Name: Lamu House Hotel
Address: 471 Lamu, Lamu, 80500, KE

10/10

Exceptional

05 Aug 2026

Mathieu

Super expérience. Personnel gentil et aidant.

4/10

Poor

15 Apr 2026

Rebekah

Most guests have to pay to go to another hotel to sit by the pool as only room for around 6 at peponi pool

Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Feb 2026

martin

Staff was great - especially the in house tour guide, Abu!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jan 2026

Deborah

Lovely room overlooking the waterfront. Excellent restaurant and overall a great experience

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jan 2026

Nazeem

.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Dec 2025

Marsha

Enjoyed my stay the place is charming and well maintained and great staff. Can’t wait to be back with my family

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

05 Dec 2025

Garold

Great Staff, awesome breakfast! Good location for walking in Old Town Lamu, nice pools

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Dec 2025

Rebecca

Would come back over and over again! The location is ideal, the building is gorgeous with incredible history. Be sure to enjoy the pool, and consider having a private meal in the back of the hotel. The price of our stay included a large bathroom, spacious sleeping area and lovely balcony. The sun poured in at sunrise, which was a beautiful way to wake up; it wasn't too loud at night. The price also included transfers to/and from the airport, which alone makes the trip much easier to navigate when arriving at the airport and also included breakfast, which was delicious. We had dinner at the restaurant, which was also fantastic. Yuri, the manager was helpful, the staff was courteous and welcoming. Be sure to take a tour with Abu and purchase some of his art. I will be sure to stay here when returning to Lamu. Can not recommend enough!

10/10

Exceptional

15 Nov 2025

David

Peaceful stay in the heart of Lamu town

Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2025

Alihaid

Our stay was fabulous. The owner went out of his way to assist, answer all questions and gave suggestions of best restaurants to visit. Thank you!

4/10

Poor

06 Sep 2025

Verified traveler

Beautiful hotel but we got food poisoning

A very beautiful hotel but the service is lacking. We got food poisoning from the hotel restaurant which ruined our stay. Concierge was also hard to reach whilst we were sick and there isn’t that attention to care from front desk/concierge. They didn’t really seem to care about our stay given that the food was making us sick. My earrings also went missing in the hotel and the front desk (again) didn’t seem to care and wasn't helpful.
The other staff members, however were nice and helpful.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Gem of a boutique hotel.

What a gem of a boutique hotel. Quiet &safe. My top floor, seaview room had 2 balconies was very large & had a 4 poster mosquito netted king size bed. I left my balcony doors open at night. Only heard one mosquito. Giant walk in shower with benches in the bathroom, and an on sute masseuse. Staff was so nice. They recommended a wonderful tour guide, Abu Said who was very informative. As a very mature solo woman traveler, I felt very safe in this hotel & recommend it highly.

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jul 2025

Fabrice

Amazing view

One of the best places one can dream to stay

Self

4/10

Poor

02 Feb 2025

Verified traveler

Don’t stay here

No AC, limited responsiveness from
Front desk, delayed airport pick up

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jan 2025

Glyn

Lamu House is a lovely historic hotel right on the harbor front - top floor bedrooms facing the water are the best with cooling breezes. The staff could not be friendlier and the restaurant is tasty and popular. If you want an authentic experience of Lamu the town, this is the place . It is not a luxury resort type establishment like the ones out of town.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2025

claire

Oasis in Lamu Old Town

We loved the Lamu House hotel. The location was excellent and service wonderful. Not for people who can’t handle stairs however and may not be suitable for very young children but for us it was perfect. The restaurant was great too. Service was slower sometimes but it didn’t matter. Food was delicious. We loved the pool with the fragrant frangipani trees over it.

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

10 Jan 2025

Lynda

There are so many flies and bugs in the room - it was just awful.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

06 Jan 2025

Willis

The money I paid not worth it but nice place

10/10

Exceptional

29 Feb 2024

Camilla

Great stay!

Had a wonderful stay, staff were very friendly and the breakfast was delicious. One thing to bear in mind is that this location is in the town centre and not near Shella beach - it's either a 40 mins walk or a 15 minute boat ride. There is also no aircon on the island so it's just fans.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

16 Feb 2024

Dena

Very friendly, charming hotel

This is a lovely hotel if one accepts the lack of a/c. During the day, with shutters and doors open to the sea breeze, it is quite comfortable, but I found it oppressively hot to sleep.

The manager, Esther, is simply terrific, and everyone is extremely friendly. My room was lovely, with a private courtyard leading to the small swimming pool. There is a good restaurant and a good b'fast.

