We stayed at this property which was 20% occupied in the high season at an extremely agreeable rate. The election violence scared off almost all of their bookings so by the time we arrived, it was clear they were hurting for business. I have stayed here before so their exceptional attention to detail did not change despite the difficulties they were having. Great food, clean rooms and a variety of activities made for a great holiday. There are five pools to explore, jet ski/reef tours, morning pool aerobics and attentive pool and dining staff. Their menu is solid with v. few recycled platters from the previous night's buffet.
My only complaint, and there is nothing they can do about this, is the beach. Having spent a great deal of time on the southern beaches, Diani to be specific, it was hard to get used to the shelly northern beaches. An employee explained that the 2004 tsunami stripped away most of their top pristine sand. (If anyone has another explanation, please share) The tide does not vary as much as the south and it was a bit disconcerting getting into the jacuzzi temp sea water in the late afternoon. Again, there is nothing you can do about this. Instead, lounge by the pool, breathe in the great air, have a madafu, and after dinner, stagger onto their Coco beach bar for an aperitif and questionable karaoke! I loved it.

I hate North Coast and my experience with Bamburi had left a bitter taste in my mouth about the quality of hotel in the area. However, this hotel was clearly a cut above the rest! I loathe large hotels but we knew that the occupancy was down so what better time to try it out!

Booked the hotel through the main Sarova office in Nairobi. The rates are incredibly affordable at the moment thanks to the post-election madness. We took the train which was pathetically empty and had few compartments, thanks also to the idiots clamoring for power. Where there would have been happy smiling children lined along the railtracks, waving, laughing and clapping for candy, there was no one. The kids were out toiling in the fields alongside their parents or herding cows and goats and not even bothering to smile. I digress, the situation however is bad. The country is safe but the suffering people have endured will take a while to ease the pain.

The hotel apparently organizes free airport transfer if there are five or more people checking in. Confirm this prior as we found out later that it only applied to that number and not two. Check in was absolutely pleasant and fast. Smiling Julius welcomed us and we were immediately upgraded to a superior sea suite. They have these deliciously cold minted towels for you to refresh your face and hands - heaven! Our room wasn't quite ready yet so we walked around the property which is huge! And Empty!!!!! Occupancy when we came was at 20%, a staggeringly low statistic considering it's the high season. So it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. They boast five pools, each with its own character. There's the polo/poolbar which is quite large and it's deepest part (not very large) is 2m. Then there's a larger pool behind that's divided in two. A very shallow and wide swim area and a super deep (3m) circular pool that is often used for scuba practice. Then again behind that one is a larger pool that circles the property with a rock / flower island in the middle and it's fairly deep and ranges from 1 - 2 m in some areas. There's a safe kiddie pool that I saw accomodate about 50! And then there's the Tulia Spa pool which is in the quiet section of the property and is the perfect relaxation after a massage. So my pool fetish was satisfied and content throughout my stay.

Room was fantastic, beds are a bit hard but duvet and sheets are wonderfully soft and cozy. All rooms come with satellite telly, hair dryers, safes (they don't charge for use!) A/C, mozzie nets that wrap comfortably around the bed. They seem to have thought of everything when it comes to the room. We never had to call down and have something brought as everything was within reach. I cannot compliment the housekeeping staff enough. We got to know our housekeeper and he appeared to anticipate all our needs prior to our asking. Every morning, the room was done up impeccably, shoes arranged, clothes hang and toilletries replenished. He added extra towels and pillows when he noticed the spare ones were being used. They truly went above and beyond accomodating us.

Food was good - not a single bad tummy. Choices are endless and the favorite always ended up being the salad bar which had an amazing fresh selection. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, the seafood being the most expensive as always. We stuck to the main restaurant but there's an Italian menu as well which had fantastic sandwiches and other snacks. The main restaurant is actually two large identical restaurants, which at this time of year would be completely packed and busy during opening hours. However, only one was open, a hollow testament to the effects of political instability.

Entertainment - Oh blessed blessed nights that we did not have to endure acrobats or fake belly dancers! They had a band always singing away at dinner, nothing loud or awful music selections. They stuck to what they knew the could sing best, mix of African, pop and jazz. The beach bar called Coco's had a DJ every night but Saturday's which are super popular is karaoke night. Another plus about the rooms? Double glazing so when you shut the doors, you can't hear any of the "talent" screeching through "All by myself" yet the sound of waves manages to come through. Coco's also has a happy hour - prices drop marginally but there's an awesome warm breeze off the ocean and a telly that shows all the live footie (soccer) games and the beer is always cold!

