Outdoor pool, sun loungers
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Reviews of Kairaba Hotel

5 out of 5
Kairaba Hotel
PMB Serrekunda, Serrekunda, BJL

Reviews

7.6

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 30 out of 87 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 30 out of 87 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 12 out of 87 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 7 out of 87 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 8 out of 87 reviews" "

8.0/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Staff & service

7.2/10

Amenities

7.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Wolfgang

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The 5*-quality is still noticable, but ...
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
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Bakary Cham on Nov 20, 2023
Dear Wolfgang,Thank you for your comment, Kindly note that the hotel has been close only for 4 Month during COVIC as part of the goverment regulation policy, Looking forward to welcoming you back to Kairaba Beach Hotel

2/10 Terrible

Belinda

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Bakary Cham on Sep 2, 2023
Dear valued guest, Thank you very much for taking the time to write a view of our property. We are pleased to inform you of the plans we have of renovations. We hope to welcome you back soon, please feel free to contact us anytime.

10/10 Excellent

Mohammed, Riyadh

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
👍
Response from Bakary on Jan 4, 2023
Thank you for your reviews

2/10 Terrible

Tariq, United Kingdom

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
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
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

2/10 Terrible

Bhavesh

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not 5 star
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.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service
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 .
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2020

6/10 Okay

MJ, Dallas

Business traveller
Liked: Staff & service
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.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020

4/10 Poor

olivier

Travelled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

8/10 Good

Pamela

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Good and bad.
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.
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2019

2/10 Terrible

Jay, London, UK

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Amenities
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2019

6/10 Okay

JEFFREY

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2019

2/10 Terrible

David

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
ever again
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

robbie

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
The gardens were excellent as was the access to the beach
Stayed 8 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Dependable
I truly enjoyed my stay. The staff was overwhelmingly friendly and did not hesitate to meet my needs. One day I unfortunately left my personal items unsecured including my wallet and passport, the room attendant (Oroline Nyafuny) immediately contacted the house keeping manager (Buba Badjie) who made sure my items were safe, to include all my cash. When I came back there was a note telling me to speak to the security supervisor (Laminators Bajang) who inventoried my items and properly handed them back. Their professionalism was above standard and I felt that my safety and security was a priority.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Online Reputation Manager on Jul 30, 2019
Dear guest, We would like to thank you for taking the time to review your past stay at The Kairaba Beach Hotel in The Gambia. We couldnt be more hapy after learning about the lovely time you had spent with us and the fact that our staffwas able to make you feel at home and well taken care of. Please dont hesitate to contact us for future stays or any other information you might need. Everyone in The Kairaba Beach Hotel would love to have the chance to welcome you again for another fantastic holidays at Africas Smilling Coast. Best Regards, Online Reputation Manager

10/10 Excellent

Carla

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great experience
It was a great hotel and their food is fresh and fantanstic!
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Awa on Apr 25, 2019
Hi Carla, Thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable review of our property. We are happy you enjoyed your stay and look forward to receiving to back very soon🙂

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A very old 5 star hotel in dire need of renovation to catch up with other 5 star hotels.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Awa on May 3, 2019
Dear valued guest, Thank you very much for staying with us and for your review of our property. We appreciate your review and are pleased to inform you we have plans to improve our facilities. Whilst we look forward to welcoming you back to The Kairaba, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely location & great staff. Beautiful maintained gardens.
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The gardens were beautiful but the rooms needed a bit of a modernisation
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2019
Response from Awa on May 3, 2019
Dear valued guest, Thank you very much for taking the time to write a view of our property. We are pleased to inform you of the plans we have of renovations. We hope to welcome you back soon, please feel free to contact us anytime.

8/10 Good

AKINYEMI

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Brilliant
Amazing stay. Good room, well tended hotel grounds, and good beach front with lots of meal options. Fantastic staff. Bakary, one of the Security staff was great at answering all our questions. Breakfast also very good and dinner was quite good and not so expensive. And if you love a room with balcony and good sea view, Room 122 is one of the best! At some point however a cleaner who cleaned the room earlier had taken used towels away forgotten to replace with fresh ones. I noticed this later in the afternoon after a good beachfront stay and i contacted Housekeeping. Two hours later, they were yet to bring the towels and i then contacted Reception. Another two hours and still no response, i went to the reception myself to get the towels. I'm sure this is something that can be easily addressed by Housekeeping. Other than this, a beautiful stay all through. I will come back with friends and family.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Awa on Apr 25, 2019
Hi Akinyemi, Thank you for staying with us and for your wonderful review of our property. We are happy you were also pampered by our staff and that Bakary was able to answer to all your questions. We have taken note of the delay in providing you with fresh towels and have addressed this. We hope to welcome you and your family very soon and please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or requests.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Good location, good hotel, rooms are disappointing
Hotel grounds are great Breakfast is good. Staff are v friendly and excellent. Rooms are v outdated, need modernising (tv, furniture beds etc). Rooms are a bit disappointing for what you pay and compared to the rest of the hotel. Great location, lots of activity nearby-food, shops etc.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019
Response from Awa on Apr 25, 2019
Dear valued guest, Thank you very much for staying with us and for your wonderful review . Please be informed plans are currently on the ways to renovate all of our rooms and other hotel facilities. Please feel free to contact us if you hav any questions and we look forward to your next stay with us.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Enjoyed a lovely place...one to do again
Hotel is great...easy access to the beach...excellent customer service i.e. they’ll go further to make a guest happy. Everything was clean. Especially liked the animals - peacocks and monkeys around. Very relaxing place to be. Only thing is that it got quiet some nights, however the Senegambia strip is only a few mins away for one to have a fun filled night.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019
Response from Awa on Apr 25, 2019
Dear valued guest, Thank you very much for your wonderful review. We are happy to know you enjoyed your stay with us and you were also looked after by our hardworking staff. Please let us know if you need anything when next you plan to stop by.🙂

