Hotels near Makumbusho, Dar es salaam

I recently stayed at Johari Rotana in Dar es Salaam, and it offered a polished and luxurious city hotel experience with excellent service and impressive views of the waterfront. The hotel’s location is one of its strongest points—situated in the city center with easy access to business districts and key attractions, while also offering beautiful views of the Indian Ocean and the harbor. The overall setting feels both strategic and scenic, especially from the higher floors. From arrival, the service stood out. The staff were professional, welcoming, and attentive, ensuring a smooth check-in and a comfortable stay throughout. The attention to detail and hospitality standards reflect a high level of international quality. The rooms are spacious, modern, and elegantly designed, with large windows that maximize natural light and showcase stunning city or ocean views. The beds are very comfortable, and the bathrooms are well-appointed with premium finishes, making the stay feel genuinely upscale. Dining was another highlight, with a strong variety of international and local cuisine. Breakfast offered a wide selection and high-quality presentation, while the restaurants provided a refined dining experience overall. Facilities such as the pool, spa, and fitness center are well-maintained and add to the sense of a full-service luxury hotel. Overall, Johari Rotana is an excellent choice for both business and leisure travelers seeking comfort, convenience, and modern luxury in Dar es Salaam. It delivers a consistently high standard of hospitality in a prime city location.

The resort was definitely much smaller than it appeared in the pictures, but it was very nice indeed. Beautiful clean white sand, a lovely relaxing vibe, and generally pleasant surroundings. There is not much to do apart from swimming for my six-year-old, but that in itself was enjoyable. It was peak season, therefore it was a little bit crowded, however not to the point of total discomfort. The staff were pleasant and accommodating, and the restaurant food was mostly very tasty. Our one suggestion was well received, and likely to be rectified soonest. Nice breakfast spread - included all the stations, but the hot food selection could be a little more exciting. It would be great if the hotel itself could organize one or two activities. There was a volleyball and an attempt at a game the guests tried to pioneer which never quite happened. The rooms size is sufficient, nice big bed, my only complaint would be the fact that the fridge can be difficult to locate as it is very strangely positioned and hidden behind some panels. The central air conditioning seemed to be off in certain places, so it was hot in the corridors, fortunately the room air conditioning works very well. There isn't really anything in the way of fast food places and restaurants in close proximity, so only the hotel restaurant. This is fine for a few nights, but would probably get tedious for a longer stay. We enjoyed our stay overall, and would recommend and visit again!

Poor service at the reception, I was asking the reception to help me print several pages of documents on 6th March afternoon, the girls at the reception said no and ask me to send the file via email to the hotel. And the ironic is: printer exactly aside the reception. What a wonderful service!

I felt the security measures were very well implemented, which I believe is crucial in Africa. The hotel facilities were also quite good. I even watched a few World Cup matches on the TV, which left a great impression.

The room was decent, and the hotel generally has good facilities for Africa. However, you must be careful with the front desk. They offered to arrange a taxi, then claimed someone would be sharing the ride, and then tricked me into taking an unlicensed taxi. It was actually hotel staff who did this, which was very dangerous. I gave the driver a tip and got out as quickly as possible. Who knows where they would have taken me late at night? It was extremely unsafe.

My mum and daughter stayed at the hotel for two days, they like the place and the breakfast. One comment is that, better to inform the guests beforehand that the rooms compliment are Not free of charge.

Cons The location is not bad, but I wouldn’t say it is particularly good either. There is a market directly behind the hotel, and depending on which room you get, you may hear loud music and people screaming from tents as early as 5 a.m. It can be extremely noisy. The internet did not work at all in the first room I was given. I was moved to a room farther inside, facing the market, where the internet worked, although the signal was weak. Unfortunately, that meant I had to put up with crazy music and shouting until early morning. Every night, there was loud banging and music that continued until around 5 a.m. I’m not sure whether Ugandan food itself is generally not very good, or if I have simply been unlucky with the hotels where I stayed, but the food has not been very good. Pros The room is a decent size, and I liked the fact that the door could be properly closed and locked. I also appreciated having a refrigerator, although it barely fits into the doorway. Tip The first photo shows the exterior of the hotel, but once you go inside, it actually feels like a proper hotel. The other photo shows the view directly below my room. The hotel really needs to improve its internet service. The connection either doesn’t work at all or is simply too weak. The staff are friendly and helpful. Unlike Entebbe, Kampala is chaos itself.

The facilities nearby are very convenient. For breakfast, you get a voucher at the front desk and then go to the Shaxian Snacks next door. The food is simple but decent. There's also a Chinese supermarket and a gym nearby.

Fantastic location. Lovely hotel design. Lots of space. I've styed here a few times in last couple of years and always loved it. Usually there's some minor malfunction with a room, which is not unusual in most hotels globally but especially Tanzania. This time however, it was bad. There were 3 of us in two rooms. Toilets had not been cleaned in either room when moving in. One so bad, we had to move rooms. Broken light bulbs were not replaced for days, bathroom fittings were falling apart, My room Safe did not work and never got fixed after 5 days - not ”couldn't be fixed”, just did not even bother to try). Air Con in one room broke down. One minute they said they were just going to do it (this was 1/2 a day following reporting it), then said they had already done it and the other person was wrong, but actually it had still not been fixed. Eventually, it took 10 minutes to fix it. I hate to complain like this because I've always loved staying at this hotel. The staff have been great, as have the facilities and location. With better management, staff training, and budget for better maintenance, this hotel could again become one of the best in Dar Es Salaam. I am hopeful it will happen as I would like to stay again.

The service was satisfactory, the staff listened to it was quite nice