Spectacular Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa In Mombasa, Kenya - Updated 2024

Amazing landscape and unrestricted view of the beach

For the ultra-wealthy, you can land your helicopter on the resort’s very own helicopter pad. However, if you’re like me, and don’t have your own private aircraft, you can still easily reach Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa by taking a 40-minute taxi ride from Moi International Airport. The moment that you arrive at the entrance, you will immediately be in awe of the gorgeous landscape within the resort and the beautiful scenery of the Bamburi beach. The resort consists of multiple impressive whitewashed three-level wings surrounded by lush gardens and dotted with palm trees for your shade. There are many generous seating areas where you can embrace the flowers, trees, sand and sea.

Different categories of rooms on offer

This magnanimous resort has 335 grand rooms which all have a balcony that either overlooks one of the pools or the beach and ocean. The rooms are spread across different wings. None of the wings have lifts so expect to do a little bit of climbing (which isn’t so bad as the higher up you go, the better the views become!). Each wing has three floors.

There are different categories of rooms such as standard rooms, palm rooms, sea front rooms, premier sea front rooms and different types of suites. If you want to experience the luxury offered by Sarova Whitesands but are on a budget, I would recommend booking the standard room which costs around 22221 KES (approximately 217 USD) for 1 person per night. If you’re with children, booking a palm room which overlooks one of the pool areas is perfect as you can relax on your balcony whilst watching the kids splash around in the pool! The cost of a palm room starts from 32665 KES (approximately 319 USD) per night. The sea front rooms have exquisite views during the sunrise and sunset and I would urge all couples who want a romantic trip to reserve one of these rooms which cost around 35225 KES (approximately 344 USD) per night. If you can stretch your budget, I would suggest booking a premier sea front room which costs around 36761 KSH (approximately 359 USD) per night. 

Brilliant disability friendly rooms

The resort also has a few rooms that are disability-friendly (all facing the pool areas). These rooms are more spacious and the furniture included is more accessible, such as the wardrobes with lower rails for clothing to be hung. I was highly impressed with the size of the bathroom and the equipment inside. The disability-friendly rooms also include a panic button by the bedside, which when pressed, notifies the reception immediately that the guest needs urgent assistance. The amount of support available and provided by staff at the hotel to those with disabilities is incredible; I was highly impressed with how assistance was provided to my grandmother who requires a wheelchair. The staff were so helpful, welcoming and warm and no request was ever too much trouble.

A premier sea front room has to be recommended

All of the rooms are luxurious and spacious and have soft contemporary furnishings and a soothing colour scheme which radiates an ambience of modern refinement. Having stayed in three different rooms (of different categories) during my time at the resort, I would have to recommend the premier sea front room as it was simply amazing! The room included a large and very comfortable bed which was covered with multiple pillows. The bathroom was all kitted out with dental and vanity kits and an abundance of the best quality shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. The water pressure in the shower was high, which made bathing a pleasurable experience. I especially loved the separate private patio area with a lounger, little wooden armchair and mini table where I could relax. The views from the resort are unforgettable and it was great to be able to enjoy them from the comfort of my own outdoor private area!

Popular Pavillion's restaurant and Minazi Cafe

If you want exceptional quality food, then look no further as this resort offers possibly the best food on the north coast of Mombasa. The resort has 4 restaurants: Pavilions, Minazi Café, Lido Seafood Grill and Coco’s Beach Bar.

The Pavilions is the resort’s main restaurant and serves buffet food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant offers all types of cuisine and in one sitting, you can sample some of the best Kenyan, Indian and Chinese food that you’ve ever had! If you book this resort on a half-board or full-board basis, then you will be eating your meals in this restaurant.

The Minazi Café is an Italian restaurant where you can order salads, pizzas and pasta throughout the day. I would recommend trying out the pasta dishes as they are delish; although, please note that the portions are quite generous, so make sure you have worked up an appetite before heading over there! The average cost for a two-course meal for one is approximately 1500 KES (approximately 15 USD).

The Lido Seafood Grill and Coco's Beach Bar

The Lido Seafood Grill is located by the poolside and also overlooks the beach. It is quite unique because there is a little fish pond on the side of the restaurant where guests can actually catch a fish for their meal which the chef will subsequently cook. The weight of the fish will determine the cost of your meal.

Coco’s Beach Bar is where you can pick up drinks and small snacks throughout the day. It’s also the location where afternoon tea is served (at around 4.30pm) and entertainment is performed in the evenings (at around 9.15pm). One of my favourite places to relax in would have to be Coco’s Beach Bar, which includes large and comfortable wooden furniture, where you can be on the exact same level as the beach. This is because unlike other resorts and hotels on the north coast of Mombasa, Sarova Whitesands does not have a concrete wall separating the resort from the beach. Instead, it has three ropes which create a barrier. The beauty of such a limited barrier is that your view of the white sandy beaches and the beautiful blue sea is not restricted. This is fantastic if you want to get the feeling like you’re on the beach without having to actually step onto it (which is perfect for business travellers who are working as they can still enjoy the tranquil location!). Although, if you’re on holiday, I doubt you’ll be satisfied with simply enjoying the view without experiencing it, so make sure that you go barefoot on the beach and sink your toes into the warm white sands!

If you have a special occasion and/or you want to have your very own private dining on the beach, then this glamorous resort is also more than happy to arrange it for you for a price!

Your children will have a splendid time!

A swimming pool with a fabulous and long swirling slide, a baby pool, a tree-house, a playground and an entertainment crew are all available for your children to have the best possible time. If your children want to make some new friends, there are also a number of friendly and harmless monkeys hopping around the tree-house and the rooms too! Whilst there are ample things on offer for children, I think what really makes this resort stand out is the staff who are ultra friendly to children and truly make them feel special. The animation team are available all day and really make so much of an effort to ensure that your entire family have a brilliant experience.

Relax in the peaceful "silent pool"

If you’re travelling without children and you want some peace and quiet, then this resort can still deliver a tranquil environment for you. I was impressed to see that there is an area of the resort that is cornered off from children and includes various rooms, a separate pool and a restaurant where those who want a more peaceful experience can relax. Due to the size of the resort, it’s no surprise that it’s able to adequately cater for all types of guests, including those who want to relax in the “silent pool” where talking is not permitted! So, if you want to lie on a sunbed and read a book with no interference of noise or major splashing, then this resort can make it happen for you.

Amenities in abundance

For the holiday-maker, Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa has a modern gym available during the daytime to guests as well as the Tulia Spa which offers treatments to guests and non-guests of the resort. If you’re staying at Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa for business purposes, then the resort is able to formulate tailor-made packages for your business in the instance that you wish to utilise one of its 9 conference rooms. The resort offers a personalised conference coordinator and secretarial assistance to ensure that your conferences run smoothly and successfully. The resort’s superb conference facilities include state of the art audiovisual equipment, as can be seen in the photograph. The strength of the Wi-Fi in the conference rooms and all public areas is good.

The little touches that are memorable (from USD 249)

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Whilst the entire resort is breathtaking, what I really love is the little touches that have been added. For example, there is a notice under most of the palm trees in the resort which states who planted them and when. This is wonderful as you get the chance to see who else has stayed at the resort and how much a palm tree can grow over a certain period of time. There are also some members of the local community selling souvenirs and jewellery (at a reasonable price) on the numerous green lawn areas. I purchased a pair of colourful elephant earrings for 100 KES (approximately 1 USD). The presence of local vendors on the resort is nice as you can peruse the items without feeling pushed into making a purchase, unlike the beach vendors who can appear a little bit too assertive at times.