8/10 Good

Gwyneth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 10 nights in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2018

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
terrible place..rats in every room...could hardly sleep staff were not very helpful.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018

4/10 Poor

Partha

Liked: Cleanliness
The property was reasonably ok... the issue is mainly with how the deal happened with expedia. despite paying 100% to expedia before traveling, i was told by the hotel that there is no communication of even a reservation from expedia to them. i wrote an email to expedia and this was not sorted out even at the time of check out. i had to call expedia on my phone incurring steep roaming charges and finally was able to resolve this. this is hardly a professional way of handling things. totally disappointed
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018
Response from AWA JATTA on Dec 19, 2018
Dear Mr. Partha, Again we would like to apologize for the issue with your reservation. Your booking was a last minute booking which is the reason for the inexcusable oversight. We look forward to your next stay with us to allow us provide to you the good service we provide to all our guests. Thank you for staying with us.

8/10 Good

Sam

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic
Amazing
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2018
Response from AWA JATTA on Nov 21, 2018
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you very much for your wonderful review of our property where we look forwardt to welcoming you back soon.

10/10 Excellent

ATUL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
wonderful stay
It was a wonderful stay, calm and quite place.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2018
Response from Fatou Ceesay on Aug 10, 2018
Greetings! Thank you for your comments we are very happy to reply to this messages. we looking forward welcoming you to the Kairaba Beach Hotel again, hope to see you again to experience more.

8/10 Good

patty, london

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
staff in the morning was very nice and accomodating hotel was very clean food was average wish the would change up the menu but all in all i enjoyed my stay very much would i go back to this hotel yes. and i would recommend to friends and family.
Stayed 14 nights in May 2018
Response from Fatou Ceesay on Nov 24, 2018
Greetings! Thank you for massage, happy to know you are happy about the hotel and the staffs. hope to see you more again and looking forward welcoming you to Kairaba Beach Hotel again.

8/10 Good

L, London

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very well located hotel in the heart of Senegambia
The hotel's grounds are extremely lush and a delight to walk through and so in that respect the hotel lives up to its five star rating. There is an outdoor pool, table tennis table and a life sized chess board amongst other activities. The hotel has direct access to the beach. The rooms are located in blocks and I would recommend having a deluxe room with a balcony. WIFI is patchy. Breakfast is buffet style but there is a cooked eggs station offering pancakes as well. The more reasonable prices restaurant is Casa Fernando which is a fish restaurant but there are lots of restaurants and bars on the main road just outside of the hotel. The reception desk seems a bit disjointed as they cancelled a taxi pick up from the airport for my early morning arrival which is something to consider if on the Royal Air Maroc flight. Packages left at reception were not brought up to the room and neither was I notified about them until the sender of the package came to the hotel with me the following day. Messages left for me at the reception desk were not provided to me and I only received them several days later when visiting the reception desk! The staff are very friendly generally and also in the breakfast restaurant and around the grounds. There is also tea time daily at the pool area from 4pm with scones and tea as well as a happy hour from 5pm with a live band. The hotel's bar at the entrance also has a happy hour at 7pm and there is a live band in Casa Fernando as well.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2018
Response from AWA on Aug 30, 2018
Dear Valued guest, Thank you very much for taking your time to write this review which we appreciate. Through reviews like yours, we are able to improve on the services we provide to our guests. Regarding the points you have mentioned about the reception, please be assured we will work on improving services provided at the front desk and hopefully this you will realize on you next stay with us. We look forward to receiving you booking soon!

8/10 Good

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Response from AWA on Apr 4, 2018
Dear John, Thank you very much for your review. We are happy to know you enjoyed your stay with us and look forward to welcoming you back to The Kairaba.

10/10 Excellent

Martin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2018
Response from AWA on Mar 19, 2018
Dear Martin, Thank you very much for your wonderful review. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Kairaba.

