Ba Residence in Dakar.

Ba Residence in Dakar.

I was in Dakar, Senegal recently. While I was there I was staying at a hotel that belongs to the famous footballer Demba Ba.

Professional footballers make a lot of money these days. Many of them invest some of their fortune into hotels. Cristiano Ronaldo is a good example of that and i have been to his hotel in Madeira several times.

But Demba Ba from Senegal has also invested in hotel business. He has started a hotel in Dakar called Ba Residence. I actually stayed there a little by chance. I learned from the friendly night porter that the hotel was the property of the famous footballer. Therefore the name Ba Residence.

The reception area at the Ba Residence.

The reception area at the Ba Residence.

It’s located in a quiet upscale neighbourhood.

Ba Residence is not located in the center of the city. It’s in a quiet little upscale neighbourhood called Apecsy 2. The greater area where it is is called Yof, but once you are there, you need to look for Apecsy 2. It’s located around 15 kilometers from the old part of Dakar, in a part of the city that is close to the sea. While Apecsy 2 has little to offer in the way of tourist sights. The place is actually very pleasant. I arrived there at 02:30 in the middle of the night and really needed something to eat and drink. I felt absolutely fine walking around there in the middle of the night. The few people I met in the street were happy to show me a little kiosk that was still open. The young man in the kiosk spoke perfect english and was happy to sell me food and drink in the middle of the night. I was not actually expecting to feel that ok in any part of Dakar, before I arrived. But that was a really nice surprise. 

In many way, I was really happy to choose that accommodation, as it gave me an insight to a very pleasant part of Dakar, I would otherwise not have seen.

Very pleasant rooms at the Ba Residence.

The rooms at the Ba Residence are quite spacious and well equipped. Nice big beds and modern interior. Wifi worked perfectly well and it had everything I needed. It’s located just a couple of blocks from the beach and I had a nice sea view from the window.

I liked my room at Demba Ba's hotel.

I liked my room at Demba Ba’s hotel.

All in all, this is a place that is a fair bit above average when it comes to hotels, without being a 5 star place.

Excellent staff.

I was very pleased with the way I was treated by the staff at the Ba Residence. The night porter who met me when I arrived was extremely friendly and jovial. He helped me find my way around the neighbourhood at 02:30 in the morning. The day time receptionist was a Senegalese lady who spoke very good english. She was very service minded and helped me with all my needs, including getting a cheap car into the city center when I needed it.

Nice view from my room.

Nice view from my room.

I personally think it’s a great idea that some football players use part of their football fortune on hotel investments. That way they are giving some of their money back to their roots. In the case of the Demba Ba hotel, it clearly helps boost the tourist economy in a country that needs it, as unemployment is quite high. Having a hotel that is owned by a famous footballer, will automatically bring some attention to a destination.

So good luck to Demba Ba and his hotel investment. I hope it will be a success.

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