Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel

Diani Beach -4.33391600, 39.56940700 , Diani Beach, Diani (Show on Map)
8.0
Very Good


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1 room2 guests 1 room, 2 guests
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Summary of reviewsPapillon Lagoon Reef Hotel, situated on the pristine shores of Diani Beach, offers an idyllic and tranquil beachside retreat that consistently receives praise for its exceptional location. Surrounded by a picturesque palm forest and offering direct access to the clean, white sandy beaches, the hotel is ideal for those seeking a peaceful and scenic getaway. Guests appreciate the well-maintained facilities and the serene, relatively private beachfront experience.

The hotel’s breakfast and dining options receive mixed reviews with many guests praising the variety and quality of the food despite some finding it somewhat repetitive. The buffet-style meals, featuring both local and international dishes, are highlighted positively, supported by the friendly and helpful staff, though occasional delays and room for improvement in taste and variety are noted.

Rooms at the Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel are widely appreciated for their spaciousness, cleanliness and stunning sea views. Comfortable furnishings and practical amenities like air conditioning contribute to the overall positive experience, though some guests mentioned the need for bathroom refurbishments and better maintenance in certain areas. Despite minor issues, the rooms generally meet expectations for a three-star hotel in Kenya, ensuring a pleasant stay.

Cleanliness across the hotel grounds, including the gardens and pool, is commendable, though certain public areas could benefit from more frequent cleaning. The staff consistently receive high praise for their friendliness, helpfulness and dedication to ensuring pleasant stays, significantly enhancing the overall guest experience.

The pool area is particularly enjoyed by guests, who praise its size, cleanliness and the scenic backdrop it provides. The pool bar and direct beach access add to the relaxing atmosphere, making it a delightful spot for both adults and children to unwind. Despite minor inconveniences like early pool closing times, the pool remains a standout feature of the hotel.

The stunning beach, accessible directly from the hotel, features fine, clean sand and inviting waters, perfect for swimming and leisurely strolls. While local vendors can sometimes be persistent, the overall beach experience remains highly positive.

Families find the hotel accommodating with spacious family rooms, essential amenities like baby cots and fun entertainment options such as the daily disco. However, the lively presence of monkeys, while entertaining, might be distracting for those seeking pure relaxation.

Despite occasional issues with wi-fi reliability and the firmness of some beds, Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel delivers a memorable vacation experience, particularly for beach lovers and families. Its exceptional beachfront location, friendly staff and enjoyable facilities make it an appealing destination for a tranquil tropical escape.
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Categories
Hotel near Golf Courses
Located in Diani Beach, which has access to golf courses. Offers a relaxed and casual atmosphere with beach access, suitable for golf lovers seeking a laid-back vacation.

Beachfront Hotel
Located directly on Diani Beach, offering guests immediate access to the sand and sea. It provides rooms specifically noted for having views of the ocean and beach.

Hotel near The Beach
This hotel is located on Diani Beach, offering guests easy access to the ocean. Its beachfront location ensures a convenient and enjoyable beach vacation.

Family Friendly Hotel
Located on Diani Beach, this hotel offers a good option for families looking for a beachside vacation. The hotel provides access to beach activities and water sports.

Hotel with Parking
This hotel provides guest parking. Its amenities and location suggest easily accessible and well-maintained parking facilities.

Hotel with Gym
This hotel offers a gym, providing guests with basic fitness facilities. The hotel's location and amenities support a balanced vacation experience.

Hotel with Tennis Courts
This hotel is noted as having tennis facilities available on site.

Hotel with All Inclusive Packages
Located in Diani Beach, this hotel provides an all-inclusive experience with comfortable accommodations, a relaxed atmosphere, and direct beach access. Guests can enjoy swimming, sunbathing, and various water sports.

3-Star Hotel
This hotel is located on Diani Beach and features an outdoor pool, beach bar, and restaurant terrace overlooking the Indian Ocean. The hotel is decorated in a traditional Swahili style and offers diving, a fitness centre, and tennis.

Hotel with Outdoor Pool
Set on Diani Beach, this hotel features an outdoor pool with a swim-up bar and a separate pool for children. The pool area overlooks the Indian Ocean.

Hotel with Swimming Pool

  Outdoor Pool  


Business Hotel

Room Types
Double or Twin Room with Garden View With a view over the garden, this spacious, air-conditioned room has either a balcony or patio. It features tiled floors and a private bathroom.

Family Room Overlooking the garden, this spacious, air-conditioned room has either a balcony or patio. It features tiled floors and a private bathroom.

Double Beachfront Room With a view over the Indian Ocean, this spacious, air-conditioned room has either a balcony or patio. It features a flat-screen satellite TV, fridge and a private bathroom with free toiletries. Please note that the price is based on 2 guests. Maximum occupancy is 2 adults and 1 child (see Hotel Policies). The extra person rates vary according to the season and may be lower than indicated in the policies.

