Golf Hotels in Dar es Salaam for Families
2 family-friendly hotels with golf in Dar es Salaam . Handpicked for families who want the best.
Two hotels with golf in Dar es Salaam sit in the Kivukoni district within a short drive of each other, and both put the course beside a family-capable hotel rather than inside a resort. Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel on Ohio Street is adjacent to a golf course and gymkhana club, with tropical gardens, an outdoor pool, a playground, a kids club and a babysitting service on the same grounds. Four Points by Sheraton Dar es Salaam New Africa on Azikiwe Street is 1.4 kilometres from a course, with harbour views, an outdoor pool and four restaurants.
The gymkhana club and its course occupy a rare stretch of open green between Ohio Street and the Indian Ocean, a hangover from the colonial layout of Kivukoni that also produced the Botanical Gardens and the wide seafront run of Ocean Road. It is the only part of Dar es Salaam where the city feels planned around space rather than around trade. Two kilometres inland the mood changes entirely at Kariakoo, and a kilometre east the Zanzibar Ferry Terminal and the fish market set the pace. Early tee times exist here for the same reason as early bike rides: by ten it is very hot.
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⛳Why Dar es Salaam is Great for Hotels with Golf
On daily logistics, Serena is the more self-sufficient base. It sits three kilometres from the centre and thirteen from Julius Nyerere International Airport, with free private parking, a 24 hour front desk and travel desk, two restaurants plus the Island Trader poolside restaurant, a patisserie and a cafe, so meals do not require leaving the grounds. Four Points by Sheraton New Africa is a kilometre from the Zanzibar Ferry Terminal and twelve from the airport, with free parking, an airport shuttle on request, Bandari Grill for breakfast and seafood, Sawasdee for Thai and the Onyx Lounge, plus a 24 hour casino that families should note is on site.
The age split is stark. Under-eights are entirely Serena's territory, because the kids club, the playground and the tropical gardens surrounding the pool give them a full day inside the compound while a parent plays. Children of nine and above can handle a morning at Four Points using the pool and the harbour view, and the walk to the National Museum and Botanical Gardens 900 metres away gives the non-golfing parent an outing that does not need a car. Teenagers who want to play themselves are better served at Serena, where the course is adjacent rather than a drive away and a late afternoon nine holes is realistic.
On price and character the two diverge more than the star ratings suggest. Serena is a five star at 8.4 from 284 reviews, rated for its food, with a sauna, fitness centre, extensive gardens and views over the Indian Ocean. Four Points is a four star at 8.3 from 623 reviews, cheaper, more of a working city hotel, with standard rooms overlooking either the pool or Dar es Salaam Harbour and several embassies in the surrounding streets. The honest limitation for both is that this is not a golf resort city: green fees, tee times and equipment hire are handled by the club rather than the hotel, and neither property publishes junior facilities.
Parent's take
The tee time was half past six, which meant the round finished before the four year old had finished breakfast in the Serena garden. By nine everyone was in the pool under the palms, and the nine year old had discovered that the gymkhana side of the fence has weaver birds nesting over the water. The heat arrived properly at eleven and we did nothing at all until four. That schedule, repeated three days running, was the whole holiday.
Our Top 2 Picks
Hotels in Dar es Salaam with golf, sorted by guest rating.
Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel
Dar es Salaam
Very Good
284 reviews
A kids club, a playground and a babysitting service inside extensive tropical gardens make this Ohio Street five star the most complete childcare package in the city. The hotel sits adjacent to a golf course and gymkhana club with Indian Ocean views. There is an outdoor pool, a sauna and a fitness centre, two restaurants, the poolside Island Trader, a patisserie, a cafe and the Kibo Bar. Rooms are air conditioned with flat-screen TV and minibar.
Why families love Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel
Families staying here can hand over the children in three different ways, which no other Dar es Salaam hotel offers. The gardens are large enough that a four year old can run without meeting a road, the pool sits in tree shade for most of the day, and the babysitting service covers an adult dinner. Meals are highly rated by guests. The centre is three kilometres away, so sightseeing needs a car or a taxi.
Four Points by Sheraton Dar es Salaam New Africa
Dar es Salaam
Very Good
623 reviews
Standard rooms overlooking Dar es Salaam Harbour, one kilometre from the Zanzibar Ferry Terminal, define this Azikiwe Street four star. There is an outdoor pool, four restaurants including Bandari Grill for seafood and Sawasdee for Thai, and the Onyx Lounge. Rooms