African Princess Beach Hotel

It was great

First time in the Gambia and we will definitely be back. The hotel is very modern and the swim up rooms are great but the hotel does lack a bit of African charm. Rooms are large and the bed very comfortable but they are a bit bland and soulless and there is no decor to make you feel you are in Africa. The staff are fantastic and very friendly and the location on the Kololi strip is great with several good cheap bars and restaurants nearby and the main Senegambia strip only a short taxi ride away. The grounds are nice but again a bit corporate and sterile - more colour and flowering plants would be an improvement. The spa is good, brand new and competitively priced compared to other local places. The breakfast buffet is good and quite extensive but on the downside we had one evening meal at the restaurant (again lacking any African charm) which was very poor and tasteless (hence the 4 not 5 stars)., as well as quite a bit more expensive than the local places. Gambia itself is amazing, very interesting, full of life noise and vibrancy and the people are lovely - just learn to brush off the beach hustlers.

This hotel has far surpassed any expectations. Absolutely blissful from start to finish. All of the staff from the gardeners, house keeping and pool attendants to the front of house and bar and restaurant staff have been helpful, polite and incredibly welcoming. Evening entertainment was local bands and some traditional African dance groups, very enjoyable and the food was varied with some gorgeous local dishes. Which i tried nearly all of them. We will definitely be visiting again and highly recommend this hotel to anybody interested in visiting the Gambia. We already miss you all

I’ve just come back from a 7-night stay at the African Princess. I didn’t have any expectations prior to going, but I really enjoyed my stay here and agree that the rating is correct. It’s not a party hotel (and there isn’t much entertainment). If your needs are business or relaxing then this is the hotel for you. We had a swim up room, which was lovely. There were a lot of insects swimming alongside me, despite the pool attendant constantly cleaning the pools and decking (he never stopped), which made me wonder if the chlorine levels were correct; but aside from that, no complaints. Our room was spacious and well furnished and the bed was comfortable. The bathroom was also a good size with a large shower area. The rooms have other amenities such as a safe, a fridge and a kettle (with mugs, tea, coffee, sugar etc.) The hotel grounds are immaculate - not a blade of grass out of place. The hotel backs onto the beach and there is a dedicated section for hotel guests with sun beds and umbrellas, as well as security and an attendant. You will get people trying to sell you things like juice, coconut water and other bits and bobs but if you’re not interested, once you’re firm, they will leave you alone. I particularly enjoyed seeing all the locals enjoying the beach on the Sunday - playing football, fishing, hanging out. Our board was bed and breakfast, though we did have dinner at the restaurant twice. Breakfast offered multiple hot counter and buffet style options with lots of international influence (e.g. a spin on a full English, American style pancakes and waffles, continental pastries etc.) and also Gambian options, which I loved. Even the fussiest of eaters would struggle not to find something to eat. Dinner is expensive but the food is really good and the portions are plentiful so you really do get what you pay for. There are also lots of other restaurants within 2/3 minutes walk of the hotel, all with lots of options and good food. Some of our favourites were Solomon’s, Sambas and Luigi’s. There are also small local shops and a larger supermarket within a 5-minute walk, the strip (with multiple bars and restaurants and the craft market etc.) is 5 minutes away in a taxi (which are outside in abundance) and there is also a small craft market opposite the hotel, so the hotel is well situated (monkey and crocodile parks are also nearby). We used the spa, which is tucked away at the side of the hotel and the massages were excellent. I didn’t manage to get to the gym, but I was told by another guest that it wasn’t in operation in any case, which if true, isn’t great. The other added bonus was currency exchange in reception if you can’t or don’t want to go out; and you exchange directly using your bank card if you don’t want to withdraw from the cash machine first. With regard to currency, the hotel needs to ensure that smaller notes (specifically 50D and 100D) are available in sufficient quantity so that guests can be g

Excellent hotel for tourists but also for those on official trips. I stayed there for almost two weeks, with two interruptions, once when I left to go to do field visits and stayed in another town, and the other when the hotel was overbooked for one night and couldn't accommodate me. Other than that, a very smooth stay in this calm, beautiful hotel. I chose the hotel for its swim-up rooms and what pleasure it was to swim in my very own part of the pool, lit in blue and green lights, in the velvet nights of November. The room was modern, minimally decorated, spacious, clean, comfortable, perfect for work and rest. The breakfast was decent (shoutout to the pancake and omelets chefs). The grounds are impeccably kept. Everything was calm and quiet, unlike the streets outside. But it is of course the people that make this place so very special, the nice staff with huge smiles who become your friends: So here is the roll call of those who made the stay so pleasant: Seif the General Manager, Bakary the operations manager, Yankuba the reservations manager, Esse and Edward at the front desk, Mariam the housekeeper and Ibrahim the poolman, just a few of the memorable people whose names, faces and smiles will stay with me. There are some things the hotel can do to improve of course: More amenities in the room (slippers, brand shampoos and soaps, etc), a gym that should operate but does not, an African buffet for lunch or dinner, laundry services better advertised, and rejuvenation of some rooms. And yes, maybe better sealing of doors, windows and pipes, if hat is from where the insects creep in. I murdered at least three huge crickets in the room with my shoes and had to endure the shrieking cries of their mates right outside my door all night. Creepy but seasonal nuisance that comes with the territory, and admittedly not much the hotel can do.

The hotel is an oasis of quiet, calm, charming efficiency. The rooms are large and stylishly decorated, and the beds are very comfortable. My room 720, had a lovely view over the main pool to the restaurant and the sea.Everything worked including a very efficient Air Con. Breakfast every morning was a delight, a hot counter producing delicious food to order, and a buffet of continental style meats, cheese and various Salads. The breads were delicious and the pastries looked wonderful, but I don't have a sweet tooth so didn't try them. Finally I have to say how wonderful the staff are with genuine smiles and prompt service. I would definitely recommend this as a restful place to stay, an escape at the end of a day from the noisy, dusty, exciting hustle and bustle of everyday Gambia.