Subira House

The old house is beautiful, location is convenient, just behind the old fort on a quiet(ish) street, house is secure at night, you get a key for the main gate (although only I got one, my friend did not), rooms are secure and locked with a padlock, there is hot water, wifi was okay, room is a good size, breakfast is good, staff is friendly and attentive, decor and ambiance are lovely, there are day trips available to the family's organic farm, it is easy to walk to all the interesting locations in Old Town, manager was very helpful getting us a boat to/from Shela even late at night

The private ensuite bathroom is a composting toilet sort of you are on the second floor so all your waste just sits in a large bin the whole time you have the room they encourage you to throw saw dust shavings on top to help with the smell, I do not know how often the toilet is cleaned/ emptied I think it would get pretty gross in extra hot weather and/or over a long amount of time, the house pets are not well behaved, be careful of the cat, there is a ceiling fan but the room still gets very hot at night, there is sound from a nearby music place at night and sound from a nearby school in the morning, not a quiet location, bedding had a damp smell, toilet paper gets wet if it rains, hot water had absolutely no water pressure

The staff were genuinely interested in the comfort and well being of the guests. The were friendly, professional, and efficient. They were not too busy to answer questions about where to go on the island, etc. Also, I liked that all the guests had a meal together - a lovely way to socialise.

Nothing

Thanks to Mohammad and the team for the best stay, very welcoming and the most picturesque Swahili mansion. Once you get used to the organic toilets, it actually all works well. Best location on the whole island.

The architecture and the café, this stay would have been a great experience without the cons below.

I hesitated before posting this, but the management’s denial and lack of responsibility leave me no choice but to warn future guests. This rating does not reflect the rooms, café, or description, all accurate. Our issue is security. We left a decent amount of cash in USD in the room during our stay (the only moment during our stay in Lamu it was not with us). It was taken from a pouch inside a backpack and replaced with $1 bills, which delayed discovery until after checkout. We retraced everything. The hotel room was the only place it could have happened. Management refuses to review security or change locks because they deny it occurred on their premises. A police report has been filed. If you choose to stay here, do not leave any valuable belongings in your room when you go out. Do not rely on the hotel for your security. Protect your valuables yourself.