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Reviews of Balafon Beach Resort

3.5 out of 5
Balafon Beach Resort
Kololi Beach, Serrekunda

Reviews

7.4

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 18 out of 54 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 13 out of 54 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 13 out of 54 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 5 out of 54 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 5 out of 54 reviews" "

7.4/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Staff & service

7.8/10

Amenities

6.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Heather

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
All that a really good african experience should be. Lovely ambience from stunning beach views with palm lined sands and plenty of grass covered canapied umbrellas. The pool was crystal clean everyday and the food in the beach restaurant was amazing quality at really good prices. The breakfast was of high standard with plenty of choice everyday. There was different entertainment every night from african dancers and authentic drum players,to bands playing regiee music. The staff warmth and customer service was the best I have encountered in the 15 years I have been visiting the Gambia. Altogether a fantastic holiday experience
Stayed 10 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Sales and Marketing on Mar 24, 2024
we wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for the wonderful review you recently left regarding your stay with us. Your kind words truly mean a lot to us, and we are delighted to hear that you had such a positive experience.At Balafon Beach Resort we strive to provide exceptional service and ensure that every guest feels welcomed and valued. Your feedback serves as motivation for our team to continue delivering memorable experiences.Thank you once again for sharing your feedback. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future and exceeding your expectations once more.

8/10 Good

Mustapha

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Sales and Marketing on Mar 1, 2024
We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us.Take care, and we look forward to seeing you again!

8/10 Good

Elhadji

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023

4/10 Poor

Ernst

Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2023

6/10 Okay

Valeria

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My room was directly across from the kitchen and dining area. The noise often woke me in the morning. My room was not well maintained and upon arrival, the mirror had toothpaste spots which made me unsure of the cleanliness of my entire room. I saw a rat on the sidewalk one evening. The property was also not maintained well with broken fences and other repairs needed and a full paint refresh is necessary. The courtyard was not clean and the reception area was not welcoming.
Stayed 8 nights in Nov 2023

2/10 Terrible

Dabington

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Don’t stay here !!
Terrible! Total scam . Filthy and unfinished. Please do not include on the hotels.com website. Complete scam !!!
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

tykeen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I liked that it was exclusive to the beach and the warmth of the environment and staff.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

6/10 Okay

Sheila

Liked: Staff & service, amenities
The size of the room was spacious/layout was good. But i only stayed in my room 4 nights out of 14, due to it smelling like a public toilet! I brought this to the house keepers attention & she would use detol to disinfect the floor but this would only camouflage the smell before it returned. I did share this information with the night manager on duty on the 08/10 before vacating the hotel.
Stayed 14 nights in Sep 2023

2/10 Terrible

Takunda

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Bad internet, bad service, rooms not very clean. The tropical theme is good but Hotel maintenance is way below standard
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Richard

Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2023

6/10 Okay

Mussa

Traveled with partner
Liked: Amenities
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Customer service is poor in here, house keepers opens up your door without knocking, there’s no sign for “do not disturb”, and staff at the entrance does not welcome you at the check in or even at the checkout you do not get a simple “have a good day” from them.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

MOHAMED

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Drumming the Balafon Beat.
From our arrival we were warmly greeted by Mam Fatu and Oumar. During our weekly stay, we enjoyed an exceptional service by the entire staff mamaged by Cyndi. The pool was cleaned daily and our room was serviced daily with fresh linen and towels. Cyndi even provided my wife with brand new bucket she needed. Addou Mackhé the night shift attendant helped us get food late night after the restaurant was closed past midnight. Our daily complementary Breakfast was phenomenal. Fatou Bintu made some fabulous omelettes and pancakes. The private beach was very clean and the warn water ocean was perfect. The entire hotel was safe with daily and nightly security staff making there rounds. What i like the most was the atmosphere and the variety of the patrons. Kids are welcome, families and old couples stayed there during our stay. We've encountered European tourists, Americans, Jamaicans and locals as well as neighboorhing citizens from Liberia and Senegal. Overall the Balafon Beach Hotel Resort is a wonderful place to stay long term vacationning.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Mam Fatou Mahmoud on Jul 22, 2023
Thank you so much for the feedback Mr. Basse we hope to see you again Sir.

