Three jointly owned Neptune hotels in Diani, Kwale County, were razed by fire on Tuesday evening.
The hotels resident manager Jackson Kifoto said extinguishing the fire took several hours because there were strong winds which fanned the flames from one building to another.
“The fire spread so fast and it was so hard to put it out as it moved from one hotel to another, leaving us scrambling for what we could salvage,” he said.
Although the roofs were destroyed, Mr Kifoto said they managed to secure the occupants and their belongings.
Acting Kwale County commissioner Mwangi Kahiro said they had relocated the over 50 tourists to nearby hotels.
“We have provided transport to evacuate the visitors to other hotels and also ensure that they are safe from any acts of theft by people who might take advantage of the situation,” Mr Kahiro said.
The commissioner also added that they would provide security to the affected tourists until the situation is contained.
“We will stay here until when all visitors have been evacuated and then we will know the next course of action,” he said
The cause of the 5pm fire has not been established yet.