Oyster Bay: Our full report

Owned by the team who run the top-end Beho Beho Camp, in Nyerere National Park, The Oyster Bay Hotel is in ...

... the 'Oyster Bay' district of Dar es Salaam. The hotel overlooks the Indian Ocean and is about a 15-minute drive from the city center and about an hour from the airport.

Unfortunately, Oyster Bay closed permanently in 2023 and we understand there is no plan for it to re-open.

Travellers don't usually come to Dar es Salaam to visit the city, they come to stop over en route to Tanzania's game parks or islands. Hence the owners have tried hard to make sure that the hotel immediately relaxes its guests – most of whom will stay for 24 hours or less.

After driving through Dar's hectic traffic and noise, the Oyster Bay had quite an impact: cool, calm, neat and stylish. That said, meeting Sebastian, the manager, it started to feel a bit like going home for the weekend (although it's much larger, and more stylish, than most houses!). It feels like nothing would be too much trouble – for example, meal-times and menus are totally flexible, which is just what you need between flights.

The Oyster Bay's eight suites all have ocean views – although there is a fairly busy road in between the hotel and the ocean. Fortunately there's quite a high white wall around the property, and so it's easy to forget the road completely whilst you are there; it's certainly not a disturbance.

The suites have been designed in a minimalist style – with white walls, muted colours and a plasma TV. That said, lots of wood and the occasional piece of African art keep it from feeling cold or impersonal – and they've done a great job of integrating clever lighting with natural materials in a number of different fittings, some of which show off the Oyster Bay's scattered pieces of quirky wooden art to great effect.

Each suite has a huge king-size bed, covered in layers of pristine white linen. French-doors open onto a small balcony (all the rooms face the ocean), and have a large en suite bathroom with a free-standing bath and a stylish, walk-through shower. Everything feels contemporary, modern and quite luxurious.

The Oyster Bay has a natural and elegant feel to it, which is reflected in the furnishings and spaces throughout. The spacious central areas are fresh, contemporary and elegant. Heavy wooden doors shut out the heat from the streets of Dar and lead into the sizeable dining and sitting rooms and a small study. All of the rooms are crisp and chic and have been decorated with natural fabrics and furnishings.

The sitting room has large sofas, funky wooden stools and wicker chairs on which to relax. These surround large wooden coffee tables which sit on woven rugs covering the cool floors. There are many quirky ornaments, such as a large wooden dog, tall, twisted wooden poles and a couple of wooden giraffes, dotted around the rooms. Lighting has been cleverly used in these central areas: shades and bases are different heights, colours, styles and fabrics and they all add intimacy to the rooms, especially in the evenings.

To one side of the sitting room is the dining room. This is dominated by an oblong, wooden dining table, which is surrounded by modern white and black chairs. There are wooden ornaments and black and white prints hanging on the walls.

Glass doors lead out from both the sitting and dining rooms. The same design features inside have been applied to the outdoor areas, retaining continuity and familiarity. As well as a large, sheltered dining table used for al-fresco lunches there is a cool and relaxing gazebo area, which overlooks the lawn and pool, and a 15m lap-pool (it's long and thin) set into the landscaped garden with comfy, wooden loungers (plenty of cushions!) on the deck. As you'd expect, stay for more than a few minutes and someone will appear to offer you a drink or a snack!

The lawn is large for a city hotel and home to some beautiful, overhanging trees – watch out for the bats visiting at night! There are also three impressive, metal sculptures here, which were designed and made by polio sufferers and add to the artistic feel of the hotel.

Because of the situation and design of the Oyster Bay, it's very easy to forget that you are in a major African city. There is very little noise from the streets and although the rooms and everything in them is large, it manages to retain the warmth and charm you would find from being in a friend's home.

Our view

If you need to stop in Dar, or you're staying here for a few days, then we doubt that you'll find anywhere that's more stylish, flexible or welcoming than the Oyster Bay Hotel. It's a very good small, boutique hotel with its accent placed firmly on pampering and relaxation. The Oyster Bay is also the costliest place in town – but then for its very high standards and delightfully relaxed ambience, we also regard it as very good value.

Jessica Plumb

Country manager: Tanzania

Geographics

Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Ideal length of stay: It is great for an over-night stay if you need to stop in Dar es Salaam.
Directions: It's about an hours drive from the airport - although times can vary hugely depending on the traffic. Oyster Bay has its own car and driver.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Full Board
Food quality: Each time we have visited Oyster Bay we have found the food to be really excellent. We also love the fact that they are completely flexible with their meal times, and they will fit around whatever times work best for their guests. So even if your flight is delayed there will be a nice dinner waiting for you when you arrive.

Breakfast – You can choose to have breakfast either in the dining room, or your own room – very handy if you have an early morning transfer to the airport, There is choice of a light breakfast (muffins, toast, fruit, yoghurt, cereal) or a cooked breakfast – and it's very nicely done.

