The Charming Lonno Lodge
390 Kanani Road, Watamu 80202 Kenya
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What is Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best?
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What you can expect during your stay
- All linens sanitised in high-temperature wash
- Face masks required for staff in public areas
- Hand sanitiser available to guests & staff
- Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
- Staff required to regularly wash hands
- Daily temperature and symptom checks for staff
Updated 05/08/20 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
A note from The Charming Lonno Lodge
Updated 05/08/20 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
About
#1 of 42 hotels in Watamu
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
2022 Travellers' Choice Best of the Best
The Charming Lonno Lodge Watamu is a luxury boutique hotel on the sea side of the Watamu Marine Park, Kenya. Its secluded structure, with nested private tiny beaches, is the optimal spot to relax and indulge on the white beach of Kenya. Despite the proximity with the sea, a huge double swimming pool with salt water is available for our guests. Guests whose presence is limited in number to provide everyone with privacy, silence and top quality service.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Free breakfast
Beach
Bicycles available
Airport transportation
Massage
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Infinity pool
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Shuttle bus service
Concierge
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
Ironing service
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Room features
Private balcony
Safe
Kitchenette
Minibar
Refrigerator
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Green
Languages Spoken
Italian
Location
Full view
Contact
390 Kanani Road, Watamu 80202 Kenya
Getting there
Car HireSee all Watamu car hire
501Reviews8Q+A100Room tips
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This is our second visit and I highly recommend this lodge. There is only space for 24 guests, so early booking is essential. The food is excellent, fresh and lovingly prepared. The privacy of the guests is paramount and no walk-in lunch or dinner guests are usually allowed, unless one of the guests requests it. The service was always great and the Swahili design of the rooms adds an exquisite touch to the interior design. One can hear the ocean at night, the rooms are spacious and there are nice walking paths. The hosts are Italian and part of a large community of Italians calling Malindi and Watamu home. They will tell you what you should pay for transport, the best place to watch the sun going down and other valuable information to help you make your stay memorable. Complimentary tea and coffee with cake are served in the afternoon. Lonno Lodge is very near the snake park and other tourist attractions. The airport is 30 minutes away and you only need to arrive an hour or so before the flight. Great place with excellent hosts.…
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Date of stay: July 2022
Location
Service
Room Tip: Older people may want to ask for a room on the ground floor.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Our stay at Lonno lodge was a wonderful experience for me, my wife and son. The hospitality and customer experience that Silvia accorded to us made us feel at home and comfortable. It's a quiet place, very private, good to go and unwind, the meals are well thought through, quite creative but also very delicious. You are kept guessing, what will the next meal be coz they keep mixing it up in a creative way. The rooms are clean and well thought through, providing several spots to sit and relax. We will stay again and it was an experience to remember.
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Date of stay: August 2022
Location
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
The Lonno Lodge was absolutely stunning! The look of everything was so beautiful and calming - architecture, design, rooms, views! The staff were incredibly friendly, helpful, and made me feel so relaxed and at home. Sylvia and Aldo, the owners, were so kind and genuine. I loved chatting with them and they were always super helpful if I had a question. I felt totally restored at this place. ALSO, BONUS, I need to eat a gluten-free diet and the Lonno Lodge was absolutely *amazing*! The food was already so delicious, but on top of that they had these incredible quality gf options for me at each meal. I couldn’t believe I was able to enjoy bread and pasta with everyone else (and their pasta sauces were soo good!). This is a fantastic place to stay- I totally loved it and would definitely stay there again!…
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Lonno Lodge was amazing! The Swahili design in the rooms was breathtaking, and the food was delicious. We always had great service, and the views were stunning, and the pool relaxing. Would definitely come here again!
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Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Our group fully booked Lonno Lodge for our 3 night stay on the Swahili Coast. Lonno is a perfect location for a small group gathering. We all immediately felt rest and peace when we arrived. The location and decor are absolutely stunning. Many in our group are designers, so we fully appreciated the style and attention to detail. the owners made sure we were comfortable and helped to arranged several local excursions. The beds were a bit hard for my taste, but otherwise the rooms were very comfortable, even during a crazy monsoon storm. The food was very good, but we would likely do less pasta and carbs in the future. Our favorite meal was the local fish with lemon sauce. I highly recommended Lonno Lodge as the best place to stay in Watamu!
