Aquarius Club International Resort

I stayed here for 3 nights and found it to be great value for money. I did the all inclusive option (which does not include alcohol) and the food was varied and delicious throughout my stay. I had no problem finding food I liked in the buffet even as a vegetarian and I found the pasta station and fresh fruit station really lovely. Also much better coffee than expected. The grounds are lush and well maintained and it's a very relaxing pleasant atmosphere. There's a lot of lounges everywhere that invite sitting and chilling. The pool was well maintained with plenty of pool chairs and shade as needed. Lots of staff around as well. The bar was fine (though gave off a smell of wood sealant) and the recommended red was delicious. The daily cocktail is also a great option, at 3.5USD it's a steal. The room was more than adequate (I chose a basic room) with functional ac, good pillows and daily servicing. However I did have a problem with no water for a few hours. I also was in a room (38b) near the reception area which may account for why my Internet seemed to be better than many others. I was able to stream music and video which was far more than I expected. The photos showing the beach are deceptive. This hotel is not oceanfront as much as it is adjacent to a hotel that is oceanfront and maintains a relationship with said hotel where guests can access their pools and beach. It's a 5 minute walk up a catwalk which crosses a road and a hike across the entire lily palm property to reach the beach. I thought there might be some sort of distinctions between Aquarius club patrons and lily palm patrons while using these facilities but there was not (which was great). After the first walk, the hike also did not seem very far either, you just need to be prepared for it. Other reviewers had an issue with paying up front. I find it perfectly fine and that's how they did it so please be prepared to do so. Mauro, the property manager was super nice and went out of his way to make everyone's stay pleasant. This place is much much better if you speak italian and I really hesitate to recommend it to non-italian speakers. Also, avoid watamu in late July if you can since the chance of rain is still very high.

Very well cooked food and lovely staff. Beautiful pool. Standard room with poor water pressure. Overpriced laundry. Miserably lost a bit of the "African Vibe" as heavily populated and catering for Italians, could well be in Europe inside the resort.

A lastminute booking over new year, Aquarius was an ok choice. The rooms were clean if not a little cramped. The pool was nice and relatively empty, this only applies to the pool and accommodation set back off the beach. The pool on the beach front was loud, full and terrible. Food was basic but ok, very little choice and as expected from malindi Italian in style and theme. All inclusive is a con, drinks served in pathetic small plastic cups, warm warm and horrible, bar staff were unhelpful and unwilling to do pool side drinks service even though we were the only guests around the common areas. The manager was lovely though assisting us to book place at a private beach. For the money there are better options, especially if you are not Italian, however it is central and the back property(not be accepted front) is well maintained and peaceful.