people I have ever met, barely apologized. He also made no attempt to address the other complaints we had about the hotel. The food was quite simply inedible. Breakfast is almost nonexistent with stale cereals, lukewarm coffee made in one batch at 6.30am, almost no hot buffet, (burnt sausage and fried cabbage??) You are obliged to order your lunch and dinner at 9am from a very limited selection, (same selection for lunch and dinner,) and the menu is exactly the same every day for your whole stay. The low point of the trip was being served a chicken curry with raw chicken. Even though we were prepaid for 5 days, things were so bad we left after the 4th day and checked into a better hotel. I was not going to have my holiday completely ruined at this hotel.
• Verified traveler (6/5): Recommend for the structure and setting but... - ... I was disappointed with the quality of the service, especially from the management.
• MariangelaPensa (6/5): Disappointed with the service - All in all, I cannot say the hotel is bad but a couple of incidents really spoilt my judgement. We stayed at Watamu Bay for 4 nights in April. We booked the first 3 nights through Expedia and got very good rates for B&B only, which is what we were looking for as we prefer in general to spend our holiday outside rather than inside the hotel, as lovely as the resort might be. After we left, we had problems with our flight and, since we could not get back to Nairobi till the following day, we called to book for an extra night. We were charged more than three times the price available on the internet but fair enough since we booked last minute and directly with the hotel. Nevertheless, we were forced to take HB even though we arrived at 9 PM and dinner was until 9:30 PM. But as always: “hakuna matata, you have time to have dinner after you leave your luggage in your room”, says the receptionist. So we had to rush through dinner as at 9:30 PM the food is taken away. The following morning, we were leaving at 6 AM to make our flight in Mombasa and when we went for breakfast we asked if they could give us a “breakfast box” (all hotels in Kenya normally provide a “box” if you are outside for one of the meals) and was told it was not allowed to take food outside the hotel. A bit surprised and upset, I leave the restaurant and go to reception to pay for the room and I mention the issue to one of the “directors” who happened to pass by. He answers rather rudely and confirms it is not allowed as people in the past have taken food outside and given it away and it is a policy for all hotels in Kenya. One: the so-called director (Italian, I don’t know his name because of course he didn’t introduce himself and he immediately hid away in a back room) was extremely rude and would benefit from some training in customer care or should simply change job. Two: all hotels in Kenya provide you with a “breakfast or lunch box” when needed. Three: we were asking for a couple of croissants and not 5 kilos of pastries to take out of the hotel and distribute on the street. The other small incident is related to the credit card payment. One: the machine did not print a receipt and, when I ask for one, the receptionist calls Francesca for help who tells me that the printout of the last payment is not ours and that she cannot confirm that we have paid. Luckily, technology serves some purpose and I can show on my phone that my card has been accepted. Two: we were charged a 5% fee on the credit card payment without being warned in advance which might not be a huge issue but is true lack of quality in service. Plus another episode which made me feel that in Kenya, which I absolutely loved as one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited, your money has no value. For the rest, the structure is well set up. The rooms are spacious with simple though anonymous furniture. The location is great, the beach in front of the hotel is beautiful and perfect for long walks during low tide. Not really possible to swim in the sea. Not a problem for us as there are other beaches but if you are staying in the resort for one or two weeks it may not be practical. The road from Watamu is in terrible conditions, but much better in the other direction towards Malindi (so difficult to believe it is related to the rainy season as indicated in a comment to one of the posts, especially since when we went the rains had not yet started), and make it more complicated to move around. A ride to Watamu by tuk tuk can take up to 20-30 minutes, a bit less by car, and even less by motorbike (which we rented and was great to have!). Something to take into account if you like to move freely in and out of the hotel. The resort is very isolated with a few others along the same road and, also due to the road condition, far from the village. If you need a taxi, try to use a local one and not the one provided by the hotel which is more expensive. All in all, I think the place might be very good if you have an all inclusive package and if you are very dependent on the hotel to do anything: they organise everything for you. For us, I thought I could go back again but after the last morning I am not so sure. I am just disappointed with the service and the attitude of the Italian staff (the two I met) and in part of the local staff at reception who has never been very helpful.
• m0nicaha (10/5): homesick for a hotel - usually i go to mombasa for vacation but this time i decide to change and i preferrede to see Watamu. Now that i' m back I want to suggest this resort to everybody...beautiful place,spectacular beach near to a very famous sandbank with amazing colors. the accommodation is so confortable and you have the treatment is all inclusive!!Simply perfet and ideal place for a romantic weekend with special a la carte menu' created for satisfy every taste! I' m happy to discover that Watamu Bay is open all the year long..so why don't try it for a weekend!!!you will be homesick for it as well!!! promise!!! Monicah....back home for party!!!!
• CEMMM (10/5): Best Inclusive Ever (at least when it was empty) - Booked here through Expedia to get a decent enough rate of $125 per superior double. This is a “soft” inclusive resort which means that all food and non-alcoholic beverages are included while alcohol is extra. We had a lot of issues trying to figure this out before booking as Expedia didn't know and we were unable to find a contact number for the resort. Turns out, it's because this place has just changed management in the last couple months that there seems a lack of information about it online. We arrived to realize that the place was deserted. There were 20 guests in a resort with a 350 person capacity. So unfortunately, a lot of my views may not be applicable if you come when its full. However, if you do get a chance to come, come sooner before it gets to be too popular or off-season (we were there in Sept) as it was an amazing resort and definitely the best inclusive-resort I've been to. For the 20 guests, there were over 50 staff taking care of us. The resort looks out over the ocean with access to the beach on the far end. There are two pool areas, one on each side of the resort, each with their own bar. There were a huge number of pool chairs and areas to relax although if this place was at full capacity it would probably be an issue like many resorts. The restaurant served great food with lots of selection. Definite emphasis on Italian food which was fine by us. Always pastas, pizzas available. Beer was a little pricey compared to elsewhere in Kenya but wasn't exorbitant (300Ksh vs 120Ksh at a grocery store). The superior rooms were large and bright with floor to ceiling views facing the ocean. TV had a variety of channels, a couple in English but not full satellite. Bed was super comfortable and all the furniture was very obviously brand new. If the rooms had included a couple little luxuries it would have brought the resort from a 4* to a 5* in our mind (like having bath robes). Also, we were very disappointed that the water never became hot despite assurances from the front desk that it should be. Otherwise, we never had any issues or problems during our two night stay. All the staff were incredibly friendly and went out of their way to take care of us. Everything was kept spotless. The animation team were nice, trying to get the few guests that were there involved in the various activities. The one night with an acrobatic group was amazing! We wanted to extend our stay a third night but the management was unwilling to offer the same rate as we would have gotten from booking through Expedia for 3 nights. So, we left. Overall, a great stay and we would highly recommend it, especially if coming when it's not very busy and you have the entire place to yourself.
• To (4/5): even for low money not to recommend - Unfriendly stuff and management. rooms are clean but very poor equiped. food ok but dictated by groups of italien and french tourist. every information only in french and italien available. whole garden area looks like desert. beacharea not very beautiful I cannot recommend this hotel even if the price was low. there are much better option for this price.

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