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4- and 5-star hotels in Lamu
A shortlist of 4- and 5-star stays in Lamu, from the seafront of the old town to Shela village and Manda Island. It is for travellers who want Swahili-coast comfort and a guest rating to lean on while choosing.
Staying in Lamu
Lamu is a town on Lamu Island in Lamu County, Kenya, about 465 km east of Nairobi in a straight line. Lamu Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest living Swahili towns, and visitors come for the old town and the Swahili culture. There are almost no cars on the island: people walk, ride donkeys or take boats, and Shela village has a long beach. The Majlis Resort is on Manda Island, at Ras Kitau Bay, across the channel from the town. Lamu House Hotel, Subira House, Pwani House Lamu Seafront and Ttunu House are in Lamu Town itself, on Kenyatta Road, behind Lamu Fort, on Corniche Path and in the town respectively. Banana House and Wellness Centre, Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes and Tulia House Lamu are in Shela, with Jahazi House Lamu at Kizingoni Beach. The mix suits couples and families on a short break, and anyone who wants the old town or the beach as a base.
The shortlist
Ranked by hotel class, then guest rating and number of reviews.
The Majlis Resort
Ras Kitau Bay Manda Island
Why stay hereSet on Manda Island at Ras Kitau Bay, this 5-star resort has earned a 4.4 out of 5 from 603 guests. Its island address suits travellers who want the widest stretch of Lamu's waters around them and a setting far from the town streets. Couples, families and groups all fit the scale of a full resort, and the ferry ride across to Lamu Town turns the old town into a day out rather than a doorstep.
See The Majlis ResortLamu House Hotel
Kenyatta Road
Why stay hereA 4-star house on Kenyatta Road, right in the middle of Lamu Town, with a guest rating of 4.3 out of 5 across 47 reviews. Staying here puts the lanes, the market and the waterfront within a walk rather than a boat ride. It suits travellers who would rather step out of the door into the town than commute to it, and who value a small, reviewed house over a large resort.
See Lamu House HotelSubira House
Behind Lamu Fort
Why stay hereThis 4-star house stands behind Lamu Fort, so the old town's landmark is your neighbour. Guests who want to spend their days inside the historic quarter, among the carved doors and narrow streets, are the ones this address is built for. Being tucked behind the fort keeps the house in the quiet of the town's interior while the seafront stays close at hand.
See Subira HouseBanana House and Wellness Centre
Plot 318 Lamu Island
Why stay hereA 4-star option on Lamu Island, this house pairs a stay with a wellness centre on the same plot. That combination suits travellers who want treatments and quiet built into their days rather than arranged elsewhere on the island. It works well for a slower trip: rest at the house, then the island beyond Plot 318 whenever you feel like moving.
See Banana House and Wellness CentreJahazi House Lamu
Kizingoni Beach Lamu Kenya
Why stay hereJahazi House sits at Kizingoni Beach on Lamu, which makes the beach the reason to choose it. This 4-star house suits guests who want the island's sand at their feet and the sea as the constant backdrop, rather than a base in the town lanes. Couples and families happy to spend their days by the water, with Lamu's other corners reached when they choose, fit here.
See Jahazi House LamuAuthentic Swahili style villa Milele House
Lamu
Why stay hereMilele House is a 4-star villa built in authentic Swahili style on Lamu, so the architecture is part of the stay itself. Guests drawn to the island's traditional building craft, rather than a modern resort look, will find the point of this house in its rooms and details. It suits those who want the whole villa feel: privacy, space and a Swahili setting around them.
See Authentic Swahili style villa Milele HousePwani House Lamu Seafront
Corniche Path
Why stay hereOn Corniche Path, this 4-star house faces the Lamu seafront. The waterfront position suits travellers who want to watch the dhows and the coming and going of the channel from where they are staying, with the old town behind them. It is a good fit for guests who prefer the edge of the island, where the sea is the first thing and the last thing they see each day.
See Pwani House Lamu SeafrontTtunu House
Ttunu House Lamu Town
Why stay hereTtunu House is a 4-star address within Lamu Town itself, so the historic quarter is the immediate surroundings. This suits travellers who came for the town: its streets, its fort and its waterfront, all reached without a crossing. Guests who like staying inside a place rather than beside it, and who want a house rather than a hotel floor, are the ones it serves.
See Ttunu HouseMbibo House in the Shela Dunes
Shela Village
Why stay hereIn Shela Village, among the dunes, this 4-star house trades the town's density for sand and open sky. Shela's village setting suits guests who want a stretch of coast on their side of the island and a calmer pace around them. It fits travellers who plan to spend their time between the beach and the village, with Lamu Town as an excursion rather than a daily route.
See Mbibo House in the Shela DunesBeautiful Villa in Shela Lamu
Lamu Road
Why stay hereThis 4-star villa on Lamu Road places guests in Shela, one of the island's best-known villages. The whole-villa arrangement suits families or groups who want the place to themselves, with the beach village around them. It is aimed at travellers who would rather have their own house in Shela than rooms in a larger property, and who want Lamu's coast within easy reach.
