Who is Planhotel?
Planhotel Hospitality Group is an Italian-founded hotel company that has been running beach resorts on the Kenya coast and in Zanzibar since the late 1990s. They are not a single resort — they are a group, and their properties sit under three distinct brands.
- Diamonds is the premium tier. Five-star all-inclusive resorts with private pools, multiple restaurants and a spa. Currently four properties: Diamonds Malindi and Diamonds Leisure Beach & Golf on the Kenya coast, and Diamonds Bijoux and Diamonds Mapenzi Beach in Zanzibar.
- Sandies is the value tier. Four-star all-inclusive beach resorts that deliver solid rooms, reliable food and a good beach at friendlier prices. Two in Zanzibar: Sandies Baobab Beach and Sandies Nungwi Beach.
- Exploreans is the boutique and safari arm — Malaika Villas & Beach Club in Watamu, plus a Mara camp and a tented camp in Tsavo. Smaller, fewer rooms, different feel.
Between them, the group covers the full Kenya coast (Malindi, Watamu, Diani) and the main Zanzibar beaches (Kiwengwa, Bwejuu, Nungwi). That breadth is useful: it means you can pick the beach and the price point that fits you, and the booking sits under one operator.
This review covers the six main Diamonds and Sandies properties, because those are the ones most clients ask about. We mention the Exploreans collection briefly at the end.
1. Diamonds Malindi — the Kenya coast flagship
Diamonds Malindi sits on the coast north of Mombasa, in Malindi town. The architecture borrows heavily from Lamu — carved wooden doors, arched colonnades, Indo-Arabic stonework — and the Italian ownership shows in the food and the way things are finished.
The room categories run from a Masai Superior (the entry level, still a decent room with a terrace) up through Pool Garden Deluxe, Junior Suites and full Diamonds Suites with their own private pools and gazebos. The higher categories include hydromassage baths, walk-in showers and minibars restocked daily.
Dining: four restaurants. Savana Market is the international buffet with live cooking stations. The Terrace is the fine-dining room. The Oriental covers Indian, Thai and Japanese. ONDA is the one you want — a beachfront table right on the sand, with fresh seafood and ceviche while the sun drops into the ocean. The resort also runs an on-site organic farm, and the kitchen uses it.
Who it suits: couples, honeymooners and small groups who want a polished five-star beach stay with real dining variety and a sense of place. Not a budget option. If you are combining a Tsavo safari with a coast finish, this is one of the best addresses in Malindi.
2. Diamonds Leisure Beach & Golf — the family resort at Diani
Diamonds Leisure Beach & Golf Resort is the group's largest property, set on Diani Beach south of Mombasa. It is a different animal from Malindi — less boutique, more space, built for families and groups who want activities.
The headliner is the 18-hole golf course, one of the few full-length coastal courses in East Africa. Green fees are included for guests. Beyond golf, the resort has four swimming pools, a kids' club, water sports (kayaks, paddleboards), a Diamonds Spa and a conference centre that has won Africa's Best Incentive Hotel in 2026.
Rooms range from Standard Garden View up to Sea View Rooms and Oasis Villa configurations (four- or six-bedroom setups with shared wading pools and communal terraces — practical for multi-generational families). All rooms get air conditioning, Wi-Fi, minibars and tea-and-coffee stations.
Dining: the Diani Restaurant is the main buffet, Coral Beach Restaurant sits closer to the water, Frangipane serves pizzas and Italian, and the Coral Cave Dinner is a private experience worth asking about.
Who it suits: families with children, golfers, conference groups and anyone who wants a large all-inclusive resort with enough to keep everyone busy. It is not intimate — if you want quiet romance, look at Malindi or Bijoux instead.
3. Diamonds Bijoux — the premium Zanzibar address
Diamonds Bijoux is the newest and most upscale property in the group. It sits on Bwejuu Beach on Zanzibar's southeast coast — a quieter, less developed stretch of sand than Nungwi or Kiwengwa.
The design is explicitly Arabic-Swahili: carved wooden doors, pointed arches, white coral stone, brass-studded chests and antique furniture sourced from the island. It feels like a different conversation from the other Planhotel properties — smaller, more personal, more designed.
Rooms start at 46-square-metre Deluxe Rooms (ground floor, garden or ocean views) and move through Junior Suites (same size, finer finishes) to 90-square-metre Suites with separate living rooms, espresso machines and a pillow menu. VIP villas with private pools sit at the top.
Who it suits: couples and honeymooners who want five-star Zanzibar without the resort-city feel of Nungwi. Also a strong option for anyone who cares about architecture and detail — the building itself is worth seeing. The east-coast tide can leave a long walk to the water at low tide; this is normal for Bwejuu and not a fault of the hotel.
4. Diamonds Mapenzi Beach — the Kiwengwa workhorse
Diamonds Mapenzi Beach sits on Zanzibar's east coast at Kiwengwa. It is one of the longer-established properties in the group, with about 100 rooms across Garden, Superior and Superior Family categories.
This is an honest, no-surprises all-inclusive. The rooms are clean and air-conditioned, the Palm Restaurant serves a solid international buffet, the ONDA Beach Restaurant adds a seafood option at lunchtime, and the Mvua African Rain Spa is available if you want a treatment day. The beach is long and white, the water is turquoise, and the snorkelling off the house reef is decent.
