Golden Beach Hotel

I booked this "Hotel" with the travel agancy "FTI". Rooms are dirty, zink was broken, no hot water, electricity out from 9 am till 5 pm every day.
Breakfast was just Nescafe or tea, baguette, 1 kind of marmelade, cucumbers, tomatoes, butter, 1 kind of juice and just one fried egg (on request).
The worst "Hotel" I ever stayed in!

Not sure where to start it was that bad no water for 2 days moved room that problem was solved next problem breakfast i don t eat eggs so had to have processed cheese for 9 days oh and jam with bread that on some days was fresh other days not too fresh
Then came a problem when i asked for salad as 2 days we had it only i asked about salad on reception he said tomorrow its coming guess what never came again for the duration of my holiday on the final day the waiter brought me a tomato he said he had bought with his own money
Then i bought a bottle of water without a seal on i only realised after i had drank a third and became ill must of been tap water
you had to ask for a top sheet its a complete shambles of a hotel

Don't go there pay extra go some where else it was that bad i was booked in for month only stopped for 2 weeks had the rest of my time on the beach it would be ok if your over 80 and you have to pay for air conditioner extra £5 a night

I stayed here in November and u get what you pay for I found it to be a great budget hotel the staff are all lovely and extremely helpful the pool area is very nice and kept very clean food was also nice the rooms are a little dated but who goes on holiday to stay in the room I would highly reccomend this place

Golden beach hotel should be knocked down disgusting place we stayed for three weeks had no mosquito nets big gaps in window door wouldn’t lock had to ask for someone to clean you were only allowed 1egg for breakfast the boys by the pool were very helpful and polite shame about hotel never stay there again

Just back from beautiful Gambia. We have stayed in this hotel for 7 nights, its so many bad thinks about this hotel that I could write a book. But will try to give some general info. At firs is the rooms. We didn't expect a palace as it's Gambia and 3 star hotel, but you don't need 5 stars to: fit in wall hanging wall sockets, hanging lamps, clean room/bathroom, replace broken door handle , replace door/window frame or window/door so will fit well having no gaps between door/window and frame where you can fit your finger, so all insects especially mosquitoes can enter your room, some gaps been covered grey packing tape, rooms not getting clean as is only one girl is working to clean all rooms so its not possible. No soap or toilet paper, if you ask you may get some old used towels for bathroom. Main door locking on basic door lock key but if you hit the door harder they will open as its not hold the lock due to door frame wood is cracked. Hotel facilities are not existing, there are: pool bar, pool restaurant, even signs with directions where they are located, but they never get opened, if you ask the hotel staff they will tell you they wont open, you should use main restaurant and bar in reception. Swimming pool is not bad apart of few broken tiles inside pool and light cover under water missing with cables out !!!!! In reception bar is few bottles of alcohol and 2 fridges with some soft drinks and local beer, prices are not bad, but many times they run out of beer. Food. .... On breakfast you only get peaces of baguette, butter, jam, a tray with few slices of tomato,onion and cucumber, a tray of few slices of cheese and you can order only one egg per person per breakfast !!!! boiled, fried or as a omelette, plus a coffee/tea and sometimes watered juice with sweetener. On dinner is only 3 meals to chose from for all 7 days there was only: seafood pasta, chicken and chips, meatballs, fish, spaghetti bolones. Taste was ok but very small portions of fish or chicken. Water in bathrooms was very low pressure, most time no hot water so you have to shower under cold water. Many times was power cuts, mostly after breakfast for few hours sometimes till dinner. We know this is common in Gambia but most hotel have emergency power generator so you can use basics like internet when power is of. When we have power off all others hotels around still have wifi available, then some of the hotel staff told us that the owner switching power off to save money!!!! Safe and fridge are charge extra, but its no point have fridge as most days no power. There are 3 groups of hotel staff in hotel. Firs is the owner family around 6-7 people, them big mom giving orders and decide about everything, all family do nothing in hotel apart of chilling in reception eating, drinking, talking and surf on internet. When you ask them for something they are very upset and angry they have to stand up from sofa. The second group is few people like security, cleaner girl, bar. They are very friendly and working hard, always smiling and talking to you, saw them getting food as a bowl of rice once a day from hotel mommy and that all. The third group is swimming pool guys getting yours sun beds where you want them (very heavy made from wood) and set mattress on them, cleaning swimming pool, but they not getting nothing from hotel so they fill them bottles with tap water in garden and taking coco nuts from tree and eating them. This is only few thinks about how bad it is, all other people staying in this hotel told they will give review also, if some give good review believe it must be fake from hotel owner or them friends. If you have any questions just ask me.

