Radisson Blu M'Bamou Palace Hotel

The Radisson could be the perfect hotel in Brazzaville, close to the airport and right in town. The rooms are clean and a good size, though nothing special. The food is great, but waiting for it can take ages. Restaurant staff usually appeared to take the order and bring the food, then disappeared. No one checked whether we wanted more food or drinks, or seemed interested in whether guests were happy. When you needed something, you had to go find them. They often sat together chatting or on their phones, and staff seemed to be on their phones all over the hotel, from the lobby at breakfast to the restaurant. It didn't feel like people were really working. Even the lobby flowers were dry and ugly, and no one seemed to care. The hotel, especially the restaurant, has a huge shortage of motivated, friendly staff, and it leaves guests frustrated and looking for somewhere else next time.

At night, the view across the river to Kinshasa's lights really stands out. There's lots of space to walk around and enjoy the scenery, and the hotel and rooms are large. The rooms are also very comfortable. Service was slower than I'd like, but that was the only downside. Everything else was beautiful, and I'd definitely stay again.

I've been here almost a month, so I'll stick to the facts to help anyone considering a stay set expectations for the hotel's 4-star rating. The room service menu often lists things they don't have. Sometimes they're out of stock, other times they bring something similar. Orders take about an hour and a half on average, and requests are easily forgotten. I asked to have my room cleaned before going out one evening, but came back to find it hadn't been touched. This happened too often, maybe six or seven times. My husband once ran into a member of the cleaning staff and said Bonsoir, but the man just glared at him. Other cleaners I've met were all nice, so maybe this was an exception. Several times we had to wait outside the room or in the lobby for about an hour because of the cleaning delays. That was hard when my son was already past bedtime and I couldn't get him ready to sleep. We also had to change rooms because there was no hot water in the first one. After we moved, I learned that several other things in the old room had been out of order. It seems like they never fix anything. One time while I was swimming, dark-colored water suddenly splashed up from the bottom of the pool. The pool guard wasn't there, so I had to keep several other people's children away from it. I still wonder if it came from the sewer. The bartender just watched. When I asked if it was safe to swim, he said it wasn't his business. I don't blame them for frequent water and power outages, since that's normal in this town. But if you're here on business, bring your own Wi-Fi. I also had to carry my three-year-old son down the stairs from the ninth floor to RC. There are good people working here, but some seem to treat customer requests as a nuisance to ignore. I've felt ignored many times. Next time in Brazzaville, I'd choose another hotel where I can rest without so much stress.

The bedding was good and the staff worked hard. That was about it. This hotel promises too much and delivers too little. It doesn't have the quality I'd expect from a Radisson, and I wouldn't call it a four- or five-star hotel. The rooms were hot during constant power outages, and they had no floor fans to help with the inadequate air conditioning. The generator power wasn't enough either. Wi-Fi was poor when it worked, and the elevator was often broken. Food was mediocre at best, not four- or five-star quality. The morning restaurant often opened late, and breakfast was underwhelming. They regularly ran out of food and it took 10 or 15 minutes to restock. Dinner could take nearly two hours to arrive, which happened on at least seven of my ten days. They also ran out of towels, leaving me without any in my room until late in the evening. One or two stars at best. I recommend not staying here.