See Beautiful Villa in Shela LamuTulia House Lamu
Pw47 G3v Shela Plot 806 Block Iv
Why stay hereTulia House is a 4-star house at Shela on Lamu Island, in the village that sits along the shore. Its position suits guests who want to be in Shela rather than in the old town, with the beach and the village lanes as the everyday setting. Travellers looking for a quiet house base on this side of the island, with Lamu Town a boat ride away, are the fit.
See Tulia House Lamu
How to choose
In the old town
Lamu House Hotel sits on Kenyatta Road, Subira House behind Lamu Fort, Pwani House Lamu Seafront on Corniche Path and Ttunu House in Lamu Town. All four put you inside the UNESCO-listed old town, where people walk or ride donkeys rather than drive, so the Swahili streets and the seafront are on your doorstep.
Lamu House Hotel · Subira House · Pwani House Lamu Seafront · Ttunu House
For the beach
Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes and Tulia House Lamu are both in Shela Village, which has a long beach, and Jahazi House Lamu is at Kizingoni Beach.
Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes · Tulia House Lamu · Jahazi House Lamu
Top guest ratings
The Majlis Resort is the 5-star pick on this list, rated 4.4 out of 5 from 603 reviews, on Ras Kitau Bay on Manda Island. Lamu House Hotel is the highest-rated 4-star, 4.3 out of 5 from 47 reviews, on Kenyatta Road. Both give you the most reviewed stays here.
Quiet Shela villas
Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes, Tulia House Lamu and Beautiful Villa in Shela Lamu are all 4-star houses in Shela, on Shela Village, Pw47 G3v Shela Plot 806 Block Iv and Lamu Road. They suit couples or families who prefer a private villa base in the village rather than a town address.
Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes · Tulia House Lamu · Beautiful Villa in Shela Lamu
Where to stay in Lamu
Lamu Town
Lamu Town holds the UNESCO World Heritage old town, one of the oldest living Swahili towns. It is the historical heart of the island and has almost no cars, so you move on foot, by donkey or by boat. Lamu House Hotel, Subira House, Pwani House Lamu Seafront and Ttunu House all have addresses here.
Our picks here: Ttunu House
Shela
Shela village has a long beach and sits away from the old town. Like the rest of Lamu Island, it is near car-free, so walking, donkeys and boats are how you get around. Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes, Tulia House Lamu and Beautiful Villa in Shela Lamu are all listed in Shela.
Our picks here: Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes · Tulia House Lamu
Manda Island
Manda Island lies across the channel, where flights land at Manda Airport, a short boat ride from Lamu. The Majlis Resort stands on Ras Kitau Bay here, which puts it apart from the town and the Shela addresses on this list, reached by boat.
Our picks here: The Majlis Resort
Plan your stay
Getting there and around
Flights land at Manda Airport across the channel, a short boat ride away. On Lamu Island there are almost no cars, so people walk, ride donkeys or take boats to move between the old town, Shela and the waterfront. The Majlis Resort, on Ras Kitau Bay on Manda Island, is on the airport side of the channel, while Lamu House Hotel, Subira House, Pwani House Lamu Seafront and Ttunu House are in Lamu Town and the Shela houses are in the village. Stays in the centre are searched and booked through IMPT, the booking partner behind this site.
Things to do near Lamu
Questions, answered
Which hotel is closest to the centre of Lamu?
Lamu House Hotel on Kenyatta Road, Subira House behind Lamu Fort, Pwani House Lamu Seafront on Corniche Path and Ttunu House in Lamu Town all have addresses in the old town itself. The Majlis Resort is on Manda Island, across the channel, and the Shela houses are in Shela Village.
Which is the top-rated hotel on this list?
The Majlis Resort has the highest guest rating here, 4.4 out of 5 from 603 reviews, and it is the only 5-star hotel on the list. Among the 4-star hotels, Lamu House Hotel is highest rated, 4.3 out of 5 from 47 reviews.
Do any of these hotels have a pool or spa?
The booking records for these hotels list no facilities, so no pool, spa or other facility can be confirmed from the data on this page. Check the individual hotel pages, where availability is checked live for your dates, before you book.
Are these hotels good for families?
The Shela houses, Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes, Tulia House Lamu and Beautiful Villa in Shela Lamu, and Jahazi House Lamu at Kizingoni Beach, suit families who want a villa base near the long Shela beach. The old town addresses keep you in the car-free historic streets instead.
Is there parking at these hotels?
No parking is listed for any of these hotels. Lamu Island has almost no cars, and people walk, ride donkeys or take boats, so a car is not part of getting around here.
Can I bring a pet?
The hotel records on this page do not list pet policies, so no hotel here can be confirmed as pet-friendly. Check the individual hotel page before booking if you plan to travel with a pet.
Is breakfast included?
No meal details are given in the hotel records on this page, so breakfast cannot be confirmed for any of these hotels. Availability is checked live for your dates on each hotel page.
Where do I stay if I want the beach?
Shela village has a long beach, and Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes, Tulia House Lamu and Beautiful Villa in Shela Lamu are all in Shela. Jahazi House Lamu is at Kizingoni Beach. The Majlis Resort faces Ras Kitau Bay on Manda Island.