It does not pretend to be Bijoux. It is priced lower, the rooms are simpler, and the target guest is someone who wants a reliable Zanzibar beach week without overpaying. Families with older children will be comfortable here. The east coast tidal pattern applies — the water retreats at low tide.
Who it suits: mid-budget couples and families who want dependable Zanzibar quality without the Bijoux price tag. Often the best value in the Diamonds range, particularly in shoulder season (late March to May, and November).
5. Sandies Baobab Beach — value all-inclusive at Nungwi
Sandies Baobab Beach sits on Nungwi Beach at the northern tip of Zanzibar — the part of the island where the tide barely drops, so you can swim from the beach all day long. It has 105 rooms and operates as a four-star all-inclusive.
Room categories include Baobab Garden Rooms (27 square metres, furthest from the sea), standard Garden Rooms, Superior Rooms, Garden Junior Suites (45 square metres, the sweet spot), Beach Junior Suites and standalone Cottages. All get air conditioning, in-room safes and walk-in showers.
The food comes from one main restaurant (international and Mediterranean dishes) plus a pool bar for drinks through the day. The Mvua African Rain Spa is on site. Entertainment runs daily — live music, local dancers, acrobats at the amphitheatre. Canoeing, darts, table tennis and billiards are included.
Important: Zanzibar charges an infrastructure tax of US$5 per person per night, payable in cash at check-in. This is not a Sandies charge — it is a government levy at every hotel on the island.
Who it suits: budget-conscious travellers and families who want Nungwi Beach and a reliable all-inclusive package without the five-star price. The rooms are not large, but they are clean, and the beach is one of the best on the island.
6. Sandies Nungwi Beach — the newer north-coast sibling
Sandies Nungwi Beach is the newer of the two Sandies properties, also at Nungwi, with 125 rooms. It sits slightly apart from the Baobab and has a more polished feel — the public areas are more open, the pool is larger, and the suites go up to 65 square metres with separate living rooms and two bathrooms.
It runs the same four-star all-inclusive model. Deluxe Rooms (33 square metres, inter-leading for families), Junior Suites (40 square metres, ground floor, one with accessibility features) and Suites (65 square metres, second floor, king bed plus sofa bed plus extra bed — sleeps four adults). Espresso machines and bathrobes in the suites. Wi-Fi throughout.
Who it suits: travellers who want the Sandies price point but a step up in room quality from the Baobab. The north-coast deep water is the same — you swim from the beach at any tide. Good for groups and multi-generational families who need the larger suites.
A note on Exploreans
Planhotel also runs a smaller collection called Exploreans — three properties aimed at a different kind of traveller. Exploreans Malaika Villas & Beach Club in Watamu on the Kenya coast is a boutique villa-and-beach setup. Exploreans Mara is a safari camp in the Masai Mara ecosystem. Kudu Camp sits in the Tsavo East corridor. We mention them for completeness, but they are not reviewed in detail here because they are a different product from the beach resorts above — and each deserves its own write-up.
At a glance — which resort, for whom
| Resort | Location | Stars | Best for | Guide price pp/night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamonds Malindi | Malindi, Kenya | 5 | Couples, honeymooners, foodies | US$250–600 |
| Diamonds Leisure Beach | Diani, Kenya | 4–5 | Families, golfers, conferences | US$180–350 |
| Diamonds Bijoux | Bwejuu, Zanzibar | 5 | Couples, honeymooners, design lovers | US$280–600 |
| Diamonds Mapenzi Beach | Kiwengwa, Zanzibar | 5 | Mid-budget couples, families | US$150–300 |
| Sandies Baobab Beach | Nungwi, Zanzibar | 4 | Value travellers, families | US$120–220 |
| Sandies Nungwi Beach | Nungwi, Zanzibar | 4 | Groups, multi-gen families, value + quality | US$130–250 |
Guide prices are per person per night sharing, all-inclusive, and change with season, room type and how far ahead you book. We quote exact rates for your dates in writing.
Rates and seasons
All Planhotel resorts run an all-inclusive model, which means your room rate covers accommodation, meals, drinks (house pours at Sandies, a wider selection at Diamonds) and most on-site activities. Spa treatments, excursions, golf cart hire and premium drinks are typically extra.
The Kenya coast and Zanzibar share a similar seasonal pattern:
- Peak season: late June to October and mid-December to early January. Highest rates, fullest hotels, driest weather. Book well ahead.
- Shoulder season: November and early December, and March. Lower rates (often 15–30% below peak), warm weather, fewer crowds. Often the best time to go if your dates are flexible.
- Green / low season: April and May (the long rains). Some resorts close, others drop rates sharply. The rain is real — afternoon downpours most days — but the mornings can be beautiful and you may have the beach to yourself.
Children's policies vary by property and room category. At several Diamonds resorts, children under a certain age can stay free when sharing with two adults — confirm the exact terms for your dates when booking.
How to book
Send us a message on WhatsApp or email reservations@privatetourscapetown.com. Tell us your dates, how many people and which coast interests you — Kenya, Zanzibar or both. We will recommend the right property, quote exact rates, and build the full trip if you want a safari before or after the beach. We handle everything from the first enquiry to the airport transfer.
