Better than average, less than very good...
Starting with the pros, the setting is gorgeous. Historical site, long white beach, beautifully built and designed rooms and buildings, all rooms ocean facing (ours opened right on to the beach!) it is a fabulous location. The service, too, is good quality - staff remember your names, remember orders, respond to queries/requests promptly and kindly. We arrived late evening, and one of the waiters in particular was very helpful (Dalmas). Similarly, at 7am the following morning we started talking with one of the groundsmen (Mohammed) who arranged our sunloungers, cushions etc in our chosen spot. We tipped the latter on the first day (instead of the last) and he ensured that our area was prepared at sunrise each morning.

Moving on to the cons: I hadn't read or heard anywhere of issues swimming, however when the tide was going out on the first day i cut myself twice on rocks. When the tide went out, we could see very large, jagged rocky plateaux. Once i saw those, I could identify a way out to sea without goign over them, but it was a huge disappointment (as I love swimming in the sea). Even after we arrived, reception should have mentioned this!
Secondly, and probably more important to some, is the food. It's just not good enough. I've been to the Swahili coast before, and enjoyed myriad seafood dishes. It's barely on the menu at Jacaranda. Lunch is either a buffet upstairs, or a menu order down by the pool (mediocre pastas; overly processed burgers) and neither is impressive. Food is the biggest point loser for Jacaranda where it would be generous to say it's worthty of a 3-star hotel. Constant disappointment.
Lastly, and this might not be a con for all - the 'Animation' each evening. Whilst it's nice to have a bit of entertainment and an opportunity to meet other residents, having pounding dance music reverberate throughout the grounds (we were at the far end) continuing past 11pm isn't my idea of a relaxing holiday. I could have gone to Ibiza for that. Other evenings were less intrusive with some talented dance troops, but again, why were the 'local' dances to a soundtrack of electronic and dance-pop music instead of swahili, masai or bantu? Most residents that we met were either from or going on safari, and most are interested in the general culture of east africa, kenya and the swahili coast. Opporunity massively lost by the Jacaranda. Music like Ladysmith Black Mombazo should be on the agenda instead.

However, rooms were lovely and comfortable, tv allowed us to glimpse some of the olympics; en-suite was lovely with powerful shower. Air-con is available for the warmer months, and of course a mosquito net hangs over the bed for your protection. he rooms, indeed the whole complex, is immaculately clean and clearly well cared for.

I would recommend staying here with the usual and interesting surroundings, and lovely staff team, but if I did it again it would be half board, not full. Take your meals elsewhere!

We travelled by bus from Nairobi to Mombasa and then taxi to the hotel 12 hours in all due to a 3 hour traffic jam in Mombasa. Arrived at 10pm tired sweaty and hungry greeted by our first names by the reception staff with cold drinks and flannels. Our cases were taken to our rooms and then we were escorted to the restaurant for dinner where the staff served us with the most welcoming dinner! Back to our rooms to a good shower and the most comfortable beds.We awoke to an amazing view of the indian ocean and the most fantastic beach! We had a wonderful stay freindly staff good food and alovely room ideal place to chill and relax. Exellent service from beginning to end after a week we left early to catch the ferry and as requested a picnic breakfast was waiting for us at reception to take with us.Thankyou to all the staff for making us so welcome and making our holiday perfect.

My Partner and I stayed between 24th June- 29th June 2012

I'll start with positives:
-Beautiful setting right on the ocean front. Could not describe how nice the setting is.
-Breakfast was very good, the rest of the food was nothing special, but edible.
-Bedroom was spacious, nicely decorated, decent shower.
-Good size pool, could be a little bigger, but better than average.
-The animation team, in particular Nickson & Andy, were a highlight. They never ceased to make us laugh and feel welcome. Unfortunately, this was not true of the some of the staff.
Which leads me to the negatives:
-The service was extremely slow, it was never busy for the amount of staff on. they would seat us promtly, then it would take over 5 minutes for them to take a drink order and meal order, then we would wait for the drinks as long as we wait for the starter, roughly 5-10 minutes. From starter-dessert food came out quickly, but no offer for drinks or how the meal was during.
-The service was not accomadating, some exceptions; the 2 Humphries, Alex, another gentleman in the restaurant & Coconut Willy, nothing was too much for the people mentioned.
-However, everything was too much for some of the staff. On one occasion my partner asked for a coffee, as it is advertised in the guest compendium that they serve complementory afternoon tea 4-5pm, the woman who she aksed then proceeded to roll her eyes, say something to her colleague, and walk off. It made my partner feel as if she had asked for too much, even though it is advertised by the hotel.
-The wait for the food to come out, was extremely slow.
-The first room we were given was littered with bugs. The first thing we saw was a cockroach run under the beside table. We mentioned this staright away to the, otherwise very helpful male receptionist, but after a brief look behind the bedside table bid us a good night, leaving the cockroach under the table! There was a big gap at the bottom of the door, where ants and spiders were crawling through. There was also a small snake, or similar, which shot across the room. We arrived very late and were very tired so did not want to move room so late,so suffered it for the night.
-When we complained about the room, we were first told he would get exterminators in the room and then we could stay there, I insisted that we be moved to a 1st floor room, if nothing could be done. Which is what the receptionist did eventually. Again, we sat there waiting for a new room for 10-15 minutes, while he sat on the phone. Being from the hospitality industry, it would have been so much more convenient for everyone to move us straight away.

Our overall experience of Indian Ocean Beach Resort was ok, lovely setting, taintered by shortcoming in service. I believe that there was a huge lack of management presence throughout the hotel, apart from the (I assume) manageress of the restaurant, who was very good, but some of her staff let her down. There was middle aged/elderly lady who we saw throughout our stay who seemed to be either an owner or director of the hotel (I may be very wrong), who seemed to boss everyone around, hence my assumption. If she is high up in the hotel, then she is not setting a good example to staff with regards to being accomodating, friendly, efficient & fast. She seemed to make the staff's job harder & stress them out, rather than support and guide them. The bottom line is that the hotel is lacking real leadership. It would a fantastic attraction if it tends to these very fixable shortcomings.

Great location, the breeze from the ocean is soothing. Hotel is so peaceful ,good place for relaxing.Our room was very spacious however needs consistent maintainance.Bathroom sink and bathtub were stained, and on certain days there was no running water in the room. Great pool, wish it was bigger though and would be better if there was a baby pool too.
Food wasn't nice at all, need for great improvement.
Staff are great.