African Princess Beach Hotel

The peaceful setting, clean comfortable rooms, good food, and relaxing time by the pool all made this a holiday I’ll remember. The staff were a huge part of that. Lamin Bk in Block 2 kept our room immaculate and added thoughtful touches, while David from maintenance quickly fixed my friend’s door. Pool attendant David kept everything spotless and even helped us get fresh coconuts. At the restaurant, Fato and Lawrence were friendly and gave great service. James and Modou made amazing cocktails and helped us celebrate my friend’s birthday with a speaker. Ibrahim brought our bags and showed us the room, and Osman made check-in easy with a warm welcome. Edward arranged our airport taxi and called our rep when our transfer left without us. The management team, especially Fatima and others whose names I didn’t catch, also went out of their way to arrange a lovely birthday surprise, complete with cake and decorations. It made the occasion feel really special.

The beachfront look is lovely and the hotel itself is stunning, but the service made for a disappointing stay. Staff often seemed disengaged or unhelpful, and even basic hospitality felt difficult. The food was poor, especially the creamy pasta. I was told there would be a deposit for an extra key card. When I asked for a bathrobe and slippers, I was first told I’d have to pay, though they appeared after my colleague, who made the booking, stepped in. Room amenities weren’t replenished during my stay either. The place is beautiful, but the guest service lacked care and professionalism.

The restaurant was a real highlight, with excellent food, and the staff were pleasant and helpful. The pools and grounds were very clean. We liked the beach area too: there’s a security guard at the hotel entrance to the beach, plus loungers on the sand. Hawkers still approached us, though. The sand has small shell pieces, but it wasn’t uncomfortable to walk on. The beach and ocean views from the pool area are lovely. It’s a beachfront hotel near the airport and about 25 minutes from Port of Banjul. Our room was dated and sparse, and the patio cushion had several stains. The bathroom windows had been left open, presumably to reduce humidity after showers, but we didn’t notice until checkout. That meant the A/C was working against the open windows. We also didn’t realize the A/C turns off unless a key card is left in the energy-saver slot by the door. Since we were given only one card, after four hours at the restaurant, main pool, and ocean we came back to a hot, humid room that took a while to cool down. The connected swim-up pools were noisy when people used them, so it felt less peaceful. From most patios, the sea view included in the upgrade was barely visible. The Deluxe Swim-up Sea View Room raised our rate from $139 USD to $193 USD per night, and we wouldn’t pay extra for it next time. We’d rate the hotel 7.9/10 and the restaurant 9.4/10.

The staff made this stay especially enjoyable. Haruna, one of the security guards, was calm, professional, and reassuring, and helped guests feel safe and looked after. Omar, the cleaning supervisor, kept my room impeccable and personally checked that everything was satisfactory. Prince at the pool was welcoming and always greeted us with a smile. I also found the beds extremely comfortable and slept like a baby. The surroundings are beautiful, including a well-kept beach area with comfortable sunbeds. The pool and beach waiting staff were friendly and attentive. A very comfortable, enjoyable stay.