Reviews of Corinthia Atlantic Hotel, Banjul Beach

In reply to the negative comments made by holiday makers visiting the Corinthian Atlantic in Banjul, i can only assume you haven't visited the Gambia for the experience.



I went to the Corinthian last year and it was the most satisfying holiday i've ever been on. Yes i was aware of the bumsters trying to make money and i was only to pleased to think that i was helping people less fortunate than myself.



I was never made to feel anything but welcome through out my stay by the locals. Both inside and outside the hotel. I was treated with a lot of respect and in return i respected them and there culture.



I visted their compounds, was invited to local gatherings and made more genuine friends than in any other country ive visted. Nothing was to much trouble and i was even offered to share their meagre meal.



I found that just having time for them and letting them no that we are all equals made a big impact in Banjul.



Regarding critisism of the hotel i was pleasantly surprised with all aspects of the Corinthian Atlantic. We had no problems with any of the issues that have been stated by other holiday makers on this website. As for the staff they bent over backwards to meet all our needs with out expecting anything in return except friendship.



I suggest the people that have left negative feedback about the Gambia should choose a destination that suits their snobbish personality. Africa is not England you should have gone to Blackpool!



Im only 17 and feel so fortunate to have been able to be part of the "Smiling Coast" of Africa for two beautiful weeks and i can't wait to go back in November this year.

Disappointing overall though staff were very helpful when we asked to upgrade our rooms as they originally looked out on to a tree! For another #3 per night we upgraded to sea views. Huge comfortable bed but shappy tiling in bathroom and stains running down wall in main area. Carpet in corridor worn in places. Prompt response to complaints.



Not many sun loungers beach and a long way to trip down to the sea itself! English priced drinks in small measures. One ply napkins which were a NUISANCE.



Entertainment was very good, though, especially the stick man.

Do look out for Fabs, he is a fantastic guide and also Embe a taxi driver in a Suzuki SJ10. You must visit the hospital as well, that was an experience in itself and oh don't forget Michel's restaurant, fantastic.



Very quiet on the beach and we had to get a taxi down to the next one to do some horse riding.



I would not go back to this hotel.

We purchased the holiday as a 20th Wedding Anniversary get away, we were warned that the country itself is basic, like Egypt and Tunisia, this is certainly true, and you get beggars and requests for hiring a "guide" Just as you would in any of those countries. However in general this is where the similarities end as the people of Gambia are SO friendly, it was a delight to visit.



A lot of other travellers were there for the weather alone but there is so much to do and see, it’s a real experience, we went to a School, bee hive centre, winery, farm and other such tours. It was all brilliant and the overall food and experience was excellent.



Even though this was for my wedding anniversary I took my 15 and 13 year old and they loved it and would go again.



The hotel was excellent and rivals any similar starred European hotel, all the services you would expect from a 4 or 5*. I have found all hotels in countries where the food is very cheap to be a little on the expensive side, this was no exception although it didn't affect us as we were full board but its still cheap by British standards apart from imported soft drinks.



We had to stay in the annexe building for the first night as they were overbooked. This was serviceable and OK, clean, they upgraded our food to al a carte for one night to compensate, but I would have been happy enough without that and said it didn't matter but they insisted :o)



The "proper" rooms were lovely. I got bitten to death by mosquitoes though even though I had my own spray and the hotel guy came around every evening and sprayed the room!



To sum up, you could go to this hotel and sun yourself around the pool and have a lovely time for your holiday OR be totally adventurous, keep an open mind and have an absolute ball. In the time we were there we did everything going so I don't know if I would go back, but I certainly recommend it!

The hotel (Corinthian Atlantic) seriously needs to be regraded, it is nowhere near a 4 star hotel by any means.



I have been to other countries such as Kenya and Antigua and stayed in 3 star accommodation so I do have something to compare it with. The hotel refused to put on the air con or bring in fans in the dining room in the evening so it was far too warm to eat there. We wasted £100 worth of meal vouchers due to being unable to stand eating in the dining room on an evening.



