Ocean Bay Hotel & Resort

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Peaceful and pleasant hotel Recently returned from Ocean Bay where we spent 11 nights The hotel is lovely, gardens are beautiful , reception very impressive Hotel is on the beach, lots of sunbeds bith on the beach and around the pool so no need to get up at stupid o'clock clock with your towels 😉 Our room was very nice, we were in block 2 right near the pool and reception , our cleaner Sara was very efficient, bedding changed regularly, bed very comfy, towels changed when you wanted them changed Entertainment team are amazing, they try their best to involve the guests in various activities throughout the day. They are all very hardworking and a credit to the hotel We stayed bed and breakfast, majority of guests were there all inclusive though. Breakfast was fab, a great selection and all fresh, can't comment on evening meals as we never ate there at night, partly because it was expensive if you weren't all inclusive. I did enquire what the cost was if we upgraded to all inclusive but it was around £96.00 a day for 2 of us, hence we didn't bother as we would never have been able to eat and drink that much 😄 We ate at the a la carte Little Buddha one night , food was very good and reasonably priced Do try Gibbis on the beach, just down the road from the hotel, food and drink was very reasonable 👌 Solemelos was very nice too, as was Calypso The staff were all amazing 👏 We have been going to Gambia for many years but this was our first time to Ocean Bay, whilst we don't have any complaints or negatives about our stay I don't think we will return there due to it being a bit out of the way for us If you want a lovely hotel , beautiful gardens, very relaxing and chilled Ocean Bay is perfect 🏝🏝

Wonderful holiday. The staff were superb, kindly, friendly and attentive. The food was excellent, especially the fish (red snapper, barracuda, butterfish and more!) and there was a wonderful range of fresh fruit. The beach was lovely with very easy access (not many hotels have this in the area) and the sea great to swim in, if somewhat bracing. A big thank you to the ladies at the spa. Both excellent value and wonderful massages. The hotel grounds are beautiful and very well looked after and the room had the three facilities we needed: a good shower, a safe and a very comfortable bed. The local trips are well worth the money and the Gambia is a country worth exploring. The botanical garden up the road is worth a quick trip and supporting with a donation! The two young gentlemen with the white horses on the beach are just lovely and what an amazing sight! All in all, excellent value for money, more than worth the flight and a wonderful experience all around. Thank you for looking after us so well.

Third visit to The Gambia and third hotel we have tried. A very nice hotel and we enjoyed our stay but the experience is spoiled by its over- use of plastic which is unusual in this day and age. Thousands of small plastic water bottles issued every day: get water dispensers for guests to refill bottle (if a problem as not all guests AI, put behind bar) Every cocktail gets 1 or 2 plastic straws and a plastic stirrer: use paper straws, wood stirrers. Tiny plastic shower and shampoo bottles: put dispensers on wall and refill, cheaper for hotel and a lot more environmentally friendly. We had a seaview ground floor room which was spacious, clean and comfy. Plenty of storage in bedroom, hostess tray, fridge, free safe etc, furnished terrace. The bathroom was badly designed: a corner shower which involved partly climbing over the toilet to access, absolutely no storage for wash bags and no hooks. Would not be difficult to retro fit these. The shower was always hot but the shower head was not secure and kept falling forward; reported but nothing done. The dining area had inside and outside areas, generally too hot for lunch outside as no shade but more tables moved out in the evening if you asked to be outside. A good selection of food at all meals but we did find things weren't always topped up when emptied. We also found all dishes to be quite spicy compared with the other 2 hotels we stayed at. Service was good and tables cleared efficiently. You can order coffee at the table after the meal which was nice. In the evening the entertainment was visible from the dining area. We didn't use the pool, preferring to go to the beach, but there didn't seem to be many sunbeds for size of hotel. The beach and sea are lovely. Plenty of sunbeds and shade and the lovely beach boys bring beds and towels (please remember to tip everytime). There is a beach bar for drinks and snacks. There are 3 delightful beach dogs who come and sit very politely when you arrive to see if you have any food. Please give them a fuss and feed them; they take the food very gently and wait their turn: no arguing or fighting. They also appreciate a tub of water if none has been left for them. The grounds of the hotel are landscaped and well kept with a variety of birds and an occasional monkey. The spa is excellent value, get your pedicure and toe nails varnished the day you arrive for 750 dalasi. The staff are all very friendly and work hard, they need tips so they can pay bills all year as the season is only 6 months so please tip daily and generously. They all go back to their villages after their shift so need cash daily. Thankyou to all staff for ensuring that we had a very enjoyable and relaxing week.

This was our second stay at Ocean Bay. It is peaceful and relaxing - if you want raucous music during the day or at night, it is not for you. The rooms are spacious and kept clean and tidy with (unusually these days) clean towels every day. The air conditioning is really efficient; there’s a ‘fridge and there are tea/coffee-making facilities. However, if you don’t want straightforward tea or coffee, it’s best to take your own. This is a local issue and not specific to the hotel. Every review bears witness to the brilliance of the staff. They all want to please their guests and ensure that they have the best holiday possible. It’s unfair to single out individuals because you tend to have more interaction with some than others. Amazingly many remembered us from last year which we felt honoured by. The system around the pool is really efficient; the two pool attendants put out your sunbed complete with towel and mattress - if they know that you’ll be there during the day they do it without you asking. They even come and put up or move the parasols for you. The pool itself is a good size for ‘proper’ swimming or just having fun and cooling off. The Spa is great. This year we booked in for several treatments (beauty and massages) and they were lovely and very reasonably priced. The entertainment is the best I’ve ever had at a holiday resort; that is regardless of whether it was to my taste or not. The entertainment team themselves are all hard-working, talented people and we highly recommend their in-house evenings as well as the water polo, aquarobics, darts, pool etc. Someone has commented about the seating arrangements at night. We liked the fact that you can have your evening meal outside around the stage area and stay there for as long as you like. The area in front of the stage, although rather large, is thus reserved for those who want to dance. The rooms are in separate blocks and there was a slight glitch with hot water during popular times for showering etc. in our block. However, that was remedied the next day after a visit from the plumber. (I mention this owing to a negative comment by another reviewer). The beds are comfortable and there is a safe for valuables. As others have said, book your outside trips and excursions with the local guides outside the hotel. Lobbeh, the Guest Relations wonder-woman, will arrange for someone to come to the hotel to discuss options with you. We prefer all inclusive and have not been disappointed with the food; it’s plentiful and beautifully cooked. The salads are scrumptious and the hot food variety is excellent. There’s a hot pudding (with custard) on offer every night and that, to an English group, is heaven!

Great hotel 🤩 Rooms are very clean & comfortable nice decor fridge in room good size wardrobe. The staff are all really friendly & helpful. Nice breakfast lots of choice Beautifully kept gardens & pool area. There are tour guides outside the hotel I recommend using them (G boy) was a fantastic guide with so much knowledge of the area he looked after us all week