not long back from here.
my personal opinion is that its ok....
positives:-
* its location, its right on the beach.
* beautiful views.
* cleaners dont go in your room unless you leave your key at reception and actually ask for your room to be cleaned.
* local to other restaurants ( out onto the main road, turn left and walk about 100 yards. you will find lords restaurant. lovely environment, food and very welcoming staff.)

negatives:-
* the whole premises could do with being improved. It does look like its being run into the ground.
* shower was a few drips of cold water at best
* door locks need replacing.
* some doors need replacing.
* very limited menu, chicken and chips or fish and chips was the option for the whole week we was there.
* breakfast, crusty bread with rubbery processed cheese, cucumber and tomato slices.
* buying even a bottle of water from them could be difficult and seemed a hassle for them.
* gift shop only open once in the whole week we was there.
* pool bar and restaurant was closed and crawling with ants. ( it looked like it hadnt been open for a long long time)
* no entertainment in an evening (some may like this) (but if entertainment is something you want then it is easy to find elsewhere).
* the room we were allocated was definately not the one we booked and paid for. they wouldnt or couldnt change our room despite the hotel appearing to mainly empty.
* the wifi that they advertise is in reception only and even then the staff appeared reluctant to give out the password to be able to connect.

please bear in mind i always stay in 3* and definately not a travel snob and yes i understand its not as easy out there to do the work as it is back home but i found it such a shame that it looks like its being left to ruin. it could be a little gem of a hotel if only the owners actually looked like they cared.
it hasnt put us off going back to gambia but i will be looking for alternative accommodation in the future.

Twenty years go this hotel must have looked nice, it is now dirty, neglected with broken doors, filthy blankets and pillowcases (see photos) and staff that could not care less about your comfort. In 2 stays (8 nights total) I changed rooms 4 times! All rooms had no WATER PRESSURE, in the last room I had no water at all for 2 days, I had to take a shower by the pool (see photo of shower turned on but no water)! In one room the pillow and the blanket stunk like heavy sweat and I asked for new ones. I received a stained pillow case (see photos) and to my horror, I discovered 2 days later that the inside of the blanket had remains and marks of human feces (excrement). The balcony doors were all broken (do not lock) so be very careful. The bathroom doors are broken (see photos). They pressure you to pay for A/C which will not work or they will not give you the remote control. Electrical outlets hang out the walls, the walls are marked with blood from dead mosquitoes, destroyed furniture in the rooms (see photos).. The staff do not want you to complain and they tell nothing to the owner when I spoke to him about the filthy blanket, he knew nothing about it (he apologized).. an employee told me that the staff change the bad comments, we will see what they will do to mine.. you get what you pay for, cheap prices for filthy rooms.. worst hotel that I have stayed in the last 10 years of my travels.. imagine my horror when I say the blanket full of marks with human feces..

is (relatively) cheap for Gambia
-Nice location right on a good stretch of beach
-The view
-The gardens and pool
-The hotel staff, who are doing their best in difficult circumstances (they were having to deal with lots of negative feedback from unhappy guests)

The bad things are:
-The room - dirty, window would not close properly, main light broken, broken lock/handle on bathroom door (I got locked in), door locks not at all secure, gaps round doors and windows so mosquitoes are free to enter, no mosquito nets or grills at window, sheets too small for the bed etc etc. I could go on but haven't the time or energy!
-The breakfast - meagre at best. Bread, processed cheese slices, jam, margarine, cornflakes (if you ask enough times) slices of tomato and cucumber, ONE egg
-Not much to do locally in the evening.

