Accra’s Hidden Treasure: Best Western Plus Accra Beach Hotel

When I first heard the name, (which’s quite long ) I asked myself, is this place new? When did it come on the scene?

And then I searched on Instagram, saw dope pictures, looked at the location and thought… no way! Right in the heart of town, and yet so idyllic!

A friend later told me that it was previously known as Dutch Nshona Hotel but Best Western acquired it and changed the name to Accra Beach Hotel.

I ubered myself there on Friday night because my car was with the mechanic (😒). The journey from my house to the hotel took close to an hour because of traffic but ordinarily, it should have been 40 minutes tops. The road network is fairly good and the hotel was easy to locate. 

I was greeted by one of the staff and my luggage was taken from the car when I arrived. I thought that was attentive and noteworthy.

The first thing you notice even before you get to the reception is the size of the property. It is huge with a big compound! 

Environment /Ambience 

My room which had a beachfront view was spacious and very cosy.

 I particularly liked the fact that the bathroom was spacious and different compared to most bathrooms in hotels I’ve stayed at. There was a bath, shower and hand-wash basin in one room and the toilet in a different space.

I later changed my mind because of the inconvenience it presented. I like to wash down immediately after I use the toilet but because the bathroom and toilet were in different spaces, I had to travel across the room to wash down, and that was uncomfortable. But damn! The bathroom was spacious.!

I totally indulged myself by soaking in the bath and drinking champagne! That was such a beautiful experience for me because it was the first time I was having a bubble bath!

Listening to some soul music and doing the whole champagne thing was incredible! I felt very grown and coming of age-ish.😄

The TV had a decent number of channels – CNN, BBC, Showmax, MNET Movies, and Super Sports 3 which I believe is a fair representation.

I am a child of the sea so any seaside place is my jam, and Accra Beach Hotel was no different. Just hearing the waves of the sea throughout the day and night definitely increased my dopamine!

 However, because it’s in Nungua township, as much as the hotel tried to exist in its own bubble, it couldn’t escape the noise coming from the neighbourhood, especially from churches. Maybe because my room opened on to a church across the street, I could really hear it and it kinda diminished the experience for me. 

I didn’t bother with the WiFi password given to me because the signal strength was low, besides my mobile internet had a stronger speed so I didn’t see the point in using the wifi. 

However, the experience will be different for a foreigner who has no option but to use the WiFi. I believe the hotel should change its internet service provider (ISP).

 I didn’t go down to the beach, but from my room, I could see that there was a lot of debris on the shores. Management must really try harder to keep it clean!

 Their poolside is aesthetically pleasing and gives great Instagram shots! I mean isn’t that what we’re all about these days?😄 We go to places where we can get Instagram-worthy shots!

And oh, the lobby/dining area and terrace is another winner for ambience and Instagram-worthy photos! It’s upscale but cosy with lots of woodwork, African inspired design, velvet armchairs and a large crystal chandelier right in the middle which gives a warm glow to the lobby!

 When I was checking out on Sunday, I saw a number of wedding parties coming for their wedding photography at the hotel. That should tell you where to go for your slay Insta photos 😄.

Food and Drinks!

Their breakfast buffet was underwhelming.

Buutt… what I loved about it and I believe it’s one of the few places I’ve seen it done, was that the vegetables for the salad were placed on ice. And if you follow me on Twitter (which you should if you haven’t) 😄,  you know that this is a big deal when it comes to food safety. 

 This meant that someone was paying attention to food safety in the hotel. 

The dining room has an interesting set of furniture, you can totally ‘hide’ there without being seen by other guests!

I judge a restaurant’s cooking by how good their Jollof tastes, and sadly their kitchen failed in this department!

But other foods tasted really really good! Especially their calamari kebab. I couldn’t stop eating it! 

And the club sandwich too , I mean club sandwich is so basic, so if you fail at it then you might as well close shop 🤣.

I also think their mixologist or bartender needs a crash course in how to make world-class cocktails because the martini 🍸 I ordered wasn’t up to standard.

It was cloudy in appearance. And I had to tell them to add green olives, which were just poured into the drink instead of being ‘tooth-picked’ as is the norm. (um if you didn’t know, now you do 😄).

They also didn’t have red wine! Which was horrifying!  How do you not have red wine! At such a hotel! On a weekend! That was definitely a minus for me .

But their champagne collection was excellent and impressive! So I guess I can forgive them for the martini and red wine blunder 😄.

Service! Service! Service!

So so important to any establishment and their guests! Especially to a hotel of that calibre! 

It’s not 💯 but its commendable. They took longer with some requests and were swift with others. So I’ll say it was  50/50.

 The staff were attentive though and eager to amend their mistakes if you pointed it out to them. I remember Nii Alabi and Portia as well as Emmanuel at the front desk

Is there room for improvement? Absolutely! 

Prices

Rooms :

Standard GHC702 $120

 Deluxe GHC761  $ 135

 *Beachfront GHC1053  $182*

 Family room GHC1097  $189

The buffet is GHC80 if you walk in 

 Prices of food on the menu were moderate, I think. The most expensive for me was the seafood.

 I personally make it a point not to eat chicken and meat when I stay at a beachfront hotel. I go heavy on the seafood and that’s what I stuck to throughout my stay.

Rating 

3.5/5 – I believe this is fair 

Food – 4/5

Ambience – 4/5

Service – 3/5

Amenities – 3/5

Security – 4/5

Professionalism – 3.5/5 

Conclusion

If you’re looking for your next getaway in town but to a serene place, Accra Beach Hotel must absolutely be your place of choice! 

My friends on snap just couldn’t get enough of my snaps and what I was showing them.

I actually felt sad checking out but alas, not every good experience lasts forever.

Will I return given the opportunity? Absolutely! And this time I promise not to be cooped up in my room like I was on this trip, but lounge by the poolside and do more dining in the eclectic lobby/restaurant.

Now please let’s talk in the comments section:

Did you know about this place ?

What did you like most about my review?

Are you interested in going there after reading my review ?

Have you done a weekend getaway? And how was it ?

let’s gist !

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