Hotel Blue Sapphire

I was booked into this hotel for an overnight layover from Dar es Salaam airport. I was connecting a flight the next morning. The hotel is very convenient for a layover as it took under 10 minutes to get to the hotel from the airport. That might be the only positive thing about this hotel as the place itself badly needs maintenance and attention to detail. As soon as you step into the entrance door, a strong, unpleasant odour hits you. The odour lingers all the time at the reception area. I suspect it could be from the huge rug at the reception as I couldn't figure out what else could hold such a stench long enough to be noticed by successive travellers over several years. The fabric covering the lounge chairs is dirty and worn out - the chairs look filthy. There is an ever-present unpleasant smell in the rooms - different from the one at the reception - but just as unpleasant. The furniture in the rooms is chipped and has visible signs of wear and tear. There are stains in multiple areas all over the room which makes you doubt the overall cleanliness of the place. There are two telephones in the room but both didn't work and I had to walk down to reception for simple communication. The geyser, which is awkwardly positioned inside the bathroom, was rusty and started dripping in the night. The workmanship around the plumbing is poor - the plumbing sticks out of carelessly drilled oversized holes in the wall. The mattress felt worn out from years of overuse - if you have a sensitive back - it may just trigger back pain. Needless to stay, I slept poorly and couldn't wait to leave the next morning. There was a tiny towel by the shower entrance to catch the water which readily overflows from the shower onto the rest of the bathroom floor. The hole draining water from the shower was blocked and the water was stagnant for a while after the shower. The hotel is along the road so noise will always be present. I took advice from TripAdvisor reviews and picked a room away from the road - it is indeed less noisy but my view from the room was worn out roofs, huge storage containers, and nearby construction. The place may work for travellers that don't mind where they sleep, but for someone who is particular about where they stay and how they are treated the whole experience will be awful. The whole place gives a "we-couldn't-care-less-about-your comfort" vibe. The rooms don't seem to be regularly inspected by anyone to check if things are in order. For a place that is so convenient for airport transit passengers, it's a shame that no effort has been put into making the hotel pleasant and welcoming as it will always have guests.

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