-The attitude of the management/owners. There does not seem to be an understanding of any sort of customer service. All of the above faults in the room were reported, but no action was taken, with no apology or explanation. The owners seem to treat the hotel garden as their own personal space, rather than that of paying guests, demonstrated by a noisy children's party right outside the guest rooms. Guests were not consulted or informed. The attitude of the owners seems to be that once they have people staying at the hotel they can attempt to get as much money as possible from them. The hotel seems to be being run down, getting as much money as possible without any investment or long term view. It's such a shame as it could be a really successful hotel, with a small investment of cash and a more enlightened attitude from the owners.

I loved the hotel! The location is perfect! The staff are wonderful and helpful and extremely friendly. The food is excellent! Some local drummers played on the grounds it was so good. I will be returning to this hotel as soon as I can. Thank you Golden Sands Abaraca baci

Been there before, hotel is basic but good value and the staff are really friendly and helpful

The check in took some time as there was only one person doing the check in. Other staff were in the area but did not come forward

Hotel is adequate but tired, not a lot of facilities. Wouldn't recommend for families but for a basic hotel it serves its purpose. Cheap holiday. Lots of wild life around and good access to the beaches.

Great experience for the price. I could hear the ocean from mybed as I slept. All the staff were kind. The power and water would go out, but its Gambia, the people who left such negative reviews should relax. For the price your paying, its a great experience, and I would stay again.
Only point to make is there is no mosquito net and many mosquitos, so make sure youre on malaria prophylaxis before hand.
Felt the need to review which I never do, because the other reviews here didnt reflect the great experience I had.

Constant power cuts with inefficient standby generator that stays off for hours not covering the blackouts . Poor quality breakfast overall. The brochure states WiFi in rooms while in reality only the reception area covered.

W tym hotelu spędziliśmy dwa tygodnie pełne miłych wrażeń.
Hotel jest cichy i spokojny, położony tuż przy plaży, z naszego pokoju z balkonem rozpościerał się więc piękny widok.
Obsługa jest miła i sympatyczna .
Basen czysty i zachęcający do kąpieli.
Do morza kilka kroków.

I stayed at this hotel with my mum, step dad and cousin the rooms were disgusting dirty and full of bugs had to put tissue around the doors to stop bugs getting in water pressure from the shower was just drips, bath was dirty toilet was dirty i complained and they said its clean if thats what they call clean wow...

I complained about the room was moved to a different room after 3 days of complaining the wifi was not working in any of the rooms and we paid for wifi.

Generator blew one night was without electric for 2 hour had to go out the hotel into town as it was dark had to get ready to go out in the dark with jus light from my phone..

The service was terrible
And as for the breakfast it was a buffet with cucumber, slices of cheese, crusty bread, we complained and they did us sausages, eggs and beans the beans were flat cold like they had jus pored them out the tin..
I would not recomend this hotel and would not stay at this hotel again...

Dont go there it's a crap hole on arrival old clothes and half eaten pizza left in the room .bath was filthy .two light bulbs blew end of first week complained 3 times nothing was done was not allowed to leave my case in reception 12.30 check out of the room had overnight flight back they were just pushing me to pay for a late check out on the room .my partner is Gambian and she was absolutely disgusted with the hotel and attitude of certain members of the staff particularly management .I have stayed in many hotels Gambia but I would not stay there again if you payed me

Golden Beach in Gambia is one of the best positioned facilities, but it is far from beeing a hotel. The hotel looks like ut was abandoned and than they just got back to open it and collect some money.
We had to ask? for fresh towels, we had to ask? for a sheet.
Location of the hotel is splendid and the garden is amazing. I saw so many oportunities for them, but even breakfaat was a disaster. First day we got some slices of tomatoe and paprika, few more or less dry pieces of bred and coffee. In next days they added little cheese and an egg per person, for which we heard that one of the waiter paid for, because the owner wouldnt want to buy them for guests.
The good side of the hotel is a small pool and shady garden.

I normaly stay in apartment in a compound,but it was booked,my friend lives in the gambia.booked me in to golden beach.its not a 5 star.but I would like to say I had 18 nights there its family run they couldn't,do enough for me the staff were always smiling everyday,down to the groundstaff and pool attendant.my room was spotless every day.i left money around nothing was taken.the only critism,was when the Russians arrived,the way they spoke to the Gambian,staff was very very rude,how they never spoke back to them,they need a medal.i wouldn't hesitate going back to golden beach.thanks so much,all of you,from the goat