Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
This dramatic hotel with its fantastic pools and beautiful beach is the perfect spot to relax after a safari… or simply visit to relax! The warm and very African feel of the hotel with comfortable rooms, well appointed bathrooms and selection of restaurants offers guests plenty of places to lounge in the sun and almost as many shady spots to enjoy a bit of a breeze and a good book. All rooms have quiet, split unit air conditioners, televisions, mini fridges and coffee and tea making facilities. There is a safe (chargeable) in each room and a business center located in the main building with internet or wifi access in public areas. The drama of the huge, traditional makuti (thatched) roof in the main restaurant offers the Chef a terrific showcase for a varied selection of local and international dishes on the buffet or you could indulge at one of the a la carte restaurants (chargeable) for a special occasion or just a quiet evening for two.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Family
Location
Diani Beach Road, Diani Beach, Ukunda 80400 Kenya
Southern Palms Beach Resort
2,204 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Southern Palms Beach Resort is lauded for its cleanliness, boasting immaculate rooms and pristine beaches, although some guests have noted a shortage of towels. While the vibrant atmosphere is a draw, the loud music can be a detriment to those seeking peace. Room experiences vary, with some offering spaciousness and breathtaking views, yet others appear dated and in need of upkeep.
Opinions on value are divided, with amenities like beach access and pools being highlights despite some calls for better entertainment options. Service quality receives mixed reviews, ranging from friendly to unaccommodating. The location consistently receives praise for its stunning beachfront and proximity to local attractions.
Location
Beachfront
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Pristine
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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We visited in November for 7 days stay and we would definetely come back. 1. Rooms are renovated and cleaned every day. We had a pool view room on the 3rd floor and our balcony has been visited by the monkeys few times which gave us the african vibe. 2.Food in the hotel was great- you could choose from the bufet, have fast food or grilled food. 3. hotel grounds were tidy and well maintained. There were always sunbeds available however unfortunately if you wish to get a spot on the beach you need to get it early coz ppl reserve it and show up at 2pm........ Never gonna understand why???? 4. Staff- we absolutely loved the staff especially Carolyne from the beach restaurant and Safari Katsui who were always there for us, chatting with us and they were just simply awesome This hotel is a very relaxing place, amazing beach, great staff and we definetely recommend! I guess this is one of the few places in Diani with private beach with sunbeds Visit the ladies who offer massage near the hotel for 10$ as it was awesome :)
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Date of stay: November 2019
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from southernpalmsbeach, General Manager at Southern Palms Beach Resort
Responded Jan 11, 2020
Dear Magdalena, Thank you for choosing Southern Palms Beach Resort for your holiday and taking time to write your review on your stay. Our top priority is to make sure all our guests who stay with us have a memorable and enjoyable holiday,we are humbled by such an awesome comment about the Resort.We will share the good comments about the staff whom are mentioned for they went an extra mile to make the holiday more enjoyable. It would be a pleasure to host you again at Southern Palms Beach Resort. With Kind Regards, Mahamoud Alameldin GENERAL MANAGER
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A family centred resort with several large pools that make the hotel feel spacious regardless of capacity. The animation team have several activities throughout the day to keep adults and children alike occupied. The hotel and rooms are modern, tidy and well appointed.
The hotel has several restaurants with the main restaurant offering a large buffet either plenty of vegetarian options, live cooking stations including regular Italian and Indian cuisine being offered. Understandably the hotel is trying to maintain Covid safe protocols but the buffet not being self service is annnoying and you have to wait for staff to serve you at each section which results in unnecessary wait times and crowding which defeats the infection control process.
The 4-5pm tea on the beach is unique with live stations including maize, bhajias, pancakes etc being cooked beachside.
The hotel is right on the beach and offers several watersport activities, the staff at the watersport centre are helpful however are mainly interested in paid services rather than those that are included which are not advertised eg kayaking, windsurfing.
Rooms are modern and comfortable and the sea view rooms are beautiful. I appreciate the environmental concern but the AC only being able to be on when you are in the room means that it takes time for the room to cool down. A couple of annoying things include a separate 200ksh fee per day to use the safes that are already in the rooms! This should just be included in the room price to avoid awkwardly having to go pay a separate fee. Similarly irons are not offered and staff direct you to their laundry service.
