Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort & Spa

Rooms and decor

Picture a small West African country many people could not place on a map, wrapped on three sides by Senegal, with a short stretch of Atlantic coast about 80 km long — that is The Gambia, and the most polished spot on that coast is Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort & Spa, the only Marriott-family resort in the country. It sits on a low cliff at Brufut Heights, cream-and-pale-yellow blocks under soft-orange tiled roofs, with paths winding through a garden of tall palms, giant baobabs several hundred years old, and bright tropical flowers. The 181 rooms and suites spread across the main block and garden villas, finished in warm cream offset with teak and cool tiled floors that are kind to bare feet. Reviewers consistently call the rooms clean, the beds soft and properly thick, and the linen better than you would expect in a small country. Private balconies face two ways: an Ocean View room gives you the deep blue Atlantic and the low sound of surf on the cliff all day, while a Garden View looks into the shaded palms and baobabs, with local birds dropping onto the railing. Suite villas run wider, with a separate sitting area for couples.

Food and amenities

The real heart of the place is not the rooms but the garden, designed to feel like a private patch of tropical forest. A large free-form pool sits in the middle of it like a lagoon, ringed by loungers and natural-grass parasols, with a pool bar pouring cocktails and fresh juice all day. Walk a little deeper and you reach Shewula Spa, with couples treatment rooms, West African herbal therapies, a sauna, and a 24-hour gym — plus, to many guests' surprise, a tennis court and an outdoor yoga studio. Dining spans several areas: an international breakfast buffet that reviews single out as varied and fresh, an a la carte restaurant, and a poolside menu that runs from true Gambian plates like domoda, a peanut stew, and benachin, Senegalese-style jollof rice, all the way to pizza and steak. It is enough range that you could happily eat in for the whole trip.

Location and getting there

What makes Sheraton Gambia different from anywhere else in the country is the Brufut Heights clifftop setting. It is about 15 km southwest of central Banjul and just 7 km from Banjul International Airport — a 10-minute drive. Anyone landing late on a direct flight from Brussels, London, or Amsterdam will understand what a relief that is. The building sits on a low cliff that steps down to a private beach; a few minutes down the stairs and through the garden and you are on the sand. The beach here is quiet and clean, the Atlantic surf moderate, with local fishing boats passing now and then. The public strips at Kololi and Senegambia, about 5 km south, hum with restaurants, bars, markets, and small hotels — and Sheraton Gambia parks itself just far enough from that noise. It is close enough to taxi over for local food and nightlife in minutes, but far enough that you sleep without music from a bar drifting in. For nature, you can reach Abuko Nature Reserve to the north in about 30 minutes for crocodiles and native birds, or take a boat on the Gambia River; the resort arranges the lot.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The thing reviews mention most is that the building has aged. The resort has been open for years and parts of it have not been fully refurbished — some balcony furniture is faded, and a few bathrooms (especially in the entry-level rooms) show their use. If you are expecting the bright, brand-new feel of a Marriott in Bangkok or Singapore, recalibrate; this place sells setting and location, not newness. Second, the in-room Wi-Fi is less stable than at the lobby and pool, and a video call can stutter at times — anyone working remotely should buy a local Africell or QCell SIM as backup. Third, the location is quiet and set apart from local life: if you love prowling markets, trying street food, and meeting people, the resort can feel like an island off the country, and you will be in a car every time you want a change of scene. Last, the kids club and children's program are light — there is a pool and a wide garden, but no daily kids' schedule like the resorts in Phuket or Bali, so families with young children should pack some of their own activities.

Our take

After reading through hundreds of real reviews across several years, Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort & Spa is the most balanced choice for anyone who wants to experience The Gambia in comfort, without roughing it. Its strengths are ones you simply cannot get elsewhere in the country: a 10-minute airport run, a private clifftop beach, a genuinely lovely tropical garden, a full spa, and the Marriott cleanliness standard that reassures a first-timer in West Africa. It suits honeymooners after a quiet resort in a country that is not yet crowded, business travelers flying in to meet or to connect onward to Senegal and the Casamance, and families with older kids who want everything in one safe place. But if you are a backpacker chasing intense, on-the-ground Gambian life, or you expect a glossy, brand-new 5-star like the ones in Asia, this may not be your first pick. Overall we give it 8.2/10 — the score reflects the completeness of the amenities and the charm of that Atlantic-cliff location, minus a little for the age of the building and the reliance on taxis.