Rating: Mid-range
Pinewood Beach Resort & Spa is on Galu Beach 40km south of Mombasa. Diani Beach, the hub of local tourist activity, is 7km to the north and offers all the facilities and amenities of an urban centre. Pinewood Beach Resort and Spa is ideally situated for sea excursions. Nearby Wasini, Kisite, Chale, Funzi and Shimoni are all havens for snorkelling, scuba diving, deep sea fishing and sight-seeing.
The hotel is set in colourful tropical gardens and has a tranquil ambience. Accommodation consists of tastefully furnished rooms and spacious suites. There are 36 rooms and 20 suites. There is also a 3-bedroomed family suite. All have ceiling fans and split unit air conditioning, tea and coffee makers, minibars, internet access, telephone, en-suite bathrooms and either a balcony or terrace. Suites also have the services of personal chef for dinner.
In-house facilities include attractive swimming pool, swim-up pool bar, several different restaurant choices, a water sport & dive centre, tennis and squash courts and a small gift shop. The spa offers a range of body treatments and massages. The water sport centre can arrange scuba diving, deep sea fishing, kite surfing, wind surfing and sea excursions.
Open: Year round
Location: Galu Kinondo Beach, 40kms south of Mombasa. The airport at Mombasa is about an hours' drive away.
Rooms: 58 rooms comprising 36 deluxe rooms, 18 suites, 2 executive rooms and 2 executive suites. Rooms occupy 45sqm and suites are 90sqm. There is also a family suite with 3 bedrooms, 1 en-suite and a further shared bathroom. All rooms and suites have air conditioning, ceiling fan, mosquito net, minibar, tea/coffee makers, telephone, internet access and en-suite bathroom. They also have private balconies or terraces with views of the gardens or ocean. Suites have a kitchen where a personal chef prepares private meals. Your stay here can be on half board, full board or all inclusive.
Activities: These include tennis, squash, table tennis and beach games. There is an on-site PADI dive centre offering scuba diving as well as snorkelling, wind surfing and big game fishing. There is a conservation programme. Pinewood also offer a wedding package.
Facilities: These include a swimming pool, spa, gym, gift shop, laundry. There are indoor and outdoor lounges, a library, 2 restaurants, a grill and a bistro and 3 bars (pool, beach and lounge bar). The hotel offers a laundry service, currency exchange and a gift shop.
Dining: There are several dining venues: Bahari restaurant open for breakfast and dinner, Peponi restaurant for themed dinners and BBQs, Tamu snack grill open for lunch and afternoon tea, Jahazi bistro for lunch, Jahazi beach bar open from 11am till 1am and the lounge bar open all day and during dinner. Meals are taken at individual tables in the restaurants or in the privacy of your suite.
Children: Pinewood welcomes children of all ages.
Health: This is in a malarial area.
Communication: Wi-fi is available here in the business centre and in guest rooms. There is a good mobile phone signal.
The good value safari and beach combination, with ample time spent in both locations.
Pinewood is a very eco-friendly resort that supports and maintains the local community at large, including providing free water, prioritising employment for locals and buying local produce such as fish. They raise funds for a nearby eye clinic and have a trust fund to help school and feed the local children. They are also on the front line in the fight against child labour and sex tourism. Their efforts as regards conserving natural resources and not polluting the environment are to be applauded, and they also protect wildlife in their vicinity, such as colobus monkeys. This is quite a small lodge but it has a big heart.
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0"I was enchanted with the hotel. The pictures really don't do it justice. The rooms are extremely large and comfortable, the food is excellent and plentiful. The decor is charming and the furniture is made from wood in its j natural state. If you want a quite, luxurious, lazy holiday, this is the place. Fabulous beaches, great water activities and teeming with monkeys."