Southern Palms Beach Resort — Hotel in Gombato Bongwe ward

Having travelled frequently to ukunda for years, at best this is a 3 star property with 1 star management. The local Kenyan staff are so very polite but if you are looking for an authentic Kenyan Diani experience, this is not the place. Their branding of a 4 star all inclusive is not accurate or close to any global standard.

Check - in process: On day of arrival - after booking their ocean front rooms (most expensive) and re- iterating that there are elderly guests so will need one ground floor room option , the front desk staff immediately ask for us to speak to their senior- the room division manager- Mr. Vinay. His energy and approach was immediately most unprofessional, negative and non-solution oriented. There are no elevators on this property. To make things worse, he threw my fathers’ medical doctor business cards across the table and walked away. The only option was to pay to “upgrade” to a ground floor room - which had no extra upgrades except for being on the ground floor. We were then rushed for lunch while they prepare the upgraded room. At lunch, we were frequently and politely told that the buffet is going to close soon. Keep in mind, this is supposed to be an all inclusive, so food options outside of the buffet should exist but we were not given any orientation to the property or services/amenities yet. After lunch, I am told that they cannot check us in, until I pay for the upgraded room. At this point, only the Kenyan staff are attending to us who clearly are not empowered to make any decisions. At least they are polite and approachable.

Rooms : inconsistent room cleanliness, towel services and faulty facilities. The room on the 2nd floor (not the upgraded one) had no light, WiFi or working TV. After asking for help, some 20 minutes later someone knocks at the door and asks me why I am not answering the room phone. There was no ring, that’s when the staff and I find out that the phone too, is not working. Frustrated, I leave the room to let the staff address and fix the issues. Few hours later when I return, thankfully WiFi, light and phone are fixed. TV not so much, but that didn’t matter to me at this point. After returning from dinner, I find little bugs over the bathroom sink despite the lights being off when not in the room.

Ground floor “upgraded”room- no hot water and toilet flush not working depending on the day. Luckily both issues were fixed whenever alerted.

Food : While they have plenty options for Indian vegetarians, it seems that, that’s the particular group they cater to. For non- vegetarians, the food is very average with the same grilled fish and similar items everyday. Other seafood is not a part of the buffet and is very disappointing for a 4-star resort at the beach. They have 2 other “restaurants” - (Italian/pizza and barbecue ) on the property for which you have to make reservations the day before you want to dine . Turns out, these restaurants also only open based chef’s decision and are not open everyday. Basically, these so- called restaurants are just a designated space sharing the same main kitchen except for the pizza oven and barbecue grill so food is almost always served cold. Net net, the main food option is the only the general buffet that can get very monotonous after 2 days.

Transport/ airport transfer: The transport is through a 3rd party private company but with a southern palms branded car at an extra charge of Ksh 2000 for a 10 minute drive. Other hotels in the area provide airport transfers as part of their luxury service.

Checkout process: We were given multiple instructions not consistent with each other and that too was not a very smooth process.

The beach was the best part about this property. It’s lovely and accessible.

Except for the polite attitude and smiles of the local Kenyan staff,nothing else can qualify as luxury. The management is arrogant and almost racist to their own people.

Overall would not visit again or recommend this hotel. There is no luxury value for the amount...