8/10 Good

Alexandria

Traveled with family
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness
Ok but won’t book again
The set up of the room makes watching the TV an uncomfortable watch. Cleaners were not consistent which often led to an invasion of ants. The WiFi was decent most of the time and the private beach is amazing. Most staff are friendly and welcoming especially the restaurant team. Hotel could benefit from having some hand wash and daily fresh towels. I’ve stayed apartments where cleaning is done daily therefore would expect the same from a 3 1/2 star hotel. I’m honestly not sure if I would stay here again but thought my stay was average and ok.
Stayed 14 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in May 2023
Response from Sainabou on May 18, 2023
Hello John, thank you for choosing Balafon Resort, we are so glad to know you had a great stay with us and we are looking forward to welcoming you again soon. Do have an amazing day.Best RegardsBalafon Team

8/10 Good

Moses

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Mam Fatou Mahmoud on Apr 30, 2023
Thank you for sending us your review, we hope to see you again.

4/10 Poor

Alexandra

Business traveler
Disliked: Amenities
Poor Reception at Front Desk. No doors in the shower. Bad internet service. Tv doesn’t work. No telephones in the rooms, can’t call in case of emergency or room service. No door handles on back door. No clocks to set alarm .Restaurant food & servers are excellent but Never expect a Smile from Restaurant receptionist. The Gambian cooks will go above & beyond eg. Famara Sanneh, Sarjo Jarjou, Kawsu Joof, Yankuba Dampha. Professional Grounds keepers/Pool attendants & our Room cleaners Sainey ,Salif & the sweet lady who joins them.
Stayed 14 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kay

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful grounds and rooms, access to beach for walking or swimming plus on site pools. Major negative is no relationship with taxis; I feel I was gouged every time I tried to take one.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023
Response from Mam Fatou Mahmoud on Feb 13, 2023
Thank you for feedback , next time if you want a cab please come to the reception and we will assist you with our best cab drivers to drive you any where you want to gowe hope to see you soon.

2/10 Terrible

Lynn

Disliked: Staff & service
Dishonest or incompetent?
It is a lottery to stay here. You can book their best beachfront plunge pool rooms 10 months ahead. You can email to confirm many months ahead. But if the administration book the same rooms multiple times it is tough. Rooms would seem to be overbooked and from what I saw randomly assigned to people who booked many months later. Whether the administration is handled manually it is hard to say. Whether the overbooking is accidental or intentional is hard to say. What I can say for definite is that it is not a one off. I overheard exactly the same conversation with another guest. Coming to any conclusion with the management proved impossible. When the story constantly changes and memory contested all faith in the managements honesty and integrity was lost. After 7 days of lies & obfuscation we realised that the non resolution was interfing with our ability to enjoy the holiday and felt that the only option was to leave and look for a property run with integrity. It is a shame it was a nice location and had potential were it not for the appalling management.
Stayed 14 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Reinhilde

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The own was excellent The staff was always friendly, smiling and helpful The garden on the hotel is beautiful
Stayed 14 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Kate Balafon Resort on Dec 13, 2022
Hello Reinhilde. We are glad you had an excellent experience at our hotel and we look forward to seeing you again. Thank you for this great review.

10/10 Excellent

Rekitha

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff was friendly and respectful from the time I arrive to the time I departed. Always a smile on everyone face was amazing. I love it there and wish I didn’t have to leave. The breakfast buffet is the best. I’m a breakfast person. The lunch was nice but the dinner was ok.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022
Response from Guest Relations Djeliba leisure Group on Nov 1, 2022
Thank you for your feedbackwe are glad you had a great stay with us,hope to see you soon

10/10 Excellent

Hawah

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Wonderful place to stay, amazing staff, delicious food
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022
Response from Chilel Semega JJanneh on Jun 11, 2022
Hello Hawah, We are glad you enjoyed your stay and we are looking forward to have you stay with us again.

2/10 Terrible

Darren

Stayed 10 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

William

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Choice!
I was very pleased with my stay at Balafon. All the important things were in place. Clean, quiet, good bedding, attentive staff, several pools, on the beach, in-room safe, good breakfast, good restaurant. Also had live music several nights a week. The only thing I would like to see improved is the wi-fi. It's very strong in the lobby, but spotty in the pool/restaurant area where you may spend a lot of time. It comes and goes, perhaps depending on how many people are using it, but it's not too bad. It usually comes back on relatively quickly.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2022
Response from Guest Relations Djeliba leisure Group on Nov 1, 2022
Thank you for your reviewWe are glad you had a great stay with us,Hope to see you soon.

6/10 Okay

Sabine

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
The area is fine. I really didn't like that they don't change your towels regularly and when you do get new towels they get thrown on the shelf. No care at all. The rooms are old and could really use an upgrade
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2022
Response from Guest Relations Djeliba leisure Group on Nov 1, 2022
Thank you for your feedbackWe are sorry you had a bad stay with us, All issues mentioned has been handled and renovation has been done. Hoping to see you again.

