4th time we stayed here, and yes its not brilliant,but it is a 3rd world country,and they do their best.we love the hotel ,you cant beat the staff for friendlyness.they help as much as they can.when we left they had not been paid for 2 months but where still as good .cant see that happening over here.the bumster outside the gate are annoying but with a bit of colour and a stern no ,you are fine.there is water basketball at 2pm usually europe vs gambia,great fun,then either volleyball or the gambias favorite passion ,football at 5pm gmt (gambian maybe time) also some entertainment on a night and table tennis,although all entertainers claim to be the champion.you need a torch on a night as mansea is on a dark 'road' we didnt feel nervous ,we forgot ours.the breakfast is poor but if you ask you can get boiled eggs, or friendly staff will bring in something for you.all in all a good relaxed hotel that doesnt cost a fortune,we will be going back,dont forget everyone out there is trying to make some money,be wise and youll be fine.

The mansea beach hotel considering you are in the gambia is a first class place to stay.a palace compared to what the every day gambian has to live in! my wife is blind and we have travelled the world including a stay on the qe2 and flying concord.

We have always been treated with the greatest of respect by the staff and although basic the rooms are always spotless, more than can be said of a few hotels in the uk.
mansea beach hotel! thank you.

Have stayed here 5 times now.It not perfect by a long way.It is only 2 star remember.The quality of the fittings not wha you would expect at home but does it really matter whether a draw or cupboard shut properly.Rooms cleaned every day with towels changed daily and sheets twice week.The staff wont be beaten anywhere,they very helpful will do anything for you.Get friendly with them they often invite you back to see how they live ( no catches )My kids choose to come here rather than the usual tourist places with shops water parks etc.Its not perfect but if you want a relaxing holiday in the sun away from the norm give it a try.i promise you come back again.

Firstly let me say that this was our tenth visit to The Gambia and we have stayed at Senegambia, Kombo Beach, Sunset Beach, and Palma Rima previously.

We have also looked round other hotels to check on what else is available. We are therefore well used to the low comparable standards of accomodation that this 'poor' country has to offer and have always been able to cope with it.

Then we came to Mansea Beach over Xmas this year and found it to be far and away the worst most apalling hotel we have ever encountered, wether in The Gambia or anywhere else in the world for that matter.

The rooms are in a disgusting state of dilapidation and need total renovation. The electrical points are in a dangerous condition and the plumbing is haphazard at best. Several of the guests when we were here commented that it was like 'Tenko' (remember the TV programme about a Jap prisoner of war camp?)

We asked for a fridge in our room and paid extra - when it arrived there was more rust on it than white and it contained several cockroaches inside!!

The breakfast buffet is simply awful, with minimum choice and constantly running out of things. The female members of staff tended to be rather surly, although most of the male ones tried to be helpful.

It was quite amusing to be sat by the pool and watching a batch of new arrivals being taken to their rooms - then to see several immediately coming back out to be moved to other rooms, only to find out that they were no better!!

We saw bumsters being allowed into the pool area that were brought in by guests. One morning a female guest arrived at the pool area at 8am with 2 of these characters - all 3 were drunk and they continued drinking and using hotel facilities, alongside families with children who were also sat around the pool.

My recommendation is that if you are planning to come to The Gambia - pay a little bit more and stay at either Kombo Beach, Senegambia, or Kairaba - avoid Mansea Beach like the plague!!!

I arrived at this hotel on Christmas eve but was met by disapppointment as the hotel was very dark and dismal - all the light fitting all over the hotel are the standard used in public toilets back in England - a shade screwed into the ceiling with a 20 watt low enegery light bulb in it. I had to use a torch in the middle of the day to read a book in my room - no exaggeration. The other electrical fixtures in the room were extremely dangerous i.e. bear wires hanging down from the light bulb in the bathroom, sockets that were hanging off the wall in the bedroom. The bedroom itself was minute - a single room that had had a double bed put in it, therefore we had to limbo betweent the wall and the bed to move round the room. From listening to other guests this was a good room, despite our room overlooking the back of the hotel where the kitchen were and the rats congregated for leftovers - yuk!!!

Breakfast was very poor with the best thing on the menu being bread and jam. The staff were very slow to put food items out and you would often see a sign describing a food item to find it was not there or had not been out all morning. The staff gave me the impression that a cup of tea was too much trouble and I often went and fetched it myself, only then to be scowled at by someone who's job it was but could not be bothered.

The pool area has been renovated this year and is a pleasant area to spend the day in. That is if the guests don't bring their new local lovers back drunk at 8 o'clock in the morning and then they insist that the pool staff get the bar staff to open up so that they can start drinking, dancing, swearing and generally making everyone feel uncomfortable. This all carried on in front of the hotel manager and security - but hey-ho they were all having a good time - except the paying guests!

I have stayed in Gambia for many years and have stayed at a variety of hotels. I appreciate that this is a third world country and that standard are far from anything in Europe etc. However, I have to say that despite booking a cheap and cheerful holiday at Christmas we were still appaulled by this hotel.

Despite this hotel being dreadful we did not let it spoil our holiday and we did have a good time in the Gambia as we always do but we will never book this hotel again and would not recommend that anyone else done. Please avoid it like the plague.

Have visited Mansea about 6/7 times now. Situated near to the beach and Senegambia but nicely away from the hustle and bustle. Rooms good, beds and towels changed every day. Staff excellent. Cheap and cheeful