We stayed at Southern Palms Beach Resort for nine nights (with a short break in between for a four-day safari), and honestly — this place exceeded every expectation we had. There are so many highlights that it’s hard to know where to start!||||Cleanliness:||Everything is immaculately clean — and I mean everything. The rooms, bathrooms, restaurants, pools, walkways, and the resort grounds in general are spotless. It’s rare to see such consistent attention to detail.||||Staff & Hospitality:||The staff are what truly make this resort shine. They are warm, genuine, and incredibly attentive. After a few days, they remember your name, ask how you’re doing, and make you feel like part of the Southern Palms family. Without them, the experience wouldn’t be the same.||||A few people really stood out to us:||- Ali Kauli (pool attendant): Always there in the morning with a big smile, friendly chat, and genuine interest in how we were doing. Always there for us to help us. Went all the way for us to make us feel welcome.||- John (buffet chef): Made the best naan bread and served every guest with joy and enthusiasm. Always interested to hear how our day(s) went and has great great humor.||- Chris Koech (animation team): Possibly the most talented and versatile employee I’ve ever met — dancer, DJ, athlete, and all-around entertainer. His energy and involvement made every activity and evening show a lot of fun.||||Rooms:||Spacious, super clean, with great air conditioning, comfortable beds, and a lovely view over the resort. Fresh towels, bottled water, and amenities were replenished regularly. The only minor downside is that the rooms are a bit noisy — you can hear hallway sounds and some evening music — but if you’re a reasonably good sleeper, this won’t bother you.||||Food & Dining:||This was probably the biggest highlight for us. The food is incredible — fresh, flavorful, and clearly prepared with care. There’s a strong Indian influence, which adds wonderful variety to the menu. The live-cooking stations were fantastic, and everything we tried was delicious.||Even the picky eaters in our group found plenty to enjoy! Personally, I loved the fresh fruit section — beautifully presented every day by the sweetest lady with glasses, who always had a smile and went the extra mile for us.||||Pools & Bars:||The pools are large, clean, and refreshing — a perfect spot to relax or join in a game of water volleyball. The jacuzzis are lovely too! Pool bars were a great bonus, and there were always enough sunbeds, even for our group of six.||||Beach:||The beach itself is stunning, but we did find the beach vendors a bit overwhelming. They’re not allowed inside the resort grounds, but as soon as you step onto the sand, you’ll likely have one or two following you around. Some can be quite persistent, which makes it a bit difficult to just enjoy a peaceful walk.||||Entertainment & Activities:||Every evening had a different theme — from live music to dance shows — and the atmosphere was fantastic. The DJ was great! During the day we joined in plenty of activities like water volleyball, table tennis, and pool games. There’s always something going on if you want to join in.||||Final Thoughts:||Southern Palms Beach Resort might be rated as a four-star property, but thanks to the staff, atmosphere, and attention to detail, it truly deserves a fifth star. We would return in a heartbeat — an absolute recommendation for anyone...

An Unforgettable Stay at Southern Palm Beach Resort, Diani 🌞🌴

We stayed at Southern Palm Beach Resort in Diani, Mombasa, and honestly, I don’t even know where to start from the moment we arrived until the day we left, everything was absolutely perfect. Upon arrival, my partner and I were warmly welcomed by the Guest Relations Manager, Mercie. What an incredible woman she is! She has such a positive aura — friendly, kind, and genuinely welcoming. She instantly made us feel comfortable and at home, setting the tone for what turned out to be a truly wonderful stay.

We had booked this holiday to celebrate both our birthdays, which are 10 days apart, and the team went above and beyond to make it memorable for us. During dinner one evening, we were surprised with a birthday cake and music in the restaurant such a thoughtful and heartwarming gesture! When we returned to our room, it was beautifully decorated with flowers, which made the celebration even more special. It’s those small touches that truly mean the most and show how much the staff care about their guests.

Both my partner and I work in the hospitality industry, so we know the effort that goes into creating a memorable guest experience and I must say, this place truly exceeded our expectations. The staff are absolutely amazing always smiling, polite, and genuinely happy to help. It’s rare to see such consistency in service and warmth, and it really stood out to us.

A huge thank you to the reception team for making our stay so memorable, and to the restaurant team (especially Asker) for their friendly service and attention to detail. The kitchen team also deserves special mention the food was simply delicious! From breakfast to dinner, there was always a wide variety of tasty dishes and refreshing drinks available throughout the day. I’m quite sure we gained a few extra pounds, but it was well worth it! 😄I’d also love to extend my appreciation to the housekeeping team they did an excellent job cleaning our room every day, keeping everything spotless and fresh. They always made sure our water bottles were refilled daily and that our room looked perfect each time we returned. Their hard work and attention to detail did not go unnoticed and added so much comfort to our stay. Every part of our stay was handled with such care and professionalism, and we left feeling relaxed, appreciated, and truly happy. We can’t wait to come back again — Southern Palm Beach Resort is a beautiful, welcoming, and peaceful paradise that we will always remember. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a relaxing getaway filled with warmth, great service, and...