Description: The hotel is a former farm and it was built in the early 1900s. The hotel consists of several cottages and buildings and they were not that impressive at first sight and some of the buildings looked a bit old and worn out. I shared a room with a friend and the room was OK. In the room we found a couple of beds (a bit too hard for my likings), a little wardrobe with some hangers, a little desk and a bench, no TV or mini bar. The room was not well lit and I had trouble reading at night. There were no air conditioning, but the windows had mosquito nets so we could keep them open all night. The bathroom was tiled and had a bath tub that also worked as the shower. Sometimes the water had to run for a few minutes before it started warming up. There were not any extras to be found apart from a couple of little soap bars.
For breakfast we got fruit/corn flakes and after this I got a plate with egg (prepared in different ways), sausage, bacon, and toast and served with tea/coffee. Dinner was an already prepared menu and we got soup, a starter, main course and then dessert and cheese/crackers. It was a pretty filling and tasty meal. And you don’t find many hotels were someone walks through the garden and rings a bell when dinner is ready to be served :-)
The hotel features a big and wonderful garden. It seems like everything blooms here. Around the garden chairs and tables can be found so it is possible to have a cold drink outside in the shadow of a tree. How about having an ice cold Kilimanjaro lager while you have a great view of both Kibo and Mawenzi on clear days? :-) It is also possible to borrow a croquet set and play on the lawn.
You can find a couple of souvenir shops located next to the reception. And if you want to cool down a bit it possible to jump into a pool. We tried it out and the water was refreshing :-).
But the best thing about the hotel was the hotel owners and staff. They were all so kind and so friendly and kept saying "Good luck" and "Don’t worry" before we set out on our Kilimanjaro climb. They all seemed to play for the same team and they were very serious about their business at tour guides on the mountain.
Conclusion
I have no problem recommending the Marangu Hotel as accommodation or as a tour guide when it comes to trekking on Kilimanjaro. The hotel may have a pretty basic standard compared to western standards but the staff makes you feel like you’re at home with their friendly attitude and their smiles. They seem to care for each and every guest and that makes the stay special.
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