Overall a nice relaxing stay, best suited to families.
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Get a sea view room is possible but rooms facing the pools are also very nice
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from southern palms, General Manager at Southern Palms Beach Resort
Responded Apr 26, 2022
Dear Guest, Greetings from Southern Palms beach Resort and thank you for writing this review about your holiday with us. We are humbled to read that you really enjoyed yourselves and the staff went an extra mile to make the holiday extra special for all of you. We are all looking forward to hosting you again for another merrier holiday Once again thank you for trusting us with your holiday. Kind Regards, Mahmoud Alameldin GENERAL MANAGER
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We have been to this Resort several times and they have never disappointed us. From the efficient pickup from the airstrip to the quick check everything was perfect.
We had requested for a sea facing room and what a magnificent room were we allocated with our own sun beds in the balcony and a lovely fruit basket. The room had been sanitized before our arrival.
The staff were ALL extremely polite and accommodating every request. The General Manager made it a point to speak to all the guests and had no reservations about picking dirty plates from tables.The resort was fully compliant with Covid protocols. Sanitizers have been placed all over the resort and temperature checks are made before entry into the dinning area.
The food as always was absolutely amazing and the variety was unbelievable. From breakfast to lunch to tea and dinner it was endless.
What was very important was that the staff were constantly cleaning high traffic areas.
It seems to get better every time and is a child friendly hotel. The location is perfect and has a pristine beach.
I will definitely go back sooner rather than later.
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Date of stay: May 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from southern palms, General Manager at Southern Palms Beach Resort
Responded May 24, 2021
Dear Sonya, We thank you for your repeated visits to Southern Palms Beach Resort and appreciate your positive feedback on your recent stay. Our entire team is humbled by your appreciative comments, we will be sure to thank them all. Thank you also for appreciating the measures undertaken by the resort towards COVID-19 precautions. It’s always our wish for all guests staying with us to enjoy a fabulous and memorable time during their stay. Thank you once again for choosing Southern Palms Beach Resort for your stay. We look forward to welcome you back again and again. Kind regards, Mahmoud Alameldin GENERAL MANAGER
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We got to the hotel super early, thanks to Jennifer who went over and beyond to book our tickets, organise hotel transfers and ensured we got amazing clean rooms, She's amazing! Every staff member we encountered, from the gate, to the check- in to the cleaning staff were delightful and eager to help! Esther Muema was very nice, she took note of all the details I gave in preparation for my daughter's 1st birthday. We held the party by the beach and invited some guests to celebrate with us. The chef made such a delicious cake and Esther the hostess led her colleagues with singing and presentation of the cake and birthdaycard. Bwana Galgalo ordered special dinner for us and made sure that our little one had her evening milk and bites in the room. We had three great evenings here, which added up to an amazing experience. We'll definitely come back again, thanks to the entire team!
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from southern palms, General Manager at Southern Palms Beach Resort
Responded May 24, 2021
Greetings Nancy, Thank you for taking your precious time to write this awesome review on Southern Palms Beach Resort. We are glad that you had an amazing holiday to remember. Thank you also for appreciating our staff and the efforts put to make your daughter’s 1st birthday a success. Your comments have put a wide and radiant smile to our faces just to know we met your expectations and to hear you would come back again. We’re glad you enjoyed your entire holiday and wouldn’t hesitate to pack and come back again and we say “welcome back home”. We too will be looking forward to your next visit. Thank you and warm regards Mahmoud Alameldin GENERAL MANAGER
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Went on a family holiday to Southern Palms in December 2020. It was a long awaited holiday after all the travel restrictions due to covid. We were given a room in a block that was newly refurbished and on first impression it was perfectly suitable. However on having a shower the bathroom and surrounding bedroom space flooded.
That night after dinner I requested for the room to be changed which was managed swiftly and we were given an equivalent room however there was a problem with ants as well as air conditioning and wifi not working.
