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Beach Hotels in Kisumu: Beach View Hotel Kisumu
Beach View Hotel Kisumu is a pleasant hotel on Dunga Beach Road in Kisumu. You can find out more about Beach View Hotel here. To tell you a little more about it here, though…
Nestled along Dunga Beach Road in Kisumu, Beach View Hotel is a locally operated 3-star establishment overlooking Lake Victoria. The hotel offers a convenient location for travelers seeking access to natural attractions like Hippo Point and the Kisumu Impala Sanctuary, both of which are within walking distance. While the property boasts a peaceful lakeside setting and friendly service, it has also received mixed to low reviews, making it a hotel worth examining in detail before booking.
Location and Surroundings of Beach View Hotel Kisumu
One of Beach View Hotel’s strongest features is its location. Situated near the shores of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, the hotel offers views of the water and easy access to local nature-based experiences.
Visitors interested in wildlife can take a short walk (roughly 10 to 15 minutes) to Hippo Point, where sightings of hippos and beautiful sunsets are common.
Just a little further is the Kisumu Impala Sanctuary, a conservation park home to antelopes, zebras, giraffes, and more.
The area also has a growing selection of restaurants and bars, although most are casual and locally oriented. If you’re in Kisumu for a relaxed stay and are drawn to the lake’s calm, this hotel offers a location that is hard to beat.
However, it is not located in the central business district, so guests should expect to take short rides (5–10 minutes) if they plan to explore the city center.
Rooms and Amenities
The hotel has around 20 to 26 rooms, all of which are air-conditioned.
Rooms typically include a flat-screen TV, a desk, a private bathroom with a rainfall shower, and free bottled water.
Some rooms feature lake-facing balconies, though this isn’t guaranteed in every booking.
The rooms are described by guests as fairly basic, and while they may be suitable for short stays or travelers who are not fussy about high-end furnishings, they are not luxury by any standard.
In terms of amenities, the hotel includes:
- Free Wi-Fi
- Room service
- On-site restaurant and bar
- Laundry services
- BBQ facilities
- Meeting and event space
- Airport shuttle service (extra charge)
- Free self-parking
The restaurant serves a mix of local and continental dishes, and breakfast is usually complimentary—offering options like fruit, bread, eggs, sausages, tea, and juice.
It’s not a buffet-style spread, but more of a plated meal delivered on order.
Guest Experience
The staff at Beach View Hotel are often praised for being friendly and helpful.
On platforms like Booking.com, guests frequently note that the customer service is one of the hotel’s best qualities.
However, this is not always enough to offset the broader concerns travelers have raised.
On Expedia, Hotels.com, and TripAdvisor, the overall guest rating for Beach View Hotel is low—around 2 out of 10 or 1 star.
Common complaints include:
- Worn-out facilities: Guests describe the rooms as needing significant maintenance, with dated furniture, faulty air conditioning, and issues like broken showers or missing towels.
- Cleanliness concerns: Several reviews mention poor hygiene, from dirty linens to unclean bathrooms.
- Noise levels: Some guests noted that the hotel can be noisy, particularly due to events or the surrounding neighborhood.
- Inconsistent services: While some guests enjoyed hot water and functioning amenities, others reported missing essentials or having to ask repeatedly for basics like towels or toilet paper.
Dunga Beach Hotel
There is no widely recognized hotel officially named “Dunga Beach Hotel” in Kisumu.
However, there is a property nearby called Dunga LakeSide Resort.
Here’s a little about it.
Dunga Beach Resort (Often Called a Lakeside Hotel)
Location & Overview
- Dunga LakeSide Resort is located just outside Kisumu, on the outskirts of the city along the shores of Lake Victoria, not far from the Dunga fishing village. Its address is on Kisumu International Airport Access Road 3201, about 2.4 miles (≈3.9 km) from Kisumu city center.
- Sometimes, travelers casually refer to it as a “Dunga Beach” hotel.
Accommodation & Amenities
- The resort offers various room categories including studios, deluxe double rooms, and rooms with balconies and lake views.
- Amenities include:
- Air conditioning, flat-screen TV
- Private bathroom (with hairdryer)
- Free private parking
- Free airport shuttle
- On-site bar and restaurant
- Room service and 24‑hour front desk
- Outdoor swimming pool
- Some rooms provide terraces or balconies for enjoying lake views. Facilities also include an outdoor dining area, terrace, and general bar/lounge services.
Guest Reviews & Ratings
- Overall rating around 5.4 out of 10 (or “Okay”) across ~25 reviews.
- Booking.com style categories show moderate satisfaction:
- Cleanliness ~6.7
- Location ~7.3
- Price‑quality ~6.1
- Positive feedback:
- Friendly and helpful staff
- Comfy beds, functioning mosquito nets
- Air conditioning appreciated in the climate
- Convenient parking and shuttle services
- Breakfast praised: coconut fish, local githeri, etc., delivered well by staff
- Negative highlights:
- Complaints of dirty rooms, occasional noisy music late at night, bathroom flooding, and poor guest communication.
- One guest reported being charged wrongly for a “no-show” after arriving late at night with no room available.
Value Proposition
| Feature | Notes |
|---|---|
| Pros | Lakeside location; lake views/balconies; amenities moderately comprehensive (pool, restaurant, shuttle); usually friendly staff; decent value for budget travelers. |
| Cons | Inconsistent cleanliness/maintenance; occasional service issues; some reports of misleading bookings or lack of room availability. |
About Dunga Beach Area
- Dunga Beach (including the adjacent fishing village and wetland boardwalk) is known for scenic views over papyrus swamps and for being a fish landing site on Lake Victoria. It’s popular for eco‑cultural tourism, boat rides, and sunsets, but not commercialized as a hotel property.
- Local news cynically reported plans for a future five-star hotel development at the lakefront, raising environmental concerns from residents—so far these remain proposals, not active hotels as of 2025.
Summary
While there’s no officially titled “Dunga Beach Hotel”, the closest match is Dunga LakeSide Resort, which is a budget lakeside property near Dunga Beach.
Dunga LakeSide Resort is…
- Located on Lake Victoria – good scenery and access to the Dunga fishing community.
- Offers modest comfort with standard amenities, a modest pool, restaurant, and shuttle options.
- Reviews are mixed: some praise the view, local food, and staff; others mention cleanliness issues and booking hiccups.
- Expect something budget-friendly, scenic, but basic—and not a refined beachfront luxury stay.
Dunga Beach Prices
If you are interested in the boat ride prices at Dunga Beach, here are the prices offered by Dunga Beach Boat Safaris:
| ***** | Short ride | Medium Ride | Long Ride |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 15 – 20 Minutes | 30 Minutes | 1 Hour |
| Amount (Local Tourists) | Kshs. 2,000 | Kshs. 3,000 | Kshs. 4,500 |
| Amount (International Tourists) | Kshs. 3,000 | Kshs. 4,500 | Kshs. 6,000 |
Photo credits: Savetime Relievers