+8618011856484
[email protected]
£308.00
A coconut tree-studded home from home in a prime position on Kenya’s finest beach. With friendly staff, cosy but not cramped, modern boutique AfroChic is a superior alternative to the mammoth hotels elsewhere on the coast.
Flights from Nairobi take 1 hour 20 minutes to Ukunda airstrip, and then it is a three-mile (five-kilometre) drive to Afrochic which is set just off the main beach road. Located on the northern stretch of Diani beach, the hotel is less than 100 yards/metres from the shore, with a coconut-studded lawn in between. The pristine beach is the main attraction,
Once two family homes, now merged, AfroChic retains that homely feel, but is somewhat lacking in personality – hopefully time will bring that. The exterior looks more akin to a Mediterranean mansion, but inside are tribal artworks and Swahili furnishings that add a local feel. Cleverly, the design of the balconies sees each jutting out at different angles, meaning none is shadowed by the above balcony. The downstairs of the house has a stylish reception, dining room and lounge area, all looking out towards the sea. The shady garden has plenty of wicker chairs and sun beds to retreat from the sun. At night, flickering lanterns bring the house and garden to life.
There are just 10 rooms, some looking out to the front garden, and the others to the sea. Each room uses different fabrics, some with animal print, some African designs and some a little plain. There are eight deluxe rooms and a junior suite and an executive suite. Surprisingly, I found some of the rooms failed to live up to the hotel’s design aspirations and are a little drab with bathrooms clad in dreary brown tiles. But the beds are very comfortable and the rooms are spacious. All rooms have air conditioning and televisions.
A particularly nice touch, guests can dine wherever they choose – in the restaurant, on the beach, in the garden, on a stilted gazebo, by the pool or on their private balcony. The menu is inventive and is, for the most part, successful. A sweetcorn, chilli and coconut soup was delicately flavoured, but a parmesan coated tuna steak with lemon tartar sauce and cumin cashewnut rice was an odd clash of tastes. There is a huge choice: soups, salads and sandwiches; freshly-caught fish and seafood; Swahili dishes; Indian dishes; pasta. Breakfast serves up fruit and pastries and hot dish options.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.