Diamonds Malindi

Diamonds Malindi is a little slice of paradise! The hotel is absolutely gorgeous – stunning pools, lush gardens, and the most amazing ocean views. It’s the perfect spot to relax, whether you’re here as a couple or with family. The service was fantastic! Huge thanks to Paulina, Pina and Janek, who made our stay extra special. They always had something fun planned and made sure we were never bored – their warmth and care really made a difference. The food was incredible with so much to choose from at every meal. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all delicious, but the BBQ dinner was truly unforgettable – such a great experience! Our room was super clean and well-kept, with regular cleaning that kept everything fresh and comfortable. You can really tell the staff takes pride in keeping the place looking perfect.

The hotel is beautiful. Ambience great,food great,staff great(collins and constance were very kind). The rooms are clean. The spa is well coordinated. Friendly and welcoming staff. Family and couple friendly. I would highly reccomend the hotel.

The most terrible place to go of all resorts in Malindi. The resort really looks nice but some of the people working there are very unfriendly. They also change there policy all the time. The beach in front of the resort is very small and the water was brown of the river. Also full of plants and rocks. It’s quite expensive to be there but certainly not worth the money.

Our trip started off very bumpy. We had 2 suite rooms in Diamonds Dream of Africa. Check-in was not smooth, there was no welcome drink. The fans in the reception were not turned on even though we had asked for them to be switched on. There was only one person working at the reception, who seemed overwhelmed with just having to check-us in. One of our suites had literally a few drops of water coming out of the shower and our jacuzzi had ants coming out of the drain and the toilet took extremly long to refill. If there are three people sharing a room, the third person has to sleep on a pull-out couch, because there is no actual bed for them. The TV had only a few channels and only 2 were actually working. For the amount of money we spent on the suites, overall the suite did not meet any of our standards. Overall they were old and run-down.It seemed like the suites were not used/cleaned/maintained or taken care off for a long time. For the amount of money we paid the suites themselves were very disappointing. On the other hand, ALL the staff at the Ondo Bar, poolside, Terrace Restaurant and Bar provided us with great service. At the Terrace bar Shaban the bartender made us great mocktails and made sure we were well taken care off. At the Terrace Restaurant Elinah, Raphael and Denaice provided us with great service and catered to our every need. Because we are strictly vegetarian we were concerned how the food would be, but Chef Mahinda and his team made us great food and made all the dishes to meet our needs. His veg risotto and lasagna were particularly delicious.

Walking in through the heavily secured gates, you get the 'wow' factor. After a long 3 hour drive from Mombasa Airport, you get the feeling of arriving home. Firstly you see a well-kept garden surrounded by thatched-roofed two-storey bungalows. Reception is an airy open area with large welcoming sofas and the sea breeze flowing through teasing the tall wispy curtains that overhang this two story structure. A quick and efficient check in, with a welcome drink, and the helpful bell boys take you to your accommodation. The two storey bungalows are made up of a lower-ground apartment with terrace and a first floor apartment with balcony. The terrace and balcony are the size of a normal hotel room in Europe. The accommodation is clean and practical with a Kenyan feel. Our meal plan was 'all inclusive'. This included breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, hot and cold drinks, including local spirits and beers. The food was delicious prepared by well trained chefs and headed up by flamboyant and talented chef. Al varieties of food was served from European to Asian cuisine. The staff were second to none - if it was only about them we would have given a 5 star rating. They all were friendly, helpful, welcoming, and well spoken. There was evening entertainment, from kids cinema to acrobats to a Maasai Mara show. The spa offered excellent value on all types of massage and hydro therapy. The entertainment team kept us busy during the day with aqua aerobics, beach volleyball and walks to local sites of interest. They even offered to escort groups to Malindi town for a spot of shopping. We were in a group of 12 - 4 kids and 8 adults - spread across 4 apartments. From day 1 we were given our own table in the Dining Hall, which made things very easy for us and the staff. It is fair to say that everyone had a wonderful time at Sandies Tropical Village - excellent service, super food, and great facilities.

Our second stay at Sandies and within minutes of arriving we were greeted by Staff who remembered us from our visit the previous year and welcomed us like old friends. Once again we had a superb experience in a place that just wraps you up relaxes you and just puts a permanent smile on your face (I am grinning now just writing about it and remembering it). I know a lot of visitors to the Coast in Kenya like to stay at Dianni Beach which is lovely, but you must try Malindi with its offshore breeze and beautiful reef right next to the Marine Park. Additionally with the newly tarmaced road almost to the Sala gate you are about an hour and a half - two hours from Tsvao east game park, and if you stay in Malindi you really must stay at Sandies Tropical Village (or it's new Dream Gardens rooms), you really will not be disappointed. We are already looking at planning our next trip to Kenya early next year and can guarantee we will be looking to go back to Sandies. So a big thank you to all of the Staff and Management team for looking after us so well, we are missing you and looking forward to coming back again.