When someone asked for this to be put on they were told to sit near a door, which they did and got eaten by mossies! They eventually put on some entertainment one evening after being badgered by some other holiday makers, this was some African dancing for less than an hour, the air con was only on for this hour, and then we were told that it had broken! The air con in the rooms went off every night during the night when the electric was turned off.



DON'T GET A POOL VIEW ROOM - these have connecting doors to the next door room, and you can hear EVERYTHING! Luckily we had a nice couple next door but still not very nice.



Most of the staff were miserable especially in a morning, my husband even tipped one to see if it would cheer him up, and it didn't. They were very slow with the tea and coffees and with bringing out the eggs, we actually had to leave them one morning as we had waited half an hour and was due to go on a trip.



We were told that staff were not happy due to the hotel having new owners but it doesn't encourage people to stay in the hotel and will definitely not recommend it to anyone. I know we went out of season but I really think that they will struggle when it does get busier at the hotel.



We had been told that you get a better exchange over there, we definitely didn’t, and during the week it went down quite a lot, we found out that the rate was different at other hotels, so it is worth checking this out.



Everywhere we went people wanted money for something or other. There were people selling things in the hotel every day and night and people were taking detours to get to the dining room to avoid them. Even on the last day someone took a couple of cases to the coach going to the airport and stood there with their hand out asking for money before putting them in the luggage hold.



It is well worth going to see the crocodiles (only 50D to get in, this is about £1.20 each) and the guides there were very friendly, please accept their offer of tea as it offends them if you refuse. The 4 wheel drive trip was interesting, though no one on the trip enjoyed visiting the village and looking around a house, as it felt rather uncomfortable.



On the last day we went on the lazy day trip, which does exactly what it says it is going to do, well worth going on just to relax and have some fun. Our tour guide was Dudu (otherwise known as Darling) and the driver called Landing. Darling was a one man show and made the trip that little bit more enjoyable, food and service was excellent and the drinks were very cheap (plenty of refreshments are offered during this trip which is included in the price, can especially recommend the brandy coffee!!!!).



We also went to where the fishing boats come in, what an amazing experience and also went to Banjul market, would definitely recommend that you get a guide to take you there, as it can be a bit overwhelming. Chat with other people staying at the hotel, especially those that have been there longer than you, before booking anything with guides and people wanting to take you anywhere, to compare what they have been charged and who they have used, as they will try and get as much money out of you as possible and do try it to charge you well over the odds.



Can recommend Michelle's Fish restaurant in Banjul and Ali Babas at Senegambia if you want good value food.



Even if you get a green taxi please be aware that they can still try and con you, one evening our taxi driver, who was supposed to wait 2 hours for us, told us he had to go as his wife was seriously ill, we said we would wait for him to get back but would only pay for what time we had agreed for (he returned early) and then watched him go over to the Indian restaurant and read the menu.



On the way back he pulled into a petrol station and asked for some money to get some petrol to get back, we gave him the whole fare and told him it was up to him what he did with it, he then got a petrol can out of the boot and filled that up!



Luckily we had a lovely group of people who were there at the same time and we all got on with each other and made the best of things, laughing about things and exchanging experiences!



As I said previously I have been to other places and others at the hotel have too, so felt able to give a balanced view and we all agreed we would definitely not be going back, even another couple that were staying at a different hotel said that they would not be returning to the Gambia due to being hassled for money all the time.



Also on a positive note we flew with Astraeus and although it might not be the most modern of planes, the crew were most helpful and did their best to make sure that the flight was as comfortable and pleasant as possible, Well done them!

I have stayed at the Atlantic Hotel every year for the last ten years, and I think that it is great, and looking at the other reviews, I don’t care if the prices are the same as the Uk's everyone needs to earn a living, and we don’t moan about paying these prices at home so why should we when we are in another country. Especially a third world country and that what Gambia is!



As to the Hotel not being 4 star well it is 4star in Gambian terms. The staff are really friendly and treat you like one of the family especially if you gp there as often as I do, I feel really safe and secure when I visit the Atlantic, and certainly wouldn’t want to stay in one of the more tourist areas.



The food is not fantastic but there is always something different every night, and the entertainment is fantastic last years Lion King was unbelievable!



