Corinthia Atlantic Hotel, Banjul

The Corinthia Atlantic Hotel in Banjul is advertised as a four star hotel but I would not rate it at above 3 stars.

It is located right on the beach as many of the hotels are in Gambia - be aware that this is a man made beach that will apparently disappear into the sea in the next 20 years unless they build a new one!

The hotel has over 200 rooms and 4 suites so I can imagine that it can get very busy in the peak season ...
...arrival bookings go to the Corinthia Atlantic so there is no chance that you will stay at the better located and much nicer Ngala Lodge or Senegambia Hotel.

The rooms in Corinthia are clean - the chamber maids do an amazing job - the room will always be spotless when you return to it. Each room has a balcony and the door to it has a mosquito net so that you can leave the door open if it is too hot - unfortunately many of the mosquito ... more

The Corinthia Atlantic Hotel in Banjul is advertised as a four star hotel but I would not rate it at above 3 stars.

It is located right on the beach as many of the hotels are in Gambia - be aware that this is a man made beach that will apparently disappear into the sea in the next 20 years unless they build a new one!

The hotel has over 200 rooms and 4 suites so I can imagine that it can get very busy in the peak season months. We visited in August which is low season - due to it being "wet season". Indeed we were very lucky with the weather it was hot and sunny most days but there were a couple of amazing thunderstorms.

We booked our hotel through the Gambia Experience on Expedia as 4* allocated on arrival and here is the first gripe -all 4* allocated on arrival bookings go to the Corinthia Atlantic so there is no chance that you will stay at the better located and much nicer Ngala Lodge or Senegambia Hotel.

The rooms in Corinthia are clean - the chamber maids do an amazing job - the room will always be spotless when you return to it. Each room has a balcony and the door to it has a mosquito net so that you can leave the door open if it is too hot - unfortunately many of the mosquito nets have holes in them - so shut the door!!!

If you ask for a double room you will get two single beds pushed together with separate coverings which is not ideal for a romantic holiday - we did not initally have mattress covers on the beds but you can ask for these and I would recommend doing so as the beds are much comfier with one on.

A big plus is the air conditioning in all rooms - definitely a bonus if you feel the heat- just be aware that the electric supplies are not that reliable - if you have a power cut you will need to reset your aircon!

The hotel staff also come around to each room at around 19.30 - 20.00 to spray with toxic mosquito spray - even if you are in it is worth letting them in to spray - the mossies are evil if you let them into the room and carry malaria.

The hotel serves a buffet breakfast which is included in the price - this has everying from cornflakes and fruit through a variety of breads, cheese etc to freshly cooked omelettes and a full fry up. This is of a reasonable (but not 4* quality) and do not expect the breakfast staff to smile at you.

There is a pool cafe/ bar selling vastly overpriced meals (at least twice - four times what you pay in the local tourist restaurants) - drinks are also very expensive - you are better walking to the nearest mini market and buying your water / cans of soft drinks as they are a third of the price.

The pool itself is lovely - a perfect temperature and there is a regular game of "water basket" at 14.30 every day - guests and staff alike get to bond over a sometimes very violent game. This is followed by a complimentary tea and cake at 15.30 which is a lovely touch.

If you have not brought your own towels you must pay to hire pool towels (£10 for 2 for a week) - this is very cheeky and I expected this to be free in a four star hotel.

The check in process is relatively straightforward - be prepared for someone to forcibly grab you bags to take them to you room - they only earn a little so any opportunity for a tip is taken whether you want the service or not. The reception staff are exceptionally unpleasant and rude - dont bother to ask them to make a dinner reservation for you at a local restaurant or any other such service.

The hotel does offer dinner - but at between £15 and £20 per person for a buffet of tinned food it is very expensive and apparently very poor quality.

The other main drawback of this hotel is its location - you are a long way from the main tourist areas so must pay £5 - £10 for a taxi to most restaurants - even so this is cheaper than staying in the hotel. There is one restaurant nearby - Miguels seafood restaurant - this is fantastic - friendly, good large portions and very reasonable £0.8 for a beer and £10 for a whole lobster with chips and salad!

Overall the Corinthian Atlantic is not recommended - the rude staff and the fact that you are miles from the main tourist areas are a real downer! Plus the hotel does not take credit / debit cards at all and only changes UK cash - not even travellers cheques which make it very hard to pay for your extras. The hotel has reasonable facilities but expect to pay for things that you shouldnt such as towels!

 

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