Diani Breeze Villas

The villas are a short distance from Diani shopping centre, which is handy, but they badly need renovation. While my family was using the electric shower, it exploded and gave someone an electric shock. I told the owner, who didn't seem very concerned.

We arrived at 4:30 PM with four families, and only one of the villas seemed clean. A man was still painting balcony railings, the smell of wet paint was overwhelming, and the dusty wardrobes weren't usable. Housekeeping was waiting for linen to dry in the sun while we stood there. The supposed entertainment area was dusty and neglected, with books left there, too. The fridge didn't work, so we watched our holiday food go bad. In a twin room there was just one torn mosquito net hanging from the ceiling. We had paid a 30,000 KSH deposit, but when we found the place unfit to stay in and asked for half back so we could find somewhere else for Christmas, Lorna and the owners refused. They showed no empathy or professionalism. We booked directly with the manager, Lorna, after seeing photos advertised as stunning. What we found felt like a complete deception, nothing like the online pictures. It was meant to be a holiday sanctuary, but the villas were still unfinished and depressing. If I could give Diani Breeze Villas zero stars, I would. Avoid at all costs.

We had to cut our guests' stay short and move them somewhere else. The management seemed indifferent and was slow to address issues clients kept raising.

The house is spacious, with a large kitchen and living room, and the people there are friendly and helpful. It has a nice pool that gets maintained every day, plus a fenced compound with gate security. It's also very cheap for somewhere just 250 meters from the sea, so good value for money. That said, it's an older place that needs refreshing. You hear a lot of noise from the beach road through the single-glazed windows, and the TV and internet can be unreliable.