10/10 Excellent

Edward

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely smaller hotel
Lovely hotel! Right by the beach. Great breakfast with a friendly chef cooking your eggs in the morning! Walkable to the strip in the day time if you fancied a night out and of very short taxi there/ back. Only thing I would comment on is the lack of door in the bathroom. A curtain or something would be good at the very least!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2022
Response from Guest Relations Djeliba leisure Group on Nov 1, 2022
Thank you for your feedbackWe are glad you had a great stay with us, Your suggestion has been noted Hoping to see you again.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Things can only get better. 👍
Friendly greeting at reception. Walking through the hotel parts were unkempt, the main pool was filthy. I booked this hotel has a late birthday treat for my friend. The room needed cleaning, extra bedding and the tv only showed programmes in Chinese. We loved the style of the hotel, the staff were very friendly and accommodating. The area around the restaurant and small pools were clean, the ones I did see. Breakfast was lovely. I also stay in the Holiday beach hotel 2**for a few days 💯💝. I noticed the pandemic has caused disruption with a lot of the hotels, so I do understand. But for an all inclusive hotel, standards need to be better. Overall the staff were so lovely, so was able to overlook somethings. 😊 And I felt very safe staying there.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2022
Response from Guest Relations Djeliba leisure Group on Nov 1, 2022
We are so glad that we had a great stay with us and we appreciate this review. we shall continue to serve our guests the best way possible. Hoping to see you again

8/10 Good

Fred

Stayed 6 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2020

6/10 Okay

Delia

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 11 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Sales and Marketing on May 10, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We're glad that you found your stay satisfactory overall.We look forward to welcoming you back.

10/10 Excellent

Fred

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Everything was good
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Sales and Marketing on Mar 24, 2024
Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and we are thrilled to hear about your positive experience with us.Your kind words serve as encouragement for our team to continue delivering the highest standards of hospitality.Thank you once again for choosing to stay with us and for sharing your thoughts. We look forward to welcoming you back in the future for another fantastic experience.

8/10 Good

Luud

Traveled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Good and save hotel. Water in the pool little bit cold. Nice Staff. Entertaiment mediocre. Wifi can be better
Stayed 10 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Sales and Marketing on Mar 24, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your recent stay with us. Your comments are incredibly valuable to us as they help us identify areas where we can improve and continue to enhance the experience for our guests.Additionally, we appreciate your feedback about the entertainment options and the quality of our Wi-Fi service. Rest assured, we will take your comments into consideration as we strive to make improvements in these areas.Once again, thank you for choosing to stay with us and for providing us with valuable insights. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future and provide you with an even better experience.

10/10 Excellent

Katharina

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Sehr schöne Lage direkt am Strand. In der Nähe viele Restaurants
Stayed 11 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Sales and Marketing on Mar 24, 2024
Your kind words about our beach and the warmth of our people mean the world to us. Your recognition of these aspects of your stay is truly appreciated and serves as a testament to our efforts in creating memorable experiences.We are delighted to have had the opportunity to host you, and we hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable visit in the near future.Once again, thank you for your glowing review. It was a pleasure to have you as our guest.

8/10 Good

Marie-Sofie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 8 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Sales and Marketing on Mar 24, 2024
We wanted to personally reach out and express my sincere gratitude for your recent review. Once again, thank you for choosing to stay with us and for providing us with valuable insights. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future and provide you with an even better experience.

4/10 Poor

william

Disliked: Cleanliness
Stayed 8 nights in Dec 2023

6/10 Okay

Frode

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
January stay with beach view
Had a stay at Balafon for a week in the beginning off January. Rented their most expensive room with my own pool and seaview. Not worth it at all. The pool and the location is good. The staff are very polite and friendly. But the standard off the room is really not good enough. When you pirce this high the quality off the room should be much better. There is no door to the bathroom. It`s very close to the bedroom. Their is not possible to keep the sun out do to curtains than dont cover the actual space off the terrace door/window. So forget about sleeping after 0800. Needs a serious renovation and then they could have this price or even more.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Sales and Marketing on Mar 4, 2024
Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your recent stay with us. Your comments are valuable to us, and we take them seriously. We will review your feedback with our team to identify areas where we can improve and ensure that our guests receive the value and quality they expect from us.We hope that you will give us another chance to exceed your expectations and provide you with a truly memorable stay.Thank you once again for sharing your feedback with us. We value your patronage and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Baba

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024
Response from Sales and Marketing on Mar 1, 2024
Dear Mr Baba Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us.We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back again soon

6/10 Okay

MATIGIDA

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
L’hôtel a besoin d’un bon rafraîchissement. Les chambres sont très mal isolés..lorsque des passants ont des discussions notamment les personnes travaillant dans l’hôtel nous entendons tout depuis la chambre. Il y a très peu de lumière sur le chemin pour se rendre dans la chambre. Enfin, j’ai eu à attendre une heure pour être servie au restaurant.. bien qu’ils étaient une dizaine à ne rien faire.. j’ai du passer 3 fois commande.. c’était n’importe quoi.. la nourriture est pas très bonne.. l’hôtel en lui même est convenable mais ce n’est pas du tout un 4* même pas un 3* je dirai.. la literie laisse à désirer également, une forte odeur d’humidité dans la salle de bain avec une porte cassée… Pour les points positifs je dirai une belle piscine et l’hôtel est en bord de mer. Les personnes travaillant à l’hôtel sont sympas
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Sales and Marketing on Mar 4, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We appreciate your insights as they help us identify areas for improvement.We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you experienced due to the condition of our facilities and the insulation in the rooms. Ensuring our guests' comfort is our top priority, and we regret that we fell short of your expectations in this regard.Please rest assured that your comments have been shared with our management team, and we are actively working on solutions to address these concerns. We are committed to enhancing our facilities and ensuring that all our guests have a comfortable and enjoyable stay.We hope that you will consider giving us another opportunity to provide you with the exceptional experience that we strive to deliver to all our guests. If your travels bring you back to the area, we would be delighted to welcome you back and demonstrate the improvements we have made.Once again, thank you for your valuable feedback. We appreciate your patronage and hope to have the pleasure of serving you again in the future.

4/10 Poor

Anna

Liked: Cleanliness
Vi hade ett rum med swim up pool , men pga att vi bodde vid floden där ( som stank av avlopp) så kunde vi inte sitta utanför , stanken var vidrig. Rummet ok men slitet. Poolområdet strand och restaurang var jättefint.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sergio

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Patricia

Traveled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Hotel muy bonito, el personal es muy amable y la comida está buena! Por otro lado, el mantenimiento y la limpieza de las instalaciones se podría mejorar, pero no estaba sucio.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Sales on Nov 1, 2023
¡Gracias por tus comentarios! Nos complace saber que encontraste nuestro hotel muy bonito, con un personal amable y comida deliciosa. Apreciamos tus observaciones sobre el mantenimiento y la limpieza, y tomaremos en cuenta tus sugerencias para realizar mejoras. Esperamos recibirte nuevamente en el futuro y brindarte una experiencia aún mejor.

4/10 Poor

Caroline

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 15 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jose Luis

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Everything was ok. I’ve stayed at this hotel three times.
Stayed 12 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Mam Fatou Mahmoud on Jun 25, 2023
Thank you for sending us your feedback . you are always welcome Jose Luis.

8/10 Good

Helene

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fint hotell med direkte adkomst til stranden. Kanskje beste beliggenhet på Kololi beach. Deilig frokost og god service. Alle på hotellet var hyggelige og imøtekommende. Anbefales!
Stayed 9 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Mam Fatou Mahmoud on Mar 29, 2023
Takk for at du sendte oss din tilbakemelding, vi er glade for at du hadde et hyggelig øyeblikk, vi håper å se deg igjen

8/10 Good

Martin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Balafon on kotoisa hyvin hoidettu hotelli omalla kivalla poolilla ja rannalla. Alue on siisti ja aamiainen hyvää tasoa. Palvelujen on ystävällistä. Ilmainen wifi. Lähellä palveluita. Huone on tilava, joissakin oma pieni pooli. Huoneen kunto ja viimeistely jättää toivomisen varaa varsinkin kylpyhuoneen osalta. Voi suositella
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2022
Response from Awa on Jan 11, 2023
Hei Martin, kiitos paljon, että jaoit kokemuksesi kanssamme. Olemme niin iloisia, että viihdyit ja huomasit henkilökuntamme auttavan.Toivomme näkevämme sinut taas pian!

6/10 Okay

Pia

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 14 nights in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Sander

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Super
Geweldige ervaring. Omar heeft ons ontzettend goed geholpen met het ter plekke verkrijgen van een covid test voor de terug reis. De kamers zijn erg prettig maar vergeet noet dat je wel in gambia bent. Aanrader.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2022
Response from Rama on Feb 8, 2022
We are so glad that we have been helpful to you and we appreciate this review. we shall continue to serve our guests the best way possible. Hoping to see you again. Thank you Sander

6/10 Okay

loes, enschede

Balafon is een mooi resort
We hadden vier kamers geboekt bij Balafon. Dit was overboekt en daarom kregen we één kamer in Djembé. Deze kamer was totaal niet vergelijkbaar met de kamer van het het Balafon resort. Bij de receptie gevraagd of we dit konden wijzigen maar dat was niet mogelijk.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2018