After coming off a long flight from the UK and still having issues with rooms two days into a one week holiday I insisted on seeing the GM. The next morning after breakfast, Mahmood came to see me and was very apologetic about our experience. He then spent the next hour preparing two of the best sea view rooms in the hotel to all of our expectations and asked us to choose which one we would prefer to stay in. The wifi was checked, the air conditioning powerful and the whole room disinfected. It really was more than we could ask for in terms of personalised service. Mahmood gave me his number and asked me to contact him personally if I needed anything else. This reassured me that the rest of the trip was going to be spectacular, and it certainly was because we ended up conceiving our first child!
We’ll be back to Mombasa in 2022 and will be booking Southern Palms again for our stay.
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from southern palms, General Manager at Southern Palms Beach Resort
Responded Aug 17, 2021
Dear Guest, Greetings from Southern Palms Beach Resort. It’ will be our pleasure to have you stay with us again in 2022. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on your stay at Southern Palms Beach Resort! We were glad to have an opportunity to make your stay with us and your holidays in Southern Palms Beach Resort an enjoyable and memorable experience. My team and I look forward to welcoming you again for another amazing holiday in 2022, and kindly bring the baby along Kind regards Mahmoud Alameldin GENERAL MANAGER
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Southern Palms Beach Resort is an incredibly beautiful, serene, and family friendly resort located in Ukunda, Diani beach, at front of the Indian Ocean. We were close to the nature with various trees including palms and we had an opportunity to see animals such as monkeys and birds at a close distance. There are two swimming pools which provided suitable swimming opportunities for both children and adults. We were a group of nine individuals including three children. We stayed there for eight days between 16 July and 24 July 2022.
The resort offered us different room types, single rooms, double room, and triple room. All rooms are equipped with air-conditioning, cleaned and comfortable, and the balcony had a view of the swimming pools and palm trees.
The resort has several restaurants; the main one offers a great buffet with several food options including vegetarian, Indian cuisine, Swahili, and Italian. During the afternoons, the resort offered a live stations snacks including pancakes, Bhajia, Samosa, Mohogo/Cassava, fruits, maize, hot and cold drinks in front of the Indian Ocean. You have the option of having your snacks or playing beach volleyball.
Children loved the sport activities. Playing watersports in the swimming pool, we also utilised indoor activities such as; pool and table tennis. The resort offered us a-day trip to Mombasa where we visited historical key places including the Fort Jesus, Tusks, and Lighthouse.
One thing the reception needs to improve is to service costumers one by one and not two or three customers at once, this created confusion and long waiting time.
Finally, I'd like to thank the General Manager of the Southern Palms Beach Resort, Mahmoud Alam-Eldin, he offered us unforgettable supports during out vacation time there. We also thank all staff at the restaurants on tasteful foods they provided us and snacks team at the front of the beach. The sport instructors with entertainments in the pools, housekeepers, and driver who took us to the airport and supported us lifting the bags. A big thanks goes to all staff including Abduba Galgalo, Rebecca, Thersia, Michael, Phillys, Omar Juma, Eliphas, Margaretha, Dawudi etc.
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Date of stay: July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from southern palms, General Manager at Southern Palms Beach Resort
Responded Aug 5, 2022
Dear Abdiazizelmi, Warm regards from Southern Palms Beach Resort. Thank you for taking your precious time to share this review. We are humbled to read the wonderful comments and recommendations from your stay in Southern Palms. The different room categories with air-conditioning, well cleaned and comfortable as you relax at the balcony enjoying your serene view is magical. In Southern Palms Beach Resort, food is our pride thus keeping our guests in touch with the head chef's finger licking meals through out the day. Not forgetting the different sports and activities offered ranging from water sports to board games for both adults and kids. Rest assured the concern raised about reception will be channelled to the in-charge personnel to be addressed. Am sure all staff will be glad to read your compliments and we can't wait to welcome you again to Southern Palms Beach Resort for another merrier holiday. Kind regards Mahmoud Alameldin GENERAL MANAGER
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We spent 6 nights at this resort and booked it through Julius of Julius Tact Safaris in Diani who was excellent.
