When it came to choosing my hotel in Saly, Hotel Neptune stood out to me as looking the most authentic among my choices from TUI.
Saly is a beach resort area in the Petite Côte region of Senegal with high-end hotels and restaurants along its coast. Although Hotel Neptune is not beachfront, it is still nicely set up for beach fans and does have its own beautiful private strip of blonde sand to lounge on, albeit one minute away.
Set the scene
Hotel Neptune is a 4* African-style hotel located in the sea resort of Saly on the Senegalese coast.
The hotel is an authentic, welcoming and comfortable establishment surrounded by tropical vegetation and 150m from its private beach.
Hotel Neptune comprises 60 suites in African-style bungalows ranging from Standard Suite, Superior Suite and 2, and 3-bedroom Villas.
Location
The hotel is 800m from the central square of Saly’s fishing village, 5 miles from the north of Mbour and 50 miles from Dakar.
There are restaurants, shops, bureau de change and banks nearby, and a casino and craft village are also in close proximity. Airport transfers are available, and there is also free private parking at the hotel. For local food nearby, check out the “white house”.
When you are ready to explore the island, the hotel can organise tours, or you can use Get Your Guide or Viator.
What can we expect from the bedrooms?
Neptune offers individual thatched accommodation set in tropical gardens.
The air-conditioned suites at Hotel Neptune each have a satellite TV in the spacious living room. Each suite has its own bathroom with a bathtub.
I stayed in a well-appointed Deluxe double room, which was huge and had a separate living area. The room was equipped with AC, satellite TV, mini-fridge, Wi-Fi, shower, toiletries and mosquito nets on windows.
Some sustainability aspects are noted, in that the hotel have ditched the mini toiletries in favour of bulk dispensers in the shower, and a deposit taken for beach towels.
Some bungalows comprise a sun terrace and a seating area. They have private bathrooms and double bedrooms with double beds or sofa beds. The hotel also offers rooms with views of the garden.
Facilities etc
Neptune features a sizeable outdoor swimming pool and jacuzzi, a massage service and a private beach.
There is also a fitness room and table tennis. The hotel’s private beach is equipped with high-quality sun loungers and umbrellas and is only 150 metres from the hotel.
Other facilities include a souvenir shop, conference room and seminar rooms. There’s free WiFi throughout the property, a restaurant, bar, laundry service and beauty salon with massage service (with extra charge). The hotel also offers table tennis, pool activities, and water sports on the beach (surcharge). The hotel also provided impressive evening entertainment throughout the week, during dinner with live music and free onsite private parking.
How about the food and drink?
My stay at Neptune was on a half board basis. Breakfast and dinner are served in the restaurant overlooking the pool.
Breakfast consisted of a selection of pastries, cereals, yoghurt, fruit salad, juices, tea/coffee, and eggs cooked to order.
Dinner was a combination of French and African cuisine and served an impressive three-course meal each evening instead of the usual buffet. The service was attentive, and the menu offered a good selection from the French menu.
Enjoy top-class cocktails while cooking in the jacuzzi. I recommend the Hotel Neptune. Again, noting sustainability, I loved the bamboo straws – far better than a useless paper ones and added character.
Evening entertainment while eating dinner was delivered by a talented team of musicians, displaying a mixture of Senegalese and international songs.
What about the service?
The spirit of Teranga! An excellent 5* service that has you wanting to return. Everyone here are exceptionally helpful, attentive and intuitive of needs, and despite my minimal French, they couldn’t do enough to help.
What type of person stays here?
All types – be it solo travellers, couples, groups or families.
What I loved about here was the mixture of tourists and Senegalese, making it feel authentic. The location also means you can get out and mix with locals and get a proper feel for the country and its people. I stayed here on a TUI package, and when speaking to those that opted for RIU they said the food was awful and they were in the middle of nowhere.
Is it worth it?
Yes!!! The only downside is it’s not beachfront, but the alluring pool more than made up for it. Plus, the beach is only one minute away. If you want to get as much of a feel for the country as you can in a tourist area, this is a good choice. You can get out and meet people, and the service is second to none.
Address: BP 742, Mbour, Senegal
Telephone: +221 33 957 23 20
Wifi: Free and fast
Price: Part of a package
