Hemingways Watamu

9.0

Wonderful

46 Guest reviews

9.0

Wonderful

46 Verified Reviews

Read all reviews

Cleanliness9.6/10

Service9.2/10

Comfort9.6/10

Condition9.2/10

Neighborhood9.2/10

Amenities9.2/10

Lovely to stay at Hemingways! As beautiful as ever. Staff and facilities first class!

A very good hotel which has prime location on the beautiful Watamu beach. Food is amazing for both breakfast and dinner, you won't go hungry. But leaves a lot to be desired for a 5* hotel. For some reason water is rationed to a few small bottles of water in the room, y

Hemingways Watamu was just what we were looking for in terms of somewhere to relax and rest after an injury and work. Watamu itself is a bit less interesting in the off season (I.e. most restaurants are closed, as are many of the gear shops), but it’s still lovely if not a tad bit windy. Staff were amazing! Highly recommend.

Excellent property on the beach. All rooms are ocean facing. Perfect for a romantic getaway or adult friends

We stayed in a 2 bed apartment which was well appointed and extremely spacious with a huge balcony (sadly not much sun as facing east) but overlooking the Indian Ocean. The bathrooms were good though beginning to look a little tired otherwise the apartment was fabulous. Plenty of bottled water provided each day and milk, tea and coffee (instant only). Substantial breakfast with plenty of options provided each morning. Lovely little coffee shop selling variety of cakes and muffins, coffee etc and range of smoothies. Hemingways bar fabulous spot for sundowner. Main restaurant was offering a buffet every night we were there but also à la carte, which in our opinion was the better option - and less expensive if you don’t have a huge appetite (buffet was ksh4,500 pp vs eg 3800 for huge freshly grilled king prawns and accompaniments or 1800 for delicious freshly cooked catch of the day). The pools were very clean (one main, one child’s and one quiet pool) and the pool staff attentive. There isn’t a beach to sit on though you can access beach to walk along. Gardens were delightful and well kept. All the staff we dealt with were charming and friendly and made us very welcome. We stayed in July and it was extremely windy (though I liked this as humidity reduced) and a lot of seaweed on the beach. We also used the gym which was well appointed, good a/c and I was allowed to borrow a yoga mat for my stay so I could do yoga on the peace of my balcony overlooking the ocean: nameste!

Could be better

Upon arrival the staff at the reception just watched as we struggled with our luggage. Their welcome was quite cold. Had requested for rooms close to each other but was given given separate rooms and only informed there weren’t close rooms together ones we got to the rooms. Service at the restaurant was quite slow and the staff seemed confused with no coordination. Only one guy think the manager/supervisor seemed to try but you could clearly see he was overwhelmed. Overall, we expected much more from a hotel like Hemmingways. Standards were quite low and definitely not value for the amount charged.

Terrible food, terrible service, annoying inefficient staff that has no sense of customer service. The only thing going for it, the rooms are clean and shower is good. 5 star hotel, very far from it.

We wish you could do better

I think I would rate it 6 out of 10; 1, The Spa session was really BAD, no music, no green tea, no underware, the Lady who was massaging my husband was not very professional to say the least; 2, the house keeping service was not up to the normal standard, cups not washed, tissues not filled up; 3, Very minimum Seafood served and yet we are next to the sea.

The staff were helpful and pleasant all the time. The hotel was right at the beach and the food was excellent

Great hotel property with lots of amenities and access to the beach! Enjoyed our stay and highly recommended!

The rooms were clean and had comfortable beds obviously newly renovated. The hotel had very little atmosphere. The lighting was terrible and the layout of the restaurant and bars was poorly conceived. Most people that we spoke to went the the hotel next door to eat. The menu design is badly done as we couldn't see half the dishes on it and didn't realise how comprehensive it was. When we did eat there it was good but you didn't want to eat there in the evening. The bar was also the same . you would expect Hemmingway to be a feature in the hotel but it wasn't.

Stunning property and location! Even more impressive was the attentiveness of the staff and their outstanding hospitality. Every need was anticipated and met with a smile.

Excellent I would definitely go back

I like how beautiful planned the aesthetics are, it’s a very modern hotel with good finish and the shower gel smells divine. The food is so good and the staff are fantastic. We had an early morning Tsavo east tour so we requested for breakfast at 6am; they had it packed and waiting for us by then. Lovely hote

Very friendly, welcoming and helpful staff.Every room has an ocean view.

Brilliant yet relaxed

This is probably the nicest place I have stayed in my 70 years. Everthing perfect, the cleanliness superb, the staff so thoughtful and helpful. Changing the sheets and towels everyday without the option to reuse was not eco and necessary. Otherwise highly recommended. The quiet, the sea, the pools, the food all top notch

My first resort experience was fantastic!

Wow! Hemingway’s Watamu is wonderful! The staff were amazing, it was super clean, services fantastic, and location amazing! The oceanfront and sunset views are just breathtaking! The photo I included is unaltered/without filter.

Excellent in every way ! All staff amazing ! Would highly recommend a visit to this wonderful hotel !

Way More Than 5 Stars!

From the fully furnished room, to the huge tub in the well proportioned bathroom, to the view from the balcony, I do not have words to describe how beautiful this resort is. The breakfast is great, with fresh juice and fresh fruits. The seafood is fres and they drop off a dinner menu to your room, in the afternoon. The staff is not only friendly but professional and everyone makes you feel comfortable and at home. Please put this destination on your bucket list, you have to see its beauty for yourself! I had such a wonderful vacation, thanks to the awesome staff!!