The positives: The pool is large and you always get a sunbed. The beach is white and cleaned every day. The sea is warm and perfect and you don’t get harassed to buy things along the beach. The staff work tirelessly and always with a smile. The animation team were energetic and friendly.
Staff were always smiling and friendly and worked really hard. The New Year's evening dinner was out of this world, the work that had gone into it was unbelievable. Well done.
If you love Indian food this is the place for you! They also had Jain food which was good for vegans. It was excellent HOWEVER I absolutely love Indian food just not for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. Note to management: Change the masala dosa and uppama to lunch or dinner not breakfast.
They had a few Kenyan dishes which was great to see, ugali, sukuma wiki, mahambri and Mbaazi.
The afternoon tea is a lavish production. Don’t expect dainty little cucumber or cheese sandwiches. You get a Kenyan version of afternoon tea: papdi chaat, Bhel, Maru bhajias, dhall bhajias, grilled corn and grilled sweet potato with chili and lime. I love all this but most of it is fried so not a great choice every day. They also have doughnuts and sweet treats.
It would be good to see a more international range of food. If doing a TexMex night offer a full range of Tex Mex and educate staff about what is available.
For management: A la carte restaurants open for a change of scene with menus available at entrance The towels, and sun lounger cushions need replacing. Get rid of the blue removable cover. Don’t advertise the gym on your website if it isn’t operating. Educate staff and room cleaners to be eco friendly by not replacing towels every day in the rooms. I asked for them not to be replaced and they were changed every day. Would be nice to have a proper operating beach bar on the beach to give it more of a vibe. A better menu at the beach bar with innovative salads; reprint the menus which have seen better days. Have a full minibar in the rooms. Ice cold beer please and more ice in drinks. When you replace the water in the room please put it in the fridge so it’s cold.
All in all a good holiday with some improvements needed.
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Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Get a beach view room. If you are arriving late let the hotel know and they will pack something...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from southern palms, General Manager at Southern Palms Beach Resort
Responded Jan 10, 2023
Dear Guest, Greetings from the team! We thank you for choosing us as your holiday destination in Diani. At Southern Palms Beach Resort our goal is to meet and exceed our guests' expectations. I am delighted to know that we have delivered a true hospitality to you. We have taken note on the above hiccups as mentioned above and have forwarded this to the respective departments for action. We value your feedback and look forward to welcoming you back soon. With Best Regards, Mahmoud Alameldin General Manager
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The hotel had some amazing staff who were fantastic to interact with and nothing was too much for them. Check in was smooth and efficient at 22:00, love the fact that they kept the restuarant open as they knew there some guests checking in late.
The rooms are similar to the pictures on the hotel's website but have been left to deteriorate. Some TLC was definitely needed. My room had no wifi for the first 24 hours and after numerous phone calls and going to reception to complain this was finally fixed.
The bathroom had signs of mould and was just not maintained well.
The common areas and pools at the resort was phenomenal, I was really impressed.
The restaurants food quality was pretty average, I guess one can't be too fussy over mass produced buffet food. It was ok for two nights, anymore nights and I would be just starve.
All in all the hotels pretty average, in need of some tlc but has some awesome staff which does make it passable. In terms of value for money the resort didn't meet my expectations
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from southernpalmsbeach, General Manager at Southern Palms Beach Resort
Responded Mar 3, 2020
Dear Kovilan, Thank you finding time to write this review in regards to your holiday at Southern Palms Beach Resort.Thank you for pin pointing some areas which you were not happy with. We are sorry about the wifi issue in your room but we are glad to know it was rectified and you were able to access the internet,In regards to the mould, in the bathroom.we will liase with the housekeeping and rectify the issue for our rooms are cleaned everyday and we have never had such a complain before. With the food especially in the man restaurant we have a 2 weeks theme night rota and we are always very flexible with any guest query in regards to food. Once again thank you for your review and we hope to see you again in the nearest future. Kind Regards Mahmoud Alameldin GENERAL MANAGER
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We have just returned from a four-day Holiday break at the Southern Palms Hotel Diani. We made our booking through Mario Travels who have proven to be very professional. Thumbs up for Sankesh and his team for making our holiday unforgettable. This is an All Inclusive hotel and they try not to disappoint on what they have to offer.
