The Kairaba Beach Hotel

I had a wonderful experience at the Kairaba Hotel in Gambia. The location is perfect, right on the beach and close to the vibrant Senegambia Strip. The gardens are beautiful and full of life, with peacocks and monkeys adding a unique touch. The staff are incredibly friendly and always ready to help, making me feel truly welcome. The pool area is relaxing, and the atmosphere overall is peaceful and enjoyable. If you want a place to unwind and enjoy Gambia’s beauty, Kairaba Hotel is a great choice!”

Kairaba is a great property. The location is excellent. On the one side you have the Atlantic Ocean and its beach and at the other end you have the famous Senegambia strip. However, this once icon of Gambia's hotel seem to have lost its mojo. Service is ok. Rooms are fine, maintenance, well, things work. But the place jyst doesn't have its spark no more.

For the price, its ok

Attentive and professional staff in a beautiful location

Service levels have really plometted at this property. The AC in our room was not working snd it took 2 trips to reception before our room was switched after midnight. We were 2 guests but the first room we had had one towel and one bottle of water. Breakfast was below average and service is generally below expectation for what was once Gambia's flagship hotel. Sad!

The hotel is incredibly tired. The pricing well above its standards. It’s from the 1980s. Very dusty, everything looks dusty and worn out. Needs a massive make over. Hardy anyone there. Not surprise when you can stop at hotels nearby for the same money but a much higher standard.

Great and supportive staff. Nice and safe environment.

A beautiful location. I upgraded to an ocean view room and did not regret it. Gorgeous grounds. Lots of birds, butterflies and even the odd monkey or two from time to time.

Very quiet and peaceful

Will definitely return.

The only negative was breakfast. Beans, mushrooms and fried potatoes everyday. Thank goodness they had an egg station so i was able to mix things up a bit.

I had high expectations for this hotel, considering the price we paid and its five-star rating, but unfortunately, it fell far short of expectations. The room we initially booked was in poor condition—no hot water, no iron, dim lighting, and the electricity would cut off multiple times a day for a few minutes. Hoping for a better experience, we decided to upgrade to a more expensive room, but it made no difference as the same issues persisted.

The breakfast was another letdown. The selection was very limited and repetitive, with the same options every day. On several occasions, the eggs were undercooked, and food would run out quickly, leaving us with even fewer choices.

This hotel does not meet the standards of a five-star establishment; in fact, it barely compares to a three-star. I would not recommend staying here, as it’s simply not worth the money or the frustration.

Attentive staff, lovely setting, good food

Clean Environment and nice sea view.
Helpful and happy face workers.

Breakfast was terrible.
TV stations are poor.
Water closet in bad condition
Floor flow is frequently interrupted.
You wait for pressing iron
Overall, there is no value for money

Officially the Kairaba is still rated as a 5* hotel, the only one as far as we know in Gambia. And this is still visible with respect to the quality of the room furniture and the installation and the way the staff deals with wishes (addressed at the reception) or problems (e.g. a problem with water leakage in the toilet got immediately fixed by an experienced craftsmen after we told the room service about it and she had called her colleague). However, the hotel has been closed for 3 years due to Corona and the owner now plans to sell it. That's why they did not do a lot of promotion and had very few guests (<20? certainly not more than 50). And this had influence on the services, which were adapted (small breakfast buffet, reduces choice). Only the prices for drinks at the pool bar stayed at the original 5*-level

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Non cooperative staff. Toilet gutters were blocked. TV not working, no towels, toilets not cleaned. Do not recommend the place. Check in took one hour. No apology given either

The hotel staff didn't pickup any of my calls or emails on the day of arrival so that I could inform them I'll be 1 day late.
On arrival I was told as I didn't turn up they gave away my room and also they were demanding payment.They were able to provide me a room but it was not part of the main complex. It seems to be a local apartment block.
The bed was awful.

Location was great. However the facilities need a complete overhaul. Basic necessities such as iron, tissue were not available. It definitely is a 3 star facility and doesn’t merit a five star recognition .

Check in was terribly slow. Although I booked superior rooms they gave me a standard room facing an apartment complex with no view, dark and dreary. Of course when I asked for a credit they just looked at me. The entire property is due for a remodel, very 1970s. They advertise wifi In the rooms but it’s only available in the lobby or pool area. On the upside the pool and bar was nice and close to the beach. Food at the Ala Carte Restaurant was good and a fun local band. The staff was great.

The location is great with the beach and nearby restaurants,and the staff are very friendly and helpful. The evening food in the restaurant is a buffet and to be avoided,and the food at the poolside is basic.It is the best and most expensive hotel in Gambia.A beer is nearly 4 times dearer than the bars outside.

The property was in a very busy, tourist driven area, which is a plus in the sense of availability of shops, restaurants and transportation. However the staff in the hotel and the area were very apprehensive towards being hospitable to us. We were not allowed to pay with card transaction and urged to pull out cash, which we obliged. In addition to that when trying to explore the hotel grounds we were stopped, and questioned as to why we were on the hotel property and asked to provide identification and proof of booking at the hotel. It was extremely unsettling and unwelcoming, We checked out of the hotel afterwards as it no longer felt like a place of comfort, in addition to the wifi not working and the tv not working. The room was also not very clean, had a leak from the ceiling, and what appeared to be dried blood on the bathroom window curtain. I'm certain this hotel will be more than comforting for the average visitor however it was not remotely the kind of place i can stay in nor spend the nearly $230 per night.

The gardens were excellent as was the access to the beach