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Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: The seaside suite and tower rooms (Except the top room) are all amazing.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
We live in Nairobi and needed a quiet get-away and had been to Watamu a number of times. We were looking for a beautiful, private, pampered, delicious, quiet space to de-compress after a long work week. We needed an "anti-resort" and that is exactly what we got. Everything about Lonno Lodge, starting with hosts Silvia and Aldo, was perfection. Each room/suite is unique in (Italian) design, architecturally smart and pleasing, set to take advantage of breezes and the environment. With a limited number of guests, we often felt we had the place to ourselves. Various places to nap abound and we settled into a large hanging frame and fell instantly asleep in the breeze. The food was exceptional, the menu intentional: vol-au-vent, farfalle with tuna, coconut calamari... and finished with a chocolate panna cotta in a mango sauce - we were blown away by the quality and presentation of each dish. The lunch menu: stuffed mini courgettes, vegetable ravioli, and a pork fillet rolled in bacon and sage... even the breakfasts were note-worthy (the eggs in any style fresh and delicious). Silvia was a delightful hostess, incredibly accommodating, and just perfectly and unobtrusively present in the moment we had a question. The cocktails were made to spec, the high tea featured homemade biscuits, and the music (almost imperceivable) seemed to feature all the best songs of my childhood. Lastly, the setting for this little paradise tucked away from all the buskers and resort noise is stunning. Set above a cove of jagged reef-like rocks, the fine white sands of the Indian Ocean are exposed for a few hours every day around the low tide... climb down the stairs, make sure you have your reef (water) shoes, and you can explore the vast reefs and beach walk to Watamu and back! The Charming Lonno Lodge deserves the Trip Advisor Best of the Best and the other awards as a top boutique luxury hotel... it is worth every shilling - we will be back. Asante / Thank you / Grazie to Silvia and Aldo.…
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Date of stay: July 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: Most of the suites require guests to climb some stairs
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Loved my few days at Lonno Lodge. It's a really beautiful place - Swahili architecture fused with understated Italian style. I was travelling on my own but felt completely safe. Simple but beautifully designed room and bathroom, gorgeous pool, good food, lovely staff (who had clearly been very well trained by Silvia and Aldo)...and the best cocktails I had on my entire trip around Kenya! It's a quiet spot away from the hustle and bustle of Watamu but close enough to easily nip in on a tuk-tuk...or even walk into town along the beach at low tide. If you find yourself heading for the Kenyan coast - you must stay here. Thank you for everything. Hope to be back with my husband next time!
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Date of stay: January 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Great time over Easter at Lonno Lodge, quite and private place. High standards of cleanliness and hygiene with cheerful staff. The suites (not rooms) are splendid - kudos to the housekeeping team. We were on the 1st floor of the tower, with a spectacular ocean view, which I enjoyed watching each evening during our stay. The lodge is lined with a sparkling white beach, my son and I had a chance to stroll along one morning during low tide. Sea food served every dinner time was great! Breakfast on time and welcoming. By day 3 I needed a massage and got a deserving hour of Swedish massage which proved very relaxing for my tired muscles! Not to forget Gideon, the day security guard who started us of with a warm welcome and big smile at the main gate and Emmanuel the night guard who always made sure he guided us with his torch to and from the restaurant! Many thanks Sylvia and Aldo for your hospitality.…
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Date of stay: April 2022
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Remember to pack your own lotion and toothpaste! The rooms have a fan not AC so tend to be rather...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
We stayed at Lonno lodge over the Easter vacation. Sylvia is a wonderful hostess. She immediately made us feel welcome and have a tour of the hotel when we arrived. She helped us book a snorkeling trip which unfortunately we could not go on but she arranged with a local guide. The rooms extremely spacious. We loved the style of them and had amazing balcony room with an ocean view. The rooms are decorated beautifully and tastefully. The hotel location is great and away from the big resorts. We walked every morning on the beach. Loved it! There is no beach but if you do want it it’s a quick ride away. We loved that it was half board with flexibility as we could swap dinner or lunch if we wanted. We had dinner at the hotel and loved the amazing Italian food. Tea time always had an amazing cake. The staff are well trained by Sylvia. The drinks are well prepared. We loved the place!! And we loved meeting Sylvia and Aldo! Such a wonderful couple and this is a labor of love.…
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Lonno Lodge! Wow where to start..everything was perfect, the swimming pool is a dream, the staff are very friendly, polite and professional. The food at the restaurant is delicious with a breathtaking view! The level of room cleaness is outstanding and the location is beautiful and charming. The lodge is just an experience on it's own. We will definitely return. Thank you.
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
PRICE RANGE
US$319 - US$336 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
lonno hotel watamu
LOCATION
KenyaCoast ProvinceWatamu
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about The Charming Lonno Lodge
Which popular attractions are close to The Charming Lonno Lodge?
Nearby attractions include Mida Creek (6.4 km), Watamu Beach (5.8 km), and Gede Ruins (4.6 km).
What are some of the property amenities at The Charming Lonno Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and a pool.
Which room amenities are available at The Charming Lonno Lodge?
Top room amenities include a kitchenette, a minibar, and a flat screen TV.
What food & drink options are available at The Charming Lonno Lodge?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at The Charming Lonno Lodge?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to The Charming Lonno Lodge?
Conveniently located restaurants include NON SOLO GELATO by anna, Caffe Sotto Sopra The Liars Club, and Safina Beach Bar & Grill.
Are there opportunities to exercise at The Charming Lonno Lodge?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does The Charming Lonno Lodge have an airport shuttle?
Yes, The Charming Lonno Lodge offers an airport shuttle for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Does The Charming Lonno Lodge have airport transportation?
Yes, The Charming Lonno Lodge offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are any cleaning services offered at The Charming Lonno Lodge?
Yes, dry cleaning and laundry service are offered to guests.
Does The Charming Lonno Lodge have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.