Hotel Slipway

Rooms and decor

Picture a small boutique hotel of just 28 rooms tucked onto a point that juts out into the Indian Ocean — that's Hotel Slipway at the tip of Dar es Salaam's Msasani Peninsula. The building is low, only a few floors, designed to blend into the East African coast, painted in cream-white tones against warm brown wood. Open the door and you find a simple, provincial-boutique feel: a big bed, sheer white mosquito netting in the tropical style, cool tile underfoot, and a ceiling fan turning slowly overhead. Many rooms have a small balcony that opens onto Msasani Bay and a line of sailboats, with sea breeze drifting in cool all day. Other rooms face the green garden inside the complex, just as quiet. Guests say much the same thing: you wake to soft waves and shorebirds, step onto the balcony, and watch the sun come up over the bay — a moment that feels far from the city even though you're still in Dar es Salaam.

Food and amenities

What sets Hotel Slipway apart from other hotels in town is being part of The Slipway, a small waterfront lifestyle complex that expats and locals in Dar es Salaam know well. A few steps from your room you reach a row of shops — craft souvenirs, a bookshop, a balcony café looking out to sea, and 4 restaurants serving Western, Indian, local seafood and contemporary African food. Stay several nights and you can rotate dishes every day without leaving. Don't miss The Slipway's open-air craft market every Saturday and Sunday, where local makers set up stalls of bright kanga cloth, carved wood, beaded jewelry and souvenirs at friendly prices you can haggle down a little — a far better way to take something home than buying in a city mall. The complex also has Ocean Spa for massages and treatments using local aromatic oils, a good stop after a day out. The waterfront bar is the favorite evening spot for many — sip a drink and watch the sailboats come back in against the sunset.

Location and getting there

The hotel sits at the far end of the Msasani Peninsula, a point reaching into the sea in northern Dar es Salaam, an area known for its easy coastal mood, waterfront restaurants, cafés and the city's expat community. The streets around it are considered safe and easy to walk by day. The closest sight is Coco Beach, the beach Dar locals love, just about 2 km away — a 5–8 minute drive — lively every evening with restaurants and beach stands. If you like snorkeling or clear water, you can take a boat from The Slipway's own jetty out to Bongoyo Marine Reserve, a coral island about 30 minutes away. Getting into the CBD takes a 20–30 minute drive depending on traffic; use the hotel car or a Bolt/Uber for a safer, steadier fare than a street taxi. The Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) is a 30–45 minute drive, convenient enough for anyone connecting onward to Zanzibar or a Serengeti safari.

Things to know before booking

To make the decision easier, here's the honest read. The first thing to weigh is the distance from the city center. If you're coming to Dar es Salaam mainly to work in the CBD or visit the National Museum, you may find it's more driving than you'd expect, and evening traffic in the city runs heavy — budget extra time. The second point reviews raise is that the rooms read plain and a bit dated, not the grand luxury of a beach resort; furniture and bathrooms in some rooms look well-used and could stand a refresh, so dial expectations down a notch if you're after polished luxury. The third is that the hotel has no pool of its own, so if you want a swim to cool off after sightseeing you'll need another hotel's pool in the area or a dip at Coco Beach. On top of that, on evenings when there's an event at The Slipway, some sound from the complex's restaurants and bar can carry; if you sleep lightly, ask for a higher floor or a garden-facing room, which is quieter than the street side.

Our take

After reading the real reviews and weighing it against the standard of the area, Hotel Slipway sells "a Msasani Bay waterfront location plus The Slipway complex with everything in one building plus an easy coastal mood" with a charm all its own. If you're planning Dar for 2–3 nights before connecting to Zanzibar or a safari, and you want an easy waterfront base near Coco Beach with shops, a craft market, a spa and several restaurants to wander without crossing a road — this fits the bill, at a price you can manage. But if you're here mainly for CBD business, or you expect a luxury hotel with a sea-view pool and polished rooms, this may not be your best choice. Overall we give it 8.2/10, best for couples and easygoing travelers who value the coastal setting and the convenience of an all-in-one complex more than plush rooms.