There's a very good Kids' club crew who entertain and manage the kids activities. We watched them over two days and they were absolutely excellent with the in-house kids as well as the local weekend kids who come over for the day. If I had kids, I'd be totally at ease leaving them as there were so many activities and they were kept occupied the entire time. We even joined in on a couple of water polo games which were soo much fun.

For the shy people out there, go for the water aerobics in the morning. We joined in on the second last day and wish'd we have come earlier. We made so many friends and I actually made a valuable network connection for work, which all began with me carrying my partner in an underwater donkey race!

They boast an aqua center which offers jet skiing, glass-bottom boat trips to the marine park, banana boat pulls etc. And because of the turmoil the country has been experiencing, the prices are ridiculously low and the owner, Igor, actually negotiates the price with you. The guys on the beach who do the marine park tours and non-motorized sports are much cheaper but with Igor, you have a certified expert. We took a 20 min solo jet ski ride which we bartered down to Kshs. 2,500 (£20 or $36). Trust me, after 10 minutes you're kinda bored. So what they offer is a 40 minute ride in which you follow an instructor all the way to the Nyali bridge and around the Mtwapa Creek and gives you a more scenic and exciting trip toward the Island. I think it cost appx. double the 20 minute trip but again, strength in numbers and it costs less. 3 hour marine park rides cost about 1600 shillings which Igor brought down to 1,000 (£8 or $15). If you are all-inclusive, the non-motorized sports cost a mere 100 shillings!

Ocean is okay. No super high tides but the water heats up tremendously in the low tides such that it will feel like swimming in a hot bath. Beaches are okay and pleasantly empty so you can actually walk in peace! It won't last so go now!

All in all, a wonderful hotel with an incredible staff. The grounds are well maintained and neat. The pools an absolute joy to cool off in and the beaches - empty save for a couple of desperate beach boys. Saying no thanks, walking and generally ignoring them helps. If you do want to trade, ask the guys at the Aqua center who best to deal with. They will all have sob stories about the state of the economy so go prepared to bargain. One guy we used was Paulo who created some gorgeous key-chain souvenirs. When we were done with him, the other beach boys left as largely alone.

Sad to say but I would recommend this hotel now when there are few residents. I can imagine how busy it gets in the high season and you will miss out on so much. We never had a problem with getting beds out by the pools but it's quite evident that there will never be enough to satisfy when it's at full capacity. The pools are also empty, particularly the quiet pull by the Spa which we always found unoccupied and wonderful to relax in.

Only downsides: it has a conference center so there's usually five or six seminars or working holiday meetings going on which is fine as they are pleasant enough people. However, you'll get some of the guests bringing back the "local talent" for the night which makes for interesting breakfast seatmates. Also karaoke seems to bring the "talent" out as the hotel allows them access to the beach bar and in general makes the place a tad tacky. But then I can't criticize. If the guests didn't want them, they wouldn't be there and it's more revenue for the hotel anyway.

This is one of the higher class hotels on the North coast i.e., it would never be my first choice because the price tag is not pocket friendly. However, the current situation has brought it down considerably so I'm glad I got to experience it again but as a tourist this time.

Good clean resort hotel, good size pool, average quality food in restaurants (pizza better than average). Tusker beer served extra chilled at the pool /beach bar everytime. Some live music and occasionally alfresco dining. Beach not cleanest and thus uninviting but pool compensates. Watersports and diving aplenty.

We have stayed at Whitesands eight times and love it. All the staff from Bridgit at customer services through to the fantastic pool boys and gardeners are kind, happy and very efficient. The rooms are in the process of refurbishment, not that I spend long in them. Food is the main dining room is international and very good. The minazi serves food from 10.00am through to mid-night, try their pizzas, delicious. The pools are kept extremely clean and always plenty of pool beds and space. The grounds are extensive and lots of areas to wander around with beautiful gardens. Entertainment is as good as you get at Kenya hotels with dancers, acrobats and live bands. BBQ's in the grounds are regular. It is conveniently located for Haller Park and to explore Mombasa and surrounding areas. I have never been disappointed with the service, food or standards at this hotel. Returning again in the new year for what I know will be a fabulous holiday.