Hotel review: la Maison du Bonheur
I spent a weekend in Ngor during the summer, staying at the hotel La Maison du Bonheur, which I had previously visited with my girlfriends. Here is my review.
The hotel is located near the second beach of Ngor, just past the Yadikone restaurant. We were welcomed by the manager, a very nice guy who tried to make our stay pleasant. The hotel is beautiful and filled with themes centered around notable historical figures like Abbé Pierre, Bob Marley, and Nelson Mandela. It features a pool and a unique hanging bridge, which is its main attraction. Each room is decorated based on a theme. We stayed in the Ernest Hemingway room, which had a sea theme. It was a spacious room with a boat bed and a sofa bed, a separate toilet and bathroom, air conditioning, and a small fridge. The bathroom was stocked with amenities like bathrobes, towels, and toiletries. The room was actually quite nice.
The room entrance
Welcome drink
Unfortunately, our stay was not pleasant at all. The air conditioning was turned off at night to save energy, and we had no control over it. Although I knew about this from the online booking information, I hoped they might make an exception since we were the only guests at the hotel. Thankfully, the weather on the island was pleasant, so it wasn't too hot in the room. They also provided a fan.
The second issue was the lack of water. Apparently, they emptied the pool on the night of our arrival to fix a broken light, and the next day, they turned on the water faucet to refill it. This meant we couldn't get water upstairs. I understand that water can be scarce on an island, but when you have guests, you should make the necessary arrangements to ensure they have access to water. They could invest in a water pump, for example. I had to complain several times. As a solution, they turned off the water downstairs so we could take showers, and they provided us with two water buckets. On the first night, we had only hot water, and on the second day, when the water came back, it was only cold. Needless to say, I was seething at this point.
I had to recycle an orea cup my son was eating from.
The final issue was the food. On our first morning, we had breakfast at the hotel. We were served cheese omelets with bread, butter, hot cocoa or coffee, and juice. The entire meal cost me 21,000 XOF ($35 or €33), but it was really not up to par. I've had better breakfasts elsewhere for less.
Cheese omelette with bread and coffee
As an apology for the lack of water, the owner offered us a free breakfast on the day of our departure. We had crepes with Nutella and butter, but they didn't have fresh milk, so we couldn't have lattes or hot cocoa. Apparently, the milk hadn't arrived from the mainland yet, and this was almost noon. The crepes were good enough but nothing special.
Crepes with juice
I do not think I will return to La Maison du Bonheur anytime soon. I regret spending that much money on such a poorly run hotel. If I added a little bit, I could have enjoyed a pleasant stay at a better hotel in town. I think I was fooled by the pictures. Some of the staff really tried to accommodate us, but it wasn't enough to appease my frustration.
The boy trying the hanging bridge.
Let us talk about the obsession the owner has with Abbe Pierre. This public figure has recently become problematic in France. But his image is everywhere in the hotel.
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