Omali São Tomé

We stayed at the Omali at the beginning and the end of our Trip to Sao Tome & Principe for 2 nights each time. We booked throuhg a travel-agency, so transport and all was taken care of and worked without a hitch. As part of the "honeymoon-package", we got a free room-upgrade and were greeted with a bottle of Champagne once we got to our room. All in all we were quite happy with our stay, our introduction to the islands and the way we were treated at Omali. Arrival: We got picked up at the airport by a driver clearly identifiable by his wooden sign - though even "rival" taxi-drivers were directing us to him once we explained we had an arranged transfer. Check-in was quick and painless, baggage was taken to our room, which was bigger than we expected and everything worked as it should. Room (we had the Twin Room with Balcony): ＞ AC in both segments of the room ＞ Beach-towels and a bag to carry them to the pool or beach ＞ Shower with adequate water-pressure ＞ Mini-fridge, potable water, lemongrass to make tea and ground coffee to make in a french-press. (Though on our second visit, sadly the lemongrass was moldy) The rooms felt like they were being kept up, small things like slightly visible mold in bathroom seals, balcony doors having some gaps (which will make AC a bit less ecological) were noticed but nothing out of the ordinary for such a humid place. Food: The selection of warm foods for lunch or dinner is good, as is the quality! We felt prices were fair (compared to the CH, maybe not difficult...) - keeping in mind, that on an island, stuff just is more expensive, if you have to import it even more so. The much hyped chocolate-mousse didn't quite meet our expectation, though maybe thats not fair coming from foodies that love desserts and make them all the time. The cookie with peanut ice-cream on the other hand was delicious! Breakfast exceeded our expectations - it is of course not a standard european breakfast, so some things are "missing", but fresh fruits, baked goods (banana-cake, french toast) more than made up for that. Staff: We were always treated very friendly and felt welcomed from start to finish! From pick-up to check-in and being served at mealtime, staff was always accomodating, tried their best communicating in english with us and we always felt seen. Which we later learned, isn't a given even in a more expensive hotel on Principe... Location: Given that Omali was our "warming up" and "saying goodbye" to the two islands, we didn't much use the hotels amenities - gym, pool, tennis court went unused. It is nice though to just step outside the hotel and be greated by the view of the ocean. On our first day, we went on a trip walking alongside the beach to the capital Sao Tome, which was quite an experience. We were a bit taken aback by how quickly we entered what we identified as a slum-like district, but even though we felt like we didn't belong, there wasn't a moment were we felt unsafe. All and all, we enjoyed our time

This was definitely a terrible experience that we will not repeat. On one of the days we stayed at the Omali Lodge in Sao Tome, we got to our room and there was a huge crab in the toilet bowl. We contacted reception, and a cleaning lady came and pushed it down the toilet and flushed it. We changed rooms and that was that. Later the same day, we were feeding dogs who were roaming outside the Omali restaurant, when the hotel's General Manager, Mr. José Miguel Ferreira Mendes, told us, in a very rude and annoying way, that we couldn't do that because then the dogs wouldn't leave and would come back for more. We asked to speak to him to understand the reasons for his rudeness and to better understand why street dogs are outside Omali Lodge, when they can be better tended and cared for by the hotel staff in other areas. We also discussed the event earlier that day. His response was to completely dismiss the situation and to disrespectfully make light of the situation. His rudeness and his dismissive attitude prompted us to check out of the Omali Lodge then and there and move elsewhere. Such behavior can never be condoned and must is least accepted from anyone, and even more so from the hotel's General Manager. He told us he has been here for years and years, but the staff, who treated us very very well told us that no one likes the General Manager. Since we were there for business, we understand the value and time a good clean hotel gives and Omali seemed just right till this happened. Clearly, it is obvious that Mr. José Miguel Ferreira Mendes is not fit to handle customer complaints, lend a listening ear, and resolve problems from their root, let alone manage a hotel.

Booked with Omali lodge and it was a lovely stay with them. I somehow get a family room for myself (maybe I booked it wrong) and it’s party time haha! When I stepped into the room, I love the fresh smell in the room. I arrived around 4pm and I stayed in the room most of the time after except dinner since I really like the smell . Let’s talk about dinner, indeed the waiting time is a bit long but I ordered the grill fish and it was delicious. The staff here speaks decent English and I enjoyed my time here

We transferred to Omali from a different hotel, 4km away. Omali offered a transfer at an eye-watering price of 25 euros *per person*. A five minute car journey for two people at 50 euros was a somewhat insulting and bizarre offer. There are large ants all over the hotel, including inside the rooms. The food was delicious, but more than double the price of good local restaurants. On our second day, three large crabs had made their way into the pool and these were not removed for over an hour until we had to remove them ourselves. The hotel advertises itself as having a fitness centre, but you have to request a key to use this. Also slightly strangely the general manager asked on the third day why I wanted to use the gym every day. Overall, there are certainly better value for money options on the island.

It‘s and old Lodge Style Hotel with ground and 1st flor bungalows. When I give 5 Stars it‘s because I believe it‘s the best hotel in São Tomé. Best and expansive but that‘s Africa. Good Management and staff bring the really best Food onto your table. Small desadvantage: they let enter native kids in the Pool for a fee which makes it a bit noisy on weekends. Anyway, a good idea.