Stay Report: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dar es Salaam - Oyster Bay (Tanzania - December 2013/January 2014)

Stay Report: DoubleTree Dar Es Salaam - Oyster Bay
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pictures courtesy of DoubleTree 

I was traveling around East Africa and was going to start and stop my trip in Tanzania, and was looking for a hotel that was nice and with easy access to goods and services.  I found and booked the DoubleTree, Oyster Bay through the Hilton website when they were having one of their 'special' sales which include drastically low prices for pre-paid rooms. After I booked the rooms, I contacted the hotel to confirm some of the details of the reservation; I contacted them through email but the hotel never responded - I finally got results and messages back from the hotel using Facebook as they did reply to these messages. When we got to the hotel and checked-in, I went to confirm the details I had emailed about but the front-desk staff seemed confused as to what I was talking about. They were nice and pleasant and could check me in ok, but extras and additional services seemed difficult. 

photo courtesy of DoubleTree

The hotel is located in an enclave with the hotel on one side and shops and restaurants on the other. The hotel premises include the hotel itself, an on-site restaurant (with slow service), a coffee shop, a pool with a cafe, and a deck.  There are no beaches at this hotel (to get to the beach, you have to drive about 10-12 minutes to the closest public beach). There is also a fitness center and a spa.  From the outside, the hotel looked very nice and modern.

As you enter into the lobby, on left side were the check-in desks while to the right was a sitting area.  Straight ahead was the restaurant and the deck which led downstairs to the fitness center and spa.  I went to check-in and while the staff were generally friendly, they were not the most competent staff; it took a long time for things to be understood and even then some things were lost.  I finally finished checking in and proceeded to my room.

photo courtesy of DoubleTree

As I was traveling with a group, I had booked two rooms – one with a king bed and one with 2 queens; both rooms were quite large and similarly laid out.  As you entered into the room, on left hand side was the bathroom while on the right was the closet.  The bathroom was spacious and contained a sink, a toilet, a nice size tub, and toiletries as well.  The closet across from the bathroom was also spacious and provided plenty of storage room.  There was also a safe in the room.  As you proceeded further into the room, the beds were located along the left side of the wall while across the right was the chest with a TV on top and drawers on the bottom.  The beds were large and comfortable and provided a good nights’ sleep.  There was also a nightstand in between the beds and next to the beds was a window.   Across the other side, in between the chest and the window, was a desk and a chair.  Depending on your room location, there were two views from the window; you were either looking out onto the front entrance of the hotel or you were overlooking that back of the hotel with the gardens and the ocean; the back view was a much better view. 

photo courtesy of DoubleTree

Since I was there for an extended period, I got to try out different facilities at the hotel.  I tried the wifi, which was complimentary and basic enough to check and receive mail; I tried the restaurant for dinner where the food was ok, the service slow and the price high; I tried the fitness center which was decent; the pool which got crowded with locals swimming for the day; and the spa for massage which was pretty good and relatively inexpensive, but the one at the Hilton Addis was better.  Breakfast was included in the room and that was decent and standard with cereal, breads, other breakfast items, and an omelet station. 

The positives about the hotel are the hotel is located in a nice part of town and right next to the hotel is a nice shopping complex with restaurants, a small supermarket, shops, and a market for souvenirs.  Because of the location of the hotel, there are plenty of taxis and rickshaws available to take you to other parts of the city (the hotel is located about 20 minutes from downtown and about 45 mins from the airport).  The hotel also looks nice and provides spacious rooms.

photo courtesy of DoubleTree

The negatives about the hotel include the staff, which seemed nice but confused. The service at the hotel restaurant was slow and also confused (especially if you have any dietary or religious issues, the staff seemed generally confused with these requests).  One major annoyance was that the hotel NEVER had change.  I got very large notes when I exchanged money and tried to get smaller bills from the money charger, shops, or supermarket when we were there.  Each time I asked the front desk for smaller bills, and I asked many times, they said they did not have any change at all. This was somewhat annoying as smaller bills were easier to pay for cabs (who never had change either)

If you want a good night stay in a good hotel, and do not mind being away from the city but being

walking distance to markets and some restaurants, then you will enjoy this hotel.  Due to the location, the hotel was peaceful and tranquil. Just be prepared for confused staff and delayed service.