Pros Location& Ambience: Only a ten minutes ride from the Ukunda airstrip, the hotel is located in a perfect location with a beautiful beach front: The well-manicured lawns & gardens compliment the white color of the hotel Hotel & Room. The size of this hotel is very big with the massive swimming pool well spread out. It’s so easy to access it regardless of the room you are staying. We booked the sea facing rooms with an amazing ocean view. These rooms are very close to virtually everything i.e. the beach bar ala carte kitchen and the swimming pool. The Staff: We have visited many hotels but this one takes the trophy on Customer service. From the front desk check in (Elizabeth) to the Barmen (Masika& Mugambi) Waiters(Christine&Mwajuma) make your stay very comfortable. Everyone seems to enjoy their job and are willing to assist. Food: During our stay, majority of the clientele were of Asian origin hence the food was skewed towards oriental flavours. The hotel has three restaurants. The Ala carte kitchen makes up for the deficit in the menu you may not find during Buffet. It has quite a variety of menu. Twas everyone’s favourite during the day with pizzas burgers chicken etc. The 3rd restaurant is open only for dinner but reservation must be made earlier to enjoy Nyama choma (roast meat)
Can improve on. African menu: Include more Kenyan foods flavours during Breakfast (porridge, arrow roots, sweet potato). During buffet meals, we missed green vegetables like spinach mcicha kales and Ugali etc. Also include a number of meat options like lamb, goat meat liver osobuco etc.
Tips
Take a day excursion tour to Funzi or Wasini Island
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Date of stay: October 2020
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from southern palms, General Manager at Southern Palms Beach Resort
Responded Dec 18, 2020
Dear Ken, Thank you for such a detailed review about your holiday at Southern Palms Beach Resort. We are all humbled to know that you had a fantastic time here at Southern Palms. We have noted down the names of the staff who went an extra mile to make the holiday super special. We have a 14 day themed menu in our restaurant but we are always open to new ideas from our estimeed customers .once again thank you for the positive comments and we all look inti welcoming you again to Southern Palms Beach Resort your home away from home. Kind Regards Mahmoud Alameldin GENERAL MANAGER.
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The hotel is located on the coast about an hour by road from Mombasa. It has a beach frontage, large swimming pools within the grounds, pool bar, good choice of dining options and spacious, air-conditioned rooms. We visited in August 2022 when the hotel was quiet and it was clear that business has not fully recovered following re-opening after the pandemic. The bedrooms were very comfortable. The restaurant offered a range of local, Indian and European influenced dishes with plenty of English-speaking staff to assist us. It was really interesting being able to try new options including Kenyan dishes. We agree with others that this is a great place to relax after taking a Kenya safari. There were activities and some entertainment available if required but plenty of quiet areas for those who just wanted to relax. My only niggle really is that, like many hotels, they charge an extra fee for use of the safe in the bedrooms.
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Date of stay: August 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:You can request a sea view room or one that opens onto the swimming pool area.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from southern palms, General Manager at Southern Palms Beach Resort
Responded Sep 10, 2022
Dear Barnsley, Kind regards from Southern Palms Beach Resort. Thank you for choosing SPBR as your holiday destination. We are humbled for the nice comments about our resort from the beach frontage to pools not forgetting the spacious air conditioned comfortable rooms. As we all know, food seals it all. Our head chef is always there to give the climax of it all with his finger licking dishes with a variety of different cuisines. Accompanied with activities and entertainment throughout the day to keep you occupied and entertained. As for the safes it was an issue put for consideration by the management and the safes are now free. We are looking forward to welcoming you once again in Southern Palms Beach Resort in the near future. KIND REGARDS MAHMOUD ALAMELDIN GENERAL MANAGER
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There are more places to choose from in the Diani Beach area.
PRICE RANGE
₱8,490 - ₱20,259 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
southern palms beach hotel diani, southern palms beach diani
LOCATION
KenyaCoast ProvinceUkundaDiani Beach
NUMBER OF ROOMS
298
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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