Reviews of Pinewood Beach Resort

"The Pinewood Resort was a perfect way to end our visit. By then we were all happy to no longer have long land rover rides and relaxing with the pool and beach was a perfect way to end our trip. Once again the kids were able to enjoy all the resort had to offer and they even had a sports director, Phillip, who helped entertain them. Their dinners on the beach with different themes every night and was a good way to mix up the meals. We particularly liked the stir fry night. The kids enjoyed the pool every day and got comfortable from the beginning with the swim up bar for ice cream and shakes. We also took a snorkeling trip which was a good experience for the kids although I would recommend looking into another company and spending a bit more as there were not a lot of fish to see where they took us. They also had a night where there was a traditional dancing show. The bar on the beach was another positive and if we hadn't been worn out after dinner time would probably have taken advantage of it more. We found a new drink there, Dawa, and were amazed at the knife skills of bartenders turnng lime slices into works of art.

I'm not sure if EA was responsible for the upgrade but the rooms we stayed in were ocean front and next to the pool which was perfect for our group." See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya

"Pinewood was just the right place for a relaxing 4 nights following safari in the Maasi Mara. The staff were all friendly and welcoming although the service from the beach bar at lunchtime was rather erratic with food sometimes being very slow to arrive. The evening meals were good quality and varied, they were mostly served at the beach side restaurant which was a lovely, spacious location. My grand daughters greatly appreciated the pool in the morning when the tide was out and then playing in the waves of the Indian Ocean in the afternoon. The rooms were comfortable and well appointed with good air conditioning and a fan. I had a massage in the Spa which was very relaxing after time spent in safari vehicles. Overall the Pinewood met our needs very successfully, both adults and children alike." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya

"Pinewood Beach was a welcome relax spot after the hectic days on constant trek and/or safari. We spent most of our time within the Resort, relaxing by the pool and/or beach. Full board allowed us to eat from their Menu and Buffet at no extra cost. Drinks, although extra, were well priced, allowing us to enjoy some cocktails and milkshakes by the beach.

Both the Staff and Guests were very friendly and helpful during our stay there. The rooms are very nice and well equipped. We had no issues with them during our stay there.

Couple of comments; We found it odd that there was no available sunscreen at the in-house Shop and also that there are hawkers on the public beach who hound you the minute you step on the sand, almost ruining your experience of the beach (though this is not technically the hotel's fault as it is public land).

Overall, our experience was very good. We would recommend going half-board if you are a foodie and not full-board, as there are an abundance of fantastic restaurants for foodies in the area, such as Ali Barbour's Cave Restaurant and The Salty Squid which we enjoyed very much." See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya; 4n in Rwanda

"A nice resort and a good place to relax. We were there for four nights and didn’t really need to leave the resort.

The resort is not ultra smart, but is clean and comfortable with good food and helpful staff." See all these reviews: 13n in Kenya

"Lovely big rooms and large balconies. Excellent showers, would be good to have a toilet brush. Beds are very comfortable with super nets. A quiet location beyond where the tarmac stops. Staff are very kind, helpful and friendly. Special mention to Walter in the dining room, Theresa/Telesea the cleaner, Fakari and Idd the barmen, and Evans and Pamela in charge. It would be useful to have name badges. Evening food was excellent; always something cooked in front of you and tasty and fresh, for both breakfast and dinner. The pizza oven is quite something and pizzas excellent for lunch. The weather was a bit cooler and wetter than ideal for July, and the sea not the bath-warm clear blue I remember. The watersports centre was closed (we could see kite surfing at Diani). Volleyball arranged every day at 4 went down really well with my two older teenagers and husband and was very inclusive. Beach boules also appreciated. It would be nice to have even more fun activities. There was a special DJ evening on the beach (we did know this before booking) which was interesting for people -watching but did disturb sleep until 5am. The beach was almost deserted with beautiful white sand. The beach sellers were fairly low key and polite and once you have spent some money ( put some money directly in the local economy) they respectfully let you be. Flying to Ukunda was a great way to get there. All in all we would definitely come back." See all these reviews: 17n in Kenya

"Just a standard beach hotel.

We were left waiting an hour for the pickup (the friendly airport guy helped us) and then they tried to charge us for transfers which they stated were not included until I showed them paperwork." See all these reviews: 14n in Kenya

"We had a wonderful time at Pinewood Beach Resort.
The hotel was only 20 minutes from Diani airport and we were promptly picked up .
The hotel staff were very welcoming on arrival and we were soon unpacked and on the beach .
Our room was immediately behind the beach at first floor level so we had a great view of sea .
The staff who looked after our room could not have been more attentive .It was cleaned daily , beds made with a floral message and decoration on top , and the mosquito net drawn each evening . With regards to mosquitos we hardly saw any on our entire trip .
The meals were exceptional with fresh food cooked for you as you waited and the venue for dinner changing each day from the beach,pool area to the main restaurant.
Whilst we had planned to get out about we in fact we’re happy to stay at the hotel .The exception to this was a snorkelling trip arranged by the water sport people next door to the reef one afternoon . This is really worth doing and an opportunity to see some very colourful and large fish ." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya

"Here again we were all delighted with the overall experience --and the sum of the parts was much bigger than the individual parts scored. Bit of a bumpy ride down an unmade road and quite a way from the little town could mean to some an ''excellent' rating. The beach here is mile after mile of perfect white sand but our party tended to congregate around the well laid out pool and adjacent bar and gym. The rooms were large and had a lovely African Art feel to them, the taps/shower were a bit dated and the layout of the hotel meant that only a very few had sea views. The service from the beach bar was sometimes a bit slow but Moses at the pool bar was a true professional .