Guest Reviews
8.0
Very Good
Location
Nestled on the pristine shores of Diani Beach, Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel boasts an enviable beachfront location that guests consistently rave about. Surrounded by a picturesque palm forest and featuring close proximity to the water, this hotel is an ideal retreat for those seeking a tranquil beachside escape. The white sandy beaches are beautifully clean, offering a serene and relatively private experience compared to busier sections of the coastline.

Guests can enjoy direct beach access, making it effortless to soak up the sun or take a leisurely stroll along the ocean. The hotel's expansive grounds include a large pool that is perfect for both adults and small children, ensuring a relaxing stay for families. Additionally, the proximity to shops and the airport enhances its convenience.

The surroundings are stunning with the hotel being described as one of the pearls in a chain of paradise hotels along Diani Beach. Its incredible beach location, along with friendly staff and a wide variety of food options, contribute to the overall positive guest experience. Despite occasional disturbances from locals selling goods, the allure of the beachfront setting remains a major highlight.

Overall, the exceptional location and well-maintained facilities make Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel a superb choice for beach lovers and those seeking a peaceful, picturesque getaway.

Breakfast
Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel offers a breakfast experience that has received a range of feedback from guests. While some reviews note that breakfast options are excellent, delicious and provide a great variety for everyone, others have mentioned that the selection can be somewhat repetitive and disappointing at times. Despite this, many guests appreciate the overall quality and assortment of food provided with several specifically praising the breakfast spread as great and amazing. The breakfast is consistently described as good with numerous guests enjoying the buffet style which ensures a large selection of meals. However, some have pointed out that breakfast preparations may sometimes cause delays. Beyond breakfast, the hotel's food services, including lunch and dinner, have also been positively highlighted for their variety and taste, supported by friendly and helpful staff. Overall, the hotel's commitment to offering quality meals, including breakfast, stands out to many guests, even though there are occasional areas for improvement.

Dinner
Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel offers a range of dining experiences that evoke mixed feelings among guests. Many reviews highlight that the food is flavorful with plenty of options and a strong variety in the buffet. Guests frequently praised the availability of both local and international dishes, which contributed to a satisfying dining experience. The atmosphere of the dining restaurant also added to the positive reviews, making dinners quite enjoyable.

However, there were several mentions of the food needing improvement, particularly in terms of variety and taste. Some guests found the meals to be repetitive with limited choices and not always served at an optimal temperature. Certain dishes, like the Swahili cuisine and desserts, were noted as being less appealing.

While many guests appreciated the extensive options and high quality of the meals, others found them to be average or even disappointing. Despite this, guests who enjoyed the food often found it to be a highlight of their stay, citing the excellent service and well-executed buffet model. Overall, there's a consensus that while there is room for improvement, the dining at Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel provides many good and enjoyable options for its guests.

Rooms
Guests of Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel highly appreciated the spaciousness and cleanliness of the rooms, consistently noting how tidy and well-maintained they were. Many rooms offered stunning sea views that added to the overall enjoyment of the stay. The rooms were not only comfortable with nice furnishings but also featured practical amenities like air conditioning and fans, ensuring a pleasant environment.

Several beachfront rooms received particular praise for both their beautiful design and the plentiful lounge beds available. The overall comfort of the beds, while noted as super comfortable by some guests, was not universally appreciated as a few found them too hard to be bearable.

The biggest areas for improvement seemed to be the bathrooms with multiple guests mentioning the need for refurbishment. Additionally, some rooms faced minor issues such as a strong smell of mold, missing wall hangings and unreliable wifi and TV services.

Despite these drawbacks, the combination of spacious, clean and tastefully designed rooms with beautiful sea views left a positive impression on most guests. Rooms generally met the expectations for a 3-star level standard in Kenya, offering a pleasant and comfortable stay overall.

Beds
The beds at Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel received mixed feedback from guests. While many found the beds to be comfortable and appreciated the nice views from the seaside rooms, others noted that some mattresses were worn out and in need of replacement. Comfortable bedding was highlighted by several reviewers, though the firmness of the beds was an issue for some with a few describing the mattresses as super hard or not very comfortable. Despite these drawbacks, the overall setting including good beach access and the scenic vistas seemed to offer a pleasing backdrop for a stay.

Cleanliness
Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel boasts spacious, clean rooms and a generally well-maintained environment. Guests often appreciate the attention to cleanliness in areas such as the gardens and pool, which are regularly tended to. The beach is picturesque and noted for its large tides and fascinating crab population, although some visitors have pointed out occasional cleanliness issues with seaweed and litter. Public areas and certain facilities might benefit from more frequent cleaning with reports of lingering papers and bottles.

The hotel’s pool gets high marks for its size and cleanliness, though there were occasional mentions of surface debris. Dining under the trees is a highlight and the outdoor facilities like the pool bar and dining areas are kept pleasant. Despite some comments about dated facilities and minor maintenance issues like clogged drains and the absence of mosquito nets on windows, the overall construction style and room sizes are appreciated.

The staff are generally friendly and kind, though responsiveness can be slow at times. While some reviews pointed out shortcomings in certain areas, including inconsistent room cleanliness and occasionally slower maintenance, the hotel's beautiful location and maintained environment make it an appealing destination. The food is described as top-notch, although a more varied selection could enhance the dining experience.