Lunch – The last time we visited we had a delicious lunch sitting outside. We enjoyed chicken skewers with a satay sauce, this came with fresh rolls and a selection of salads (feta and tomato, beetroot, potato, and a green salad), all washed down with pimms and white wine! The food was fresh, tasty and beautifully presented.

Dinner – This was served at the dining table. We started with a very tasty butternut soup which was followed by beautifully spiced vegetable curry with papadums and jasmine rice, and then a decedent banana and amarula tart served with vanilla ice cream.

Oyster Bay is very happy to cater for all tastes and ages as long as they have prior notice.
Dining style: Individual Tables
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Further dining info, including room service: Yes
Drinks included: Drinks are included.

Special interests

Solo Travel: The Oyster Bay Hotel is a great choice for solo travellers in Tanzania. It’s a very stylish, but equally informal, home-from-home, with communal dining hosted by an attentive team. You can expect a particularly warm welcome at Dar’s best hotel.; See ideas for Solo Travel in Tanzania
Luxury: Providing a luxurious space in a contemporary African design, with an emphasis on exceptional comfort, Oyster Bay is perfect for an opulent stay in Dar es Salaam. The rooms have four-poster beds, sumptuous linen and balconies overlooking the Indian Ocean.; See ideas for Luxury in Tanzania

Children

Attitude towards children: Children are welcome at The Oyster Bay Hotel as long as they are under parental supervision, especially around the pool area.
Property’s age restrictions: There are no age restrictions.
Special activities & services: There are no special services for children at The Oyster Bay Hotel, although child friendly meals can be arranged on request.
Equipment: None.
Generally recommended for children: As The Oyster Bay is a luxurious, boutique style hotel, we recommend only older children stay here. It's not the place to take noisy or uncontrolled children.

Communications

Power supply notes: There is 24 hour electricity in all of the rooms.
Communications: There is good mobile reception throughout the hotel.
TV & radio: There is WiFi throughout the property and TV’s in the rooms.
Water supply: Mains
Water supply notes: Bottled water is supplied.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended: Yes
Medical care: The nearest clinic is a 15 minute drive away from The Oyster Bay Hotel. Some of the staff are trained in basic first aid.
Dangerous animals: Low Risk
Security measures: The Oyster Bay Hotel sits behind gates which are only opened when guests are entering or leaving. There are two Maasai guards on duty at night.
Fire safety: There are fire extinguishers and smoke alarms at The Oyster Bay Hotel. Some of the staff are trained to use the extinguishers.

Activities

Cultural excursion

Extras

Disabled access: Not Possible
Laundry facilities: Laundry is included here - but you will need to allow 24 hours for the housekeeping to get it back to you. Those using Oyster Bay for an overnight stop will probably not have time to do laundry here.
Money: There are electronic safes in the rooms.
Accepted payment on location: As almost everything is included, they aren't anticipating anyone needing to spend money there. If someone does, they will cross that bridge when it happens!

Room types at Oyster Bay

The bedrooms at The Oyster Bay Hotel are cool and contemporary...

There is plenty of space to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet...

...or to catch up on the latest news on the modern plasma TV...

Views of the ocean are possible through the french doors

Colours are muted and compliment the natural materials that can be found in all of the rooms

The walk-through shower and free-standing bath are very funky!

You can expect fluffy, white towels and high-quality, complimentary toiletries

1 of

Suite

The large Oyster Bay suites are cool and contemporary. They have been furnished in the same vain as the rest of the hotel: natural and chic with an Africa twist.

They have been decorated with calming colours: fawns and light browns and have a stylish feel to them. There are modern touches all over the rooms - a plasma TV, WiFi connection, air conditioning, funky art and furnishings. As in the main areas of the hotel, there is a lot of wooden furniture, adding to the natural feel of the place.

The walls have been painted a fresh white and have wood-framed artwork on them. The large double bed dominates the centre of the room and has been placed between two oblong, woven wood light fittings. A floor length mirror free-stands on the floor and there is a sofa and a desk. Rugs frame the bed and as in the dining room, the light fittings set a certain atmosphere. Despite the size of the rooms, they don't feel at all sparse, yet have a minimalist, stylish feel to them.

All have views over the ocean which can be admired through glass, French doors or from a small balcony.

The last time we visited Oyster Bay (September 2016). We were very impressed by the fixtures, fittings and the layout of the rooms. A great deal of thought has been put into the design and specific feel to the rooms.

The large bathrooms at The Oyster Bay Hotel are all en suite. The furnishings are in keeping with the rest of the hotel, in that they are crisp, elegant and natural. There is a free standing bath and an entirely separate 'walk through' shower.

Fluffy white towels and complimentary toiletries sit alongside the sink. There is an oblong mirror above the sink and stylish lights either side of it. There is a ceiling fan and views over the garden and pool.

There are pale blue tiles in the shower and this is the only splash of colour in the bathroom, but they don't feel in the slightest bit clinical.