My parents in their 70's came with me in 2006 and they thought it was the best place they had ever visited, and they were really spoilt by the staff.



I would say to people don’t be put off going, outside the Hotel, just be firm, my parents went everywhere, to the market, the Cathedral for Sunday Service and they had no problem at all



Please don’t be put off by some of the review, The Atlantic is a fantastic place to spend a holiday in the Gambia

Having decided on The Gambia for our winter sun holiday, we chose the Corinthia Atlantic Hotel in Banjul for its location away from the more crowded beach resorts along the Atlantic coast in spite of some rather negative reviews we had read. First impression was one of drab brown, beige and dark corridors and a similarly dated room with cigarette burned curtains sagging from missing curtain hooks, brown bedspreads and brown floor tiles. Everywhere was dark from too small energy saving light bulbs. The bathroom was rather dated, and evidently the Gambians are not great at tiling and grouting.



However, having said that, the overall atmosphere at the hotel was friendly and easygoing, it was spotlessly clean, and after a day we never noticed any of it again. The staff was so extremely friendly and smiling and did everything possible to help us with anything. The buffet restaurant food for both breakfast and dinner was varied, plentiful and well made. At the beach bar however, even the same dish varied quite a lot from day to day depending on who made it, but still quite good. Considering the poverty you see all over the country, prices in the hotel were not cheap and almost like UK prices.



The Hotel has its own spacious beach which had been was reinstated a few years ago after serious erosion, and was now quite wide and clean and was patrolled 24 hours a day to keep the “bumsters” at bay. The local boys operate Juice bars on the beach right next to the hotel and at half the price they are worth trying, if only to provide them with a little income.



Some of the locals we spoke to were resenting the fact that the Hotel was now Libyan owned, and that the profits were not reinvested in the country, but repatriated. A recently arrived new manager also seemed to unsettle the staff a little, but as far as guests were concerned, most things seemed to work well. They ran out of marmalade for a few days, they ran out of white wine for a few days, and they ran out of ham for their ham sandwiches, but as always, there were alternatives.



We were originally told that the Hotel no longer accepted credit cards, but they actually did. All charges were made in Sterling though and converted at an exchange rate 20% below the rate available in the banks in Banjul, and it was the same situation when changing money, so my advice is to take the trouble and go into town to change.



The hotel no longer accepts cash payments for any purchases in restaurants and bars, but charges everything to the room. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at The Atlantic, and although in my opinion it is not a 4 star hotel as claimed, it provides for a great holiday, and we would certainly come back again.

Located right on the beach, it is a pleasant hotel with friendly staff.



There is a gym, which is fairly poorly equipped but they also run aerobics classes, and carry out beauty treatments.



There were plenty of sun beds round the pool.



The breakfasts were nice, if not fairly standard buffet type food.



Evening meals were a little less nice - there are 2 restaurants, one serving buffet type food - that people on half board get for free, and an al a carte restaurant - the al a carte restaurant served really nice food, but it’s certainly not a cheap option.



The buffet food really wasn't that great, and unfortunately there aren't very many options outside of the hotel.



The biggest single annoyance though is the fact that every time you step out of the hotel (and assume it’s the same with all the hotels in the area) you get accosted by young men wanting to befriend you - they will follow you down the street, and are quite friendly, but can get really quite wearing - it made me reluctant to leave the hotel, which is a shame.



Rooms were large and clean - not sure that it is really a 4* hotel, but nice place to go for some winter sun.

An ideal hotel to laze your days away toasting yourself in the lovely Gambian sun.



The hotel is in need of a good overhaul as far as maintenance, cracks in walls, poor balcony door security, doors don't lock, even after 2 complaints to try to fix them.



The food compared to 2 years ago is awful, everything is spiced, three quarter cooked potatoes, and if you like apple pie, cooked and presented in a different way every night.



No fresh fruit, 10mins wait while eggs are fried, the hotel over charges for drink, under pays on currency exchanges, over priced for bottled water.



Mosquito bites are a regular occurance, whilst sat in the dining room and bars, particuarlly on the lower legs, when placed under or close to the underside of tables, whilst dining or drinking.



This hotel does not warrant 4 STARS, or the equivalent rating.