All the waiters were superb and all the staff were always smiling and happy to greet you. The GM Pamela was outstanding and had a great sense of humour. She also takes any left over suntan cream to an orphanage for Albinos --but that is just part of what she does to help these stigmatised children.

The New Years Eve buffet on the beach was probably the best spread I have seen. Unlimited enormous king prawns, lobster and countless other fish and every meat on the grill including crocodile. The evening buffets in the main restraint were excellent by Kenyan standards but we all agreed the best thing was the chips served from both the beach and pool bar --they were tasty beyond--irresistible !!

Activities --There was a well organised volley ball game in the afternoons and few other things like a dart completion. Plenty to do but at a price --kite surfing scuba deep sea fishing (we caught a dozen smallish tuna and a dorado which they cooked for lunch for us) camel riding and glass bottomed boat and snorkelling.

Gym was adequate and spa tucked away a bit" See all these reviews: 4n in Kenya

"After a week on safari, this was the perfect place to dust ourselves off, cannonball into the pool, soak in the sun, and splash in the Indian Ocean. That water! Those pictures in the magazines are not enhanced. The water is really that beautiful, and the most spectacular I have ever seen, the color indescribable, the clarity like crystal, the beaches pure white.

The Pinewood was adorned with unique and abundant plants and flowers and trees and provided a lush entrance and oasis for birds and monkeys and lizards and geckos. The bar and lobby area were inviting and comfortable and a great spot to read a book, use the internet or watch the television, drink tea or coffee or order a cocktail, and watch the birds over the koi pond and water features. Food was excellent and varied and there were plenty of options for the most finicky eaters. The staff and chefs went out of there way to accommodate requests, and make sure we were all happy and comfortable.

We spent most of our time at the pool because our two young children wanted to do nothing but swim. The pool was beautiful, clean, and refreshing with plenty of lounges. The pool swim up bar was perfect for the girls daily chocolate shake, daddy's local Kenyan brew, and momma's Kenyan Sling. Moses served them all up with a smile, and a bit of fun with the girls. The beach side bar and grill served up fantastic wood fired pizzas, and a large menu to choose from with traditional dishes, fresh seafood, and burgers. Eat on the patio, on the beach, or in the cozy beach couches.

The weather was a bit strange for this time of year due to El Nino, and we received rain in the afternoon on a daily basis. It did not really effect us too much because the mornings were wonderful and sunny. We had breakfast, we went swimming, and enjoyed a good chunk of the day before the rains came. The rains came late afternoon when it was typically time to rest and get cleaned up for dinner. The rains sort of worked on schedule, came and went quickly, and nights were clear for late afternoon and dinner.

This strange weather pattern, however, brought in an out of the ordinary amount of seaweed up and down the coast of Diani Beach and very low tide, which we were told was very uncommon, and a bit unfortunate timing for us, as we did not swim in the ocean or walk the beach as much at the resort. This was not a resort issue, and simply nature at work. The resort staff worked hard to rake up the seaweed and clean the beach daily, so it was always beautiful. We would not let a silly thing like seaweed stop us anyway, and signed up for a snorkeling tour on a glass bottom boat that took us to a gorgeous atoll where there was no seaweed and the most magnificent white beach and clear water, and a gorgeous snorkeling spot, and a perfect place to swim and splash and play in the ocean. I could have stayed on that little beach atoll for days, it was gorgeous. They had many other water activities to choose from like kite surfing, diving, fishing and more, but because our kids are so young we were happy doing the snorkeling and hanging at the pool.

The rooms were very spacious, clean and comfortable beds with absolutely no complaints. The staff was very friendly and went out of their way to make our stay happy and comfortable and always went out of their way to engage with the kids and joke with them. Pamela, the office manager, was exceptional and spent a lot of time with me talking about Kenya, her love for her country and for Diani Beach, and why everyone should come to the coast. I would return and I would recommend others to as well. It is a perfect place to rest and relax after an action packed safari." See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya

"Following an outstanding safari ,Pinewood Beach Resort was a welcome location to relax and reflect.
Sadly due to serious drop in visitor numbers because of the ongoing troubles in the north, all be it no evidence apparent throughout our journey, our family of six made up the total of 24 guests. Great for peace and quiet during the day however couldn't create enough atmosphere in the evenings. No fault of the hotels but with a capacity of 120 ish none the less had an impact.
That aside Hotel was clean well cared for with attentive staff and good food. Our suite spacious but lacking imagination and style.
Beginning to look a little tired. All but a couple of suites had views and only potentially overlooking the beach and sea purely down to the orientation of the plot and densely planted narrow grounds.
One dislike was,the always on, large television sited in the main bar and sitting area outside of the restaurant. A small not very comfortable area at best, sadly not conducive to spend any quality time relaxing.
Overall a pleasant time was had, however, no great wow factor which was hoped for and with that in mind would probably not return." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya