Date of review:1 Mar 2011
If you want a relaxing week with guaranteed sunshine, in a nice hotel with friendly and helpful staff and don't mind spending the majority of your holiday in and aro
und the hotel this is the place for you. Would definitely go again
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Date of review:1 Feb 2011
The Atlantic Hotel is perfectly OK for lazing about the pool or beach, but it comes into it's own as a base for exploring Banjul and The Gambia. It is clean and comf
ortable and the service is fantastic. Food can vary from bland to excellent. My only complaint is the expensive bar prices and the rip off exchange rate used when you pay your bar-bill by credit card at check-out time.
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Date of review:1 Feb 2011
The location, value for money hotel and instant access to the beach was brilliant, the staff were very friendly and helpful, the food was ok however the drinks were
very expensive in the hotel and around the pool area. Entertainment was good and the pool and overall cleanliness was very very good. On the down side, we felt Thomas Cook scared us into going outside the hotel, the trips on offer by Thomas cook were extremely expensive, we found our own guides outside the hotel (bumsters) as some people call them, they made our holiday, we had a friend took us around and showed us the sights, at a fraction of the price the hotel wanted, we did not feel threatened at all.
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Date of review:1 Feb 2011
This is the 6th time we have been back to this hotel and once again it was a wonderful experience. We will be booking again for next year this weekend. The only one
thing that went wrong was that Thomas Cook double booked our extra legroom seats on our flight out to Gambia, but the representative at the hotel sorted it out and gave us our money back within 2 days of telling him about it. So well done rep.
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Date of review:1 Feb 2011
We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday and will consider returning. It is an ideal location. Ony 6 hours from England, the same time zone and guaranteed perfect weather.
The hotel was as expected and the staff were friendly and accommodating. On the down side and these are not major issues but did impact on the overall quality of the stay. The food although plentiful and varied did lack taste i.e. a curry for instance seemed to have missed out on the curry paste. We did mention this to the manager. The quality of the food was good but bland. The prices charged in the mini bar were at least 4 times the cost of the prices which could be bought outside the hotel. The oridarry bar prices again well exceeded the prices outside the hotel. The entertainment could be improved by having a themed night where where local clothes could be purchased so helping the local people. Outside the hotel the bumsters are a real peoblem and many did not venture outside the hotel because of the hassle. The pool and jaccuzi were also very cold. Back staircases were also in need of decoration. A television channel advertising the hotel would also be useful as would a music channel. Most of the comments are really not to much to instigate. The hotel shop could also be made more of. Trips with Thomas Cook are expensive and we travelled with local boys which were perfectly good and much cheaper. Banjul itself is very poor and it is a shock to see how the people live. What ever the hotel can do to improve the life outside the hotel should be welcomed and as much local produce should be sourced. Training for the staff on particualry the the bar service would help and forgoodness sake replace the beer pumps which were useless. It took ages to pull a pint and it was transferred from one jug to another and then not kept cold. This is not a resort where you can go out in the evening and find local good bars or restaurants. Choose another Gambian resort if thats what you want to do
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Date of review:1 Jan 2011
This was our third visit to this hotel so this review is not based on a single experience.
Firstly over the last four years the hotel has done very little to reduce
the problem that it has with mosquitoes. When I talked to the manager about this his attitude was to say the least very arrogant, as though I didn’t realise that this was Africa..!!. The hard fact is the mosquito problem within the lounge bar and lobbies could be massively reduced by the use of either burning incense rings in the evening or by installing some of the ultra violet light electro bug zappers that you often see in kitchens or food shops. The hotel just won’t spend the money.
Secondly, as you’ll get to know, the Atlantic are charging 5 star prices for what is a very low 4 star hotel (in fact I think it would really struggle to be classed as a 2 star these days) Trapped as you are with very few places to go outside the hotel (especially if you are new to Gambia) and with the new strict regime of checking your bags to stop you bringing in even bottles of water, tourists have little choice but to pay the extortionate rates in this hotel. Typically a Sprite or Coke 330ml bottle costs 40 Dalasi where outside it costs just 10. Diet coke… well that doubles to 80 Dalasi in the hotel so just hope you’re not a diabetic.
Thirdly, the previous manager Rod started to make some real improvements. Since the hotel changed hands these have stopped and the place is showing its age. The building needs a great deal doing to bring it back to its former glory, the staff try their best but are limited due to cost on what they can do. Typical example of this is the sun beds by the pool. ALL of these have been repainted and most are badly cracked or split (in the UK or Europe they would be banned on H&S grounds)
All in all I would no longer recommend the Atlantic to friend (although I might to a few enemies lol )
However that said, that staff are excellent and can never do enough for you (and no it’s not only just for the tips) Many clearly recognise that the hotel leaves a lot to be desired and are trying their best to make your stay enjoyable.
Gambia… We LOVE it a will keep going back…. but not to the Atlantic.
One issue I would like Thomas Cook to review is the “Extra Leg Room” facility that you pay for. As usual we did this and once again had problems with other passengers thinking that they could invade our extra leg room space at will, without a by or leave of decency. Having been kicked several times whilst I snoozed, The final straw was one passenger, whilst invading our space to stretch and bend his legs, repeatedly passing wind in our faces. The onboard staff appeared powerless to assist us and it is about time that Thomas Cook notified passengers that those in the extra leg room seats are there because they PAY for that privilege.
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Date of review:1 Jan 2011
Friendly staff & guests,but very expensive drinks.
Date of review:1 Jan 2011
Airline was good and relativlet=y short flight time to get to guarenteed sun location.
Accomodation is clean and tidy but dated and could do with a bit of a refurb h
ere and there. Rated as 4/5 star hotel but really it does not compair to other 4/5 star hotels we have stayed in, would compair it more to a 3star.
All staff are very friendly and efficient. Good selection of food and drink.
Tea,coffee, wine and beer are all nice to drink which usually these drinks can be a bit different in these "poorer" destinations
We just wanted a break to relax & soak up the sun, it was ideal for that. The weather was fantastic.
Now knowing what to expect we would return again for the same sun and easy going atmosphere.
All in all we had a good time.
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Date of review:1 Feb 2010
Have been to Gambia many times and you either love it or hate it. Bumsters are still a problem outside and around most hotels, but just ignore them, do not speak to
them and eventually they will give up, it is illegal to be a bumster so look out for a policeman and they will disappear!. If its a first time go on the trips, you'll learn a lot, or get a waiter or hotel staff to take you on the trip it'll be cheaper and just the same. Atlantic is a good hotel and the food is very good gets better if more people are in the hotel, BBQ night is not the best, meats are tough and dry because they are cooked inside the kitchens then brought out and put on BBQ. Hotel drinks are dearer but then aren't all hotels in england dearer then supermarket!! Staff are brilliant and very helpful, staff shows are very good but never change from year to year like they used to. I travel alone, and go on the local transport buses and it is a great way to meet the locals (not bumsters) who are lovely people and very friendly, most mini bus fares are approx 6 dalasi (40 to the pound) so are very good value, once away from the hotels no-one bothers you. They all barter for best prices except supermarkets so if you don't like bartering go the the supermarkets, some really big ones open now in Westfield and Kololi. Sunshine is guaranteed most days so an ideal holiday in the sun, but season is only from November to April.
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Date of review:1 Jan 2010
We decided to get away from the winter and booked the Gambia with Thomas Cook the hotel and staff were great and looked after us very well what great people always o
ut to please
As a hotelier the accommodation provided was good and very clean no problems at the hotel our issue is with the reps who seem just to want to sell trips
We were delayed going out to The Gambia by bad weather ..issue with the commuincation from Agents at Gatwick .. lack of There should have been reps with us all the time as they do in Belfast put up in a hotel great thanks but again lack of communication somew passengers missed flight due to this Great Holiday there but delays in getting back again local rep not telling us the truth and disapearing when needed ..selling more trips to newly arrived guests.....
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