Highlights

• Popular restaurant for visitors and locals alike.
• Large garden space terrace with parrots.
• Central safe location.
• Great service by Portuguese management.

Background

Situated at the central point of Bissau-Guinea’s largest city, Bissau, Coimbra Hotel and Spa displays its unique atmosphere in a fascinating transformation of a rustic colonial mansion to a modern hotel. Run by Portuguese owners, the Coimbra Hotel and Spa is the only place you’ll want to stay in Bissau.

Experience

Coimbra Hotel has 28 rooms including three apartments for guests requiring a long-term stay. I stayed in one of the regular rooms on the top floor located down the corridor or the main building. The hallways showcased African culture through antique colonial furniture, old paintings, and photographs. The room was simple yet cozy. It featured air-conditioning, a mini-bar, TV, DVD and free wifi. My favorite part was the high vaulted ceilings and the expansive balcony overlooking the street and cathedral. The bathroom was basic yet had the necessities like a shower, sink and toilet.

On the ground floor of the hotel is the restaurant which faces the cathedral. With its large dining room and international buffet dinners, this restaurant is popular with visitors and locals alike. Service is friendly and there is a wide selection in the buffet for every taste. The cheese and bread selection was an especially tasty treat.

As Coimbra Hotel and Spa is located at the center of the city, tourist spots, restaurants and shops are easily reachable by foot or car. Fortunately the hotel arranged a driver to show me around the city. It is quite small though, so you can easily navigate it in a day.

The spa and gym downstairs provides a welcomed respite from the city. Your exercise needs will be met with their cardio and fitness equipment. In the spa, they even have a sauna and Turkish bath!

The terrace upstairs across the reception is quite green with bougainvillea plants and talkative parrots. It’s a great place to relax with a coffee and read a book or catch up with some work.

For business events or conventions, the hotel has a large auditorium that can cater for up to 144 guests. There is also a meeting room with a capacity of 24 seats. Catering and service are available for events here.

Overall, Coimbra Hotel and Spa truly stands out as an international property in a very basic city. With a great restaurant, a safe and tranquil environment, historic decorations, and facilities like the gym and sauna, it’s easy to recommend the Coimbra as the best place to stay in Bissau.

Contact
Coimbra Hotel and Spa
Address: Avenida Amilcar Cabral, Caixa Postal 1082, Bissau, Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Telephone: +245 321 34 67
Website: http://www.hotelcoimbra.net/website/index_en.html/