Casa Mara Guest House

The hotel and rooms were decent. The restaurant was nice, though a bit pricey.

A decent guest house in a good central location, with a lovely pool and a great rooftop restaurant and bar. The service wasn’t always great.

The pool is small, but it’s restful for a quick dip. The rooms are clean and have a warm feel, not that clinical hotel look, and the atmosphere is welcoming. I’d recommend a first-floor room, since courtyard diners can make the ground floor noisy, although many people had breakfast late. Breakfast was good, but the hot choices could use more variety from day to day. If something runs out, just ask. French or Spanish is really essential. Finding the place is easy enough if you have an active eSIM and Yango, but getting there by taxi was a nightmare. Even restaurant owners giving directions to taxi drivers can test your patience in Dakar. They arranged a stress-free taxi for my 04:30 airport trip, which was great.

The accommodation was reasonably priced, the surroundings were pleasant, the beds were comfortable, and breakfast was nice. The pool was a bonus. Sadly, during a later stay, we were robbed in our beds while asleep. The police were called and a report was made. At first the owner was sympathetic and acknowledged that she had been robbed herself earlier, but later said their insurance was inadequate and our claim wasn’t covered. When we said that wasn’t our problem and expected compensation, their position changed, and they even claimed in their response that the alleged robbery hadn’t happened. It seems their security was upgraded after a police investigation, but now we have to file a civil claim to get any compensation. The night receptionist had conveniently gone to bed when it happened, and we had to wake him after discovering the robbery. The robbers took all the electrical items they could steal and sell, including our phones, laptop, and chargers, as well as jewelry, cash, and credit cards. It was traumatic and expensive. I’d say stay at your own risk. Given what happened, we had to change our star ratings.