10/10 Excellent

Satish

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Old world charm !
Very friendly service and good food . Very nice beach, pool and beautiful landscaping. Highly recommend !
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018
Response from AWA on Mar 10, 2018
Dear Satish, Thank you very much for your wonderful review. We are happy you enjoyed your stay with us and look forward to your next stay.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel, great location
Great hotel, great staff except the reception. Bubbling area that never sleeps. Great eating places around the hotel.
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2018
Response from AWA on Mar 10, 2018
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you very much for taking time to write this review. We are glad you had a great stay and look forward to welcoming you back soon!

8/10 Good

kencoo, london

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel Kairaba
Ideal location on the beach and central to bars and restaurants.Clean and maintained and spacious,but a bit pricey, would i book again probably would
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2018
Response from AWA on Feb 24, 2018
Dear Valued guest, Thank you very much or booking with us and for taking your time to write this review. We are happy to know you would probably book again and look forward to this. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Kairaba soon!

8/10 Good

John

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Trying but not enough !!
This friendly hotel is far from 5 star standards... good beach,friendly staff,poor cuisine... expensive superior rooms .. but overall a nice property!
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2018
Response from AWA on Feb 24, 2018
Dear John, Thank you very much for staying with us and taking your time to write this review. We appreciate your review as we always look forward to opinions of guests like you to improve on our service as well as the property. Please be assured we will work on the cuisine in order to provide you with a better cuisine on your next stay. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Kairaba Beach Hotel.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2018
Response from AWA on Feb 28, 2018
Thank you very much for your feedback. Please let us know the next time you book how we can make you stay better and we will be glad to consider your suggestions. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Kairaba.

10/10 Excellent

Steven

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 10 nights in Dec 2017
Response from AWA on Feb 28, 2018
Thank you very much for your feedback.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This was for a business meeting that was held at the hotel for 2 days. Unfortunately, I didn't get to use a lot of the facilities because of the work. I am a runner, so managed to run in the mornings before work. One run I did along the beach. The beach in front of the hotel is highly eroded, so at high tide, you have to trudge through soft sand until you get a few hundred meters away, where the beach is not eroded. The other run was along the Senegambia highway. This is a very busy road, but at dawn, it is not so bad, and there is a sandy (compacted) shoulder to run on that felt pretty safe. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Room service prices didn't seem too bad, and the food for room service was tastier than I recall getting elsewhere.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2017
Response from AWA on Jan 4, 2018
Dear Valued guest, Thank you very much for your review. Work is currently in progress at the beach and hopefully this will be completed ASAP. We are happy to know you had a pleasant stay with us and look forward to welcoming you back to The Kairaba soon!

8/10 Good

Muhammad, Karachi Pakistan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Internet was not good, location and other facilities are good
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2017
Response from AWA on Jan 4, 2018
Hi Muhammad, We are extremely sorry for the internet issues you experienced during your stay. Our IT department is making relentless efforts in ensuring guests do not experience any problems with the internet. We look forward to you next stay with us and thank you very much for your review.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice great ok fine. Ngf7i nvgu bftu h jfr bt5i nhyk bguj.
Stayed 14 nights in Aug 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
OK off season stay
I stayed here because it was the vehicle of a conference I was attending. No real complaints, other than the lack of choice for where to eat supper as one restaurant was closed during off season .

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Animals make it different. Gim is nice. Shrimps brochette great.

8/10 Good

Mr.G, EU

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Close to the beach, clean and secure.
Hotel has a 5 star rating but I would give it a max 4 star. Everything is 5 star except room condition (somewhat old furniture which is started to show It’s age), breakfast buffet (For a 5 star I would expect bigger choice of food to choose from) and lack of mini bar in the room. Fridge is present but without its expected contense. Maybe it is because of end of the season but that can be easily corrected because in room dining is fast and good.

10/10 Excellent

Kishor, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent Hotel with facilities nearby
Everything was great about this hotel. Out of the main gates and you have restaurants, clubs, mini shops especially for buying water. My wife tells me the Spa Anti-stress massage by Janaba Krubally was excellent. You can also book excursions to Senegal safari with local travel agents - Brilliant! Nice restaurants within the hotel. We had a live band for evening dinner. They played my requests. Please tip well for the people of Gambia and Senegal. I saw poverty and felt food to give money to the local people. Visit the market in Gambia and crocodile pool. Visit the safari in Senegal and walk with the lions although it was to hot and they refused to walk which was fine. Food was nice within the hotel too. People are very friendly. Take dollars to exchange at a much higher rate or sterling! Breakfast was also very good. They even packed a breakfast for our early morning safari trip before the breakfast begins. Wi-Fi was good everywhere.
Senegal Safari
Karaiba Hotel
Karaiba Hotel
entertainment

6/10 Okay

Lynne, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Nice hotel in a popular area
Nice hotel in a popular area of The Gambia. Close to all amenities. Beautiful gardens. Well equipped rooms ( TV, fridge, tea & coffee making facilities, hairdryer) buffet breakfast. Excellent friendly staff. Pool clean.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Sadly, it's representative of the entire country these days..
Fairly shabby hotel, past its prime. Terrible coffee.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very clean hotel, with a lot of open space. Staff are very professional. Shuttle service not free and expensive