Situated on Shanzu Beach about 12 km from the city center, the Mombasa Serena is the slickest and most stylish of the dozen-odd package hotels that run along the coast immediately north of Mombasa.
Constructed in the 1990s, the hotel is built entirely from local materials and is divided into a number of whitewashed two- and three-story buildings, laid out haphazardly so as to evoke the feel of Lamu and other old Swahili towns along the East African coast.
Set in large landscaped tropical grounds fringed by coastal woodland and running down to a superb palm-lined beach, the hotel has a rather grandiose reception area with a tall ceiling, plenty of Swahili-style enclaves and arches, and ornate Arabian style furnishings.
There are three restaurants and two bars on the property. The Jahazi Grill, an a la carte restaurant shaped like a dhow, is especially recommended for fresh seafood and to a lesser extent meat dishes. Also close to the main building is the massive swimming pool and highly rated Maisha Spa.
Activities (as well as inactivities) tend to center on the gorgeous beach and the swimming pool area, both of which are well serviced with beach beds, deckchairs and sunshades. The hotel also offers a wide selection of sports, ranging from windsurfing to beach volleyball.
Particularly enjoyable are the glass-bottomed boat trips to the nearby coral reefs, which host a colorful selection of fish and offer great snorkelling. Further afield, scuba diving and game fishing are both popular with visitors, and terrestrial goals for day trips include Mombasa Old Town, Bamburi Nature Trail and Ngomongo Cultural Village.
Rooms are very spacious and the interior maintains the Swahili theme of the exterior. The walls are roughly plastered and whitewashed, the floor is cream tiled, there's a mangrove pole ceiling and arched Arabic insets in the walls and furnishings are mostly made of wood.
Twins and doubles with king-sized beds both have walk-in mosquito nets, and all rooms have a safe, satellite TV, air conditioning, coffeemakers, a sitting area and a private balcony. The large tiled baths have separate shower and bath units, and two basins inset in a marble top.
There is no shortage of package hotels along the coast on either side of Mombasa, but most are very uninspired and aimed at midrange package groups.
The Serena is way ahead of the pack in this respect, possessing a genuine sense of style and individuality that will appeal to a more discerning clientele, though it lacks the exclusivity of the Sands at Nomad. It has good facilities for tourists and also for international business travelers, who comprise a significant proportion of its clientele.