You need to decide whether to stay in Lamu Town (where this hotel is) or Shela. The latter is a bit more Westernized. There are no cars on the island, so you go up and down the coast via water taxi, for which you wade into the water up to your ankles. Bring sandals you are willing to get wet.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jun 2023

Andrew

This property was amazing. It was a unique and quiet oasis in the middle of Lamu Town. The distance to the beach was a bit far, but this was a minor problem as there area number of Bodas and Taxi boats nearby to help you get to the beach. The property allows you to give a sense of what Lamu is truly like while still being quiet enough to be able to rest and relax. There are also a number of quiet pools on the property where you can enjoy nearly private relaxation. Some rooms also have private cabanas and balconies, which I enjoyed. Overall, this was a great place to stay at a very reasonable price point. The staff was even more amazing and helped me feel comfortable. Food at the moonrise restaurant was also really nice. I highly recommend this place to experience Lamu town.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Mar 2023

Karen

Staff were lovely.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Feb 2023

Sumra

I highly recommend staying at the hotel. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The room and the hotel itself is very beautiful. The location is also really good as it is right on the waterfront.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2023

Eric

Family-friendly and amazing staff ! We felt at home every day during our 2-weeks stay.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2023

Genuine

The Staff, the architecture of the place, the view from the rooms into the channel, all these and more ensured I was able to completely unwind

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

27 Oct 2022

vicky

A haven of tranquility in noisy, dirty Lamu (which I love by the way). The Moonlight restaurant is a fine place to sit and have a quiet drink or meal under the shady flame tree; the pool a welcome place to cool off after the heat of the day. All very attractive in the old courtyard. The rooms a simple, but clean, furnished in traditional Swahili style. The staff, especially Esther on front desk, extremely helpful, arranging expeditions, finding old friends etc. Strongly recommend if you are staying in Lamu town.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Feb 2022

Francis

Fantastic! I would go back again any other time

Self

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jan 2022

Yasin

An amazing stay, as always!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jan 2022

Yasin

Wonderful hotel, attentive staff, amazing pool. A great stay, highly recommended!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2021

Hassan

Nice place, at the waterfront and close to most cultural and heritage sites.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Apr 2021

Jason

Fantastic

Excellent property; the best in Lamu town. Beautiful pool area, and the restaurant has the best food in town as well. At checkin we were warmly welcomed, and upgraded to a superior suite on the rooftop. All around an amazing stay and highly recommend this property!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jan 2021

Maura

An absolute gem in Lamu Town

This lovely hotel is located right in the heart of Lamu Town, which for me was much more interesting than staying on Shela Beach. I experienced the best hospitality at this hotel that I have ever received (and I travel a LOT)! Olga was an outstanding hostess that really made sure I enjoyed every moment of my stay in this amazing and beautiful destination, and the rest of the staff were also quite friendly and accommodating. The hotel itself is architecturally stunning, with all kinds of unique and traditional features and touches around every corner. It is really a photographer's dream as the light filters in from all kinds of interesting angles throughout the day to highlight the many charming details and furnishings. You can catch a boat to Shela (or other points) right outside the door, but there's also a refreshing pool in the courtyard where the hotel hosts movies and musical events featuring some very talented musicians. I stayed in a room overlooking the sea and enjoyed spectacular views and sunsets from a very comfortable balcony. There is also a great restaurant with tasty food on site. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here and dream of the day I can return. Five stars on everything!!! Thank you for a fantastic stay! (Note: the Hotels.com website gives the option of booking specific rooms, but if a sea view room is your preference, be sure to contact the hotel to ensure that one is actually available.)

Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jan 2020

Verified traveler

A beautifully designed hotel and a peaceful haven in lamu town.
Staff all very helpful and food lovely

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

10 Jan 2020

Amanda

Great honeymoon!

Lamu House is a gorgeous hotel with an amazing staff

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jan 2020

Alex

A fantatic property. Two old swahili houses completely remodeled. An oasis within a busy Lamu downtown. Excellent pool and the best restaurant in town. The hotel manager and staff make the stay a joy.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Dec 2019

Aiman

The property was facing the ocean which was pleasing. However, there was a need for Ac in the room as the air from the ocean wind was strong at times.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

25 Nov 2019

alma

Beautiful

Excellent property. Lacks AC. It really was hot in the room. It was an almost perfect stay. The property is like the pictures great architect and designer, sooo very beautiful!!! Good brrakfast included. Pick and drop off at airport

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Oct 2019

Jeff

Lamu House is a beautiful and well maintained facility, right on the waterfront, just a short walk to the pier where the dhows arrive from the airport or leave for Shela. Our room was lovely. We sprang for the ocean view room, with a lovely balcony overlooking the water. The basics are there: hot showers, comfy bed, and with a luxurious feel. Impressive feature I have not seen anywhere else: a large shower with two separate shower heads -- no waiting! There is no A/C but there was almost always a cool breeze coming through the windows, so it was always comfortable in the room (we were there in late Sept).
The staff is very friendly and super helpful. When there was a little glitch one day and they had forgotten to make up the room, they brought a complimentary bottle of wine (and then happily exchanged it when we said we were tea drinkers).
A friend who visits Lamu frequently told us it's the best hotel in Lamu town, and from what I've seen, I can believe it.
We did not use the pool, so can't comment on that, looked fairly clean. They serve a hearty breakfast, pretty basic, but will keep you fueled well into your day. We only took one other meal there, which was kind of disappointing, especially for the price, but plenty of people seem to like it for dinner, and most nights they had a Swahili band playing. I would definitely recommend Lamu House, and we will almost certainly stay there next time we're in Lamu.