Staff
The staff at Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel have garnered outstanding praise in guest reviews, frequently mentioned as friendly, helpful and exceptionally kind. Whether it's the reception team, the wait staff or the housekeeping crew, guests have consistently highlighted their warm and welcoming nature. The dedication and professionalism of the restaurant staff, as well as the trainees, have also been applauded.

Guests noted that many staff members go above and beyond in their service, making efforts to ensure that stays are pleasant and comfortable. The entertainment team and specific individuals like Albert and Isaiah at the reception were singled out for their exceptional contributions. The room cleaners, pool boys and service staff were all thanked and appreciated for their polite demeanor and attentiveness.

Though a few guests mentioned instances where response times were slower and some staff seemed less enthusiastic, these were largely overshadowed by the overwhelmingly positive feedback. The staff's commitment to quality service and their genuine friendliness helped in providing memorable experiences for many visitors. Overall, the staff at Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel have created a welcoming and positive environment that significantly enhances the guest experience.

Wi-Fi
Guests at Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel commonly express dissatisfaction with the hotel's wi-fi service. Many find the connection to be slow, unstable or virtually unusable, especially in the rooms. While the wifi signal is present throughout the hotel premises, its performance is often unreliable with frequent outages and inconsistent speeds. Some areas of the hotel may offer a slightly better connection, but overall, the wifi quality often leaves much to be desired.

Pool
Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel boasts an impressive pool that has received much praise from its guests. The pool is described as spacious and well-maintained, offering a lovely setting with a swim-up bar that serves a variety of drinks including beer, rum and gin. Many guests found the pool area to be very clean and spacious with plenty of loungers providing fantastic views of the sea and the snowy white beach. The huge and beautiful pool complements the hotel's stunning outdoor area, creating a pleasant environment for relaxation.

Guests also appreciated the good facilities around the pool and the kindness of the staff, who ensured that sunbeds were always available in preferred locations. The direct access to the white sandy beach and the presence of monkeys added to the exotic appeal. However, a couple of minor issues were noted, such as the pool closing relatively early at 6 pm and occasional biting ants in the water.

Overall, the pool at Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel is regarded as an excellent feature that enhances the guest experience, making it a delightful spot for relaxation and enjoyment amid scenic surroundings.

Beach
Situated on a picturesque stretch of coastline, the Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel boasts a stunning beach that garners widespread praise from its guests. The beach access is notably convenient and well-maintained, offering guests the opportunity to enjoy the pristine white sands and warm, inviting waters. The beachfront location, coupled with marvelous ocean views, enhances the overall appeal of this tropical getaway.

The beach itself is described as beautiful with clean, fine sand often compared to walking on flour. The clean, stunning water adds to the idyllic setting, making it an ideal spot for swimming and leisurely strolls, especially with the interesting tidal pools and sea life observable during low tide. Additionally, the resort offers easy access to beach volleyball and even excursions to the nearby Coral Barrier at a reasonable cost.

However, there are mixed sentiments about the local vendors and beach boys who frequent the area. While the beach itself is undoubtedly charming, these vendors can sometimes hinder the experience by persistently attempting to sell goods or services to visitors. Despite this, the exceptional beach access, lovely scenery and the overall setting of the Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel make it a desirable destination for beach lovers.

Family
The Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel is well-suited for families, offering spacious family rooms and good access to the beach. With an all-inclusive package, families can avoid unexpected costs, enjoying breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as drinks at various bars. The hotel provides essential amenities, including a cot for babies, making it convenient for young families. One of the highlights is the entertainment and daily disco, which many families find delightful. However, the presence of monkeys eager to peek into rooms adds an element of fun but might be distracting for those seeking complete relaxation. Overall, the hotel is perfect for an active family vacation but may not be ideal for families seeking a completely quiet retreat.

3 Star
Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel, a three-star establishment in Kenya, provides facilities that are pleasant for its category, offering good value for the price paid. It stands out for its attentive and pleasant staff, enhancing the overall guest experience. The food is commendable with a decent selection, especially suited for shorter stays. However, there is feedback suggesting that some improvements in maintenance could elevate the standards. Overall, it meets expectations for a hotel of its star rating.

Beachfront
The Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel boasts a fantastic beachfront location that is highly praised by guests. Nestled right on Diani Beach, the resort offers a wonderful setting with the ocean just a few steps away from the hotel garden. Its beautiful beachfront position allows guests to enjoy stunning sea views and easy access to the sandy shores. The hotel is part of the exquisite chain of paradise hotels on Diani Beach, making it a top choice for those seeking a fabulous oceanfront experience. The combination of a beachfront location and comfortable accommodations contributes to the hotel's appeal, ensuring a memorable stay for visitors.


Yes, Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel has pool(s) that belong to one or more of the following categories: Outdoor Pool.

No, a spa isn't available at Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel.

No, Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel doesn't allow dogs.

Yes, parking facilities are available at Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel.

Yes, Papillon Lagoon Reef Hotel has a gym.

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