Hotel Tricks

One of the secrets of getting the most out of your stay is to enjoy to the full the unique view of the hotel. The hotel’s signature is the panoramic prospect of Fort Jesus and Old Town across the water. A great tip is to have a ‘sundowner’ cocktail at the poolside bar or on the boardwalk in late afternoon. A truly magical experience, which one remembers by heart only in this hotel, is to watch the sunset and then lights in Old Town start to twinkle.

Leaving aside the window view, and visiting other historical spots from a room is said to be a very jolly and lively mode of traveling through the tuk-tuk of the locality. One can easily find this tuk-tuk just outside the hotel gates for a short hop over Nyali Bridge and into the Old Town. There is no pricier and boring mode of transportation as compared to others when it comes to exploring the culture of a place; for that, it’s worth considering using a tuk-tuk. Just remember to fix up the fare before you “go tuk-ting”.

Though the hotel has very fine restaurants, one has to step into the Tamarind Dhow to at least get a feel of what the Mombasa culinary scene is all about. It is an old fashioned Arab sailing craft which has been converted to a floating restaurant right at the same creek next to the hotel. The seafood dinner cruise with live music makes a great contribution to an iconic as well as romantic Mombasa dining experience.

Do allocate some time to the hotel’s Ansui Spa, which is much acclaimed and has various treatments. A great one to try is booking a treatment for late afternoon after a day of exploration—it’s a nice way to relax and refresh before dinner; often, the spa facilities have the same stunning views as the rest of the hotel, which adds on to the feeling of serenity and luxury.