Friends_and_family Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 May 2019

Patrick

Exactly what we needed for a quite anniversary...

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

Old Swahili townhouse conversion which retains the characteristics of old style.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2019

Anna

Incredible place to relax! The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Delicious food!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

I liked the use of the original house and the simple but stylish and comfortable rooms. The welcome and staff were great!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Lovely stay.... very very friendly staff, great restaurant run my manager Dirk who was very welcoming and provided great food

10/10

Exceptional

11 Oct 2018

Gabriele

One of the best experience of my life, all was perfect. I would warmly suggest to everyone.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jun 2018

Verified traveler

Beautiful hotel in Lamu!

If you're looking for a gorgeous hotel in Lamu with great decor, service and a wonderful restaurant this is definitely it. The wifi could have been better but otherwise a great pick.

Friends

6/10

Pleasant

28 May 2018

Emilia

Extortion at Lamu House Hotel

The hotel is charming and ideally located by the ocean, with fascinating views from the sea-fronting room. The rooms are spacious and the house-cleaning, kitchen and restaurant staff are charming in their own way.

That said, BEWARE of the front-office staff, namely Agatha and Bertha, who are running a racket (with the full knowledge of - if not complicity with - the accountant and manager, Dominic and Orla respectively) to extort money from hotel guests and unassuming tourists. They add a 25% commission to the prices they quote for tourist activities in Lamu, which they expect to receive directly from the service provider (dhow captain or tour guide). Several efforts to report this both to the accountant (acting manager) and management have gone unattended for close to a week following my stay. Thus I find it prudent to report this here to warn future guests and tourists who plan to stay there.

This is incident has left a bitter taste in my mouth to what would have otherwise been a pleasant stay.

8/10

Excellent

04 Jan 2018

Joy

Great beach club, noisy room

My stay at Lamu House was generally good. The room was clean and well serviced. I really enjoyed the beach club, and the staff who service the beach club (Esther, Juma and Saidi) were wonderful. Given that access to the beach club was the primary reason I picked Lamu House over another hotel in Lamu, I was pleased. I did have a couple of challenges with my stay. One was the noise level of the kitchen/restaurant area. My room overlooked the restaurant, which was busy until late at night, and then started up again early in the morning in preparation for the day. If you are a light sleeper, Room 3 is not for you. Secondly, there seemed to be a premium on towels that I didn't understand. I asked for an extra towel, and was informed that since I had paid for a single room, I could not get an extra towel. I explained that I had actually paid the double occupancy rate (the friend that was supposed to accompany me couldn't make it at the last minute), but still the towel request seemed to be an insurmountable hurdle. This seemed to me to be a silly and arbitrary issue to take a stand on, and annoyed me significantly. Other than that, the hotel is lovely - quaint and well preserved. I'm not sure if I would stay again, but that's because I might prefer to stay on Manda or Shela beach next time.

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2017

Jennifer

Highly recommended

Gorgeous hotel with a warm and welcoming staff. This beautiful boutique hotel has stylish rooms, a beautiful pool, and a friendly and hard-working staff.

8/10

Excellent

29 Jun 2017

Verified traveler

Beautiful Swahili house

The small hotel seems to be an old Swahili villa but with modern conveniences and a very open breezy feel.
The view of the ocean is nice from the balcony of the room. The breakfast is very good and the chef quite nice and accommodating even during Ramadan.

10/10

Exceptional

10 Apr 2017

Lucy

Magical stay

We traveled to Lamu for the weekend and the Lamu House was absolutely incredible.... Everything from the hotel itself to our room to the staff -- I can honestly say it is one of my favorite hotels in the world (and I travel frequently). They picked us up (and dropped us off) at the airport, gave us fresh juice and water on arrival, helped plan our days and were generally a joy to be around. Everyone was exceptionally kind and welcoming. Breakfasts were delicious, the hotel itself is stunning and the pool is perfect, and the location is ideal for exploring Lamu. They also have a beach club they take you to on Saturdays and cook a delicious lunch. Once we were in Lamu we had the chance to check out some of the other resorts, including the more expensive ones, and we can honestly say Lamu House seemed the best! We cannot recommend this place more highly!

Partner