Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel

Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel has taken over what used to be the Movenpick hotel in Dar City Centre and have done a great job turning it into a very high standard hotel. The rooms are high quality but the views leave a bit to be desired. The swimming pool is reallly good making this a real oasis near the city.

One thing I cannot understand with hotels of such a good standard - why oh why do you let ladies of the night frequent the outside bar area. Sorry but this lets you down and whoever is getting a backhander to let them hang around needs firing.

I will use the hotel as it is slightly cheaper than the wonderful Kempinski (you have to have a drink there for the wonderful views - expensive but one of the best bar views I have ever seen) and is a very good standard. The pastries in the coffee shop in the foyer are to die for

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It is a city Serena hotel. So you get just that. Nice, easy location and full of business people mainly. I came with young children who were very welcomed.

There is an effort of Sunday entertainment by way of bouncing castle and face painting - aimed at the families coming in for Sunday brunch. There is a huge lawn and my kids enjoyed finding golf balls shot into here by the next-door course.

The hotel has a swimming pool and small gym; so much of a much there. There are a few restaurants offering different dishes throughout the day and room service is of course available.

All food we had was good in quality, and the selection was good too. Lovely fresh salads at the buffet at lunch and a huge choice at both the buffet breakfast and lunch.

There is a nice bakery in the reception – for cakes and pastries and coffees. Although I would prefer an ice-cream parlour like at the Serena Mombasa.

We booked late and didn’t get a family room, so we were put in the executive floor with an adjoining room and that suited us very well.

It’s clean, doesn’t smell (like some in Dar!) and the food and service are good. If you want a beach hotel, then this isn’t for you.

If you need the city and are on business then this is probably perfect.

There are babysitters, but they charge a lot for them, and I am always worried when I pay the hotel, rather than the babysitter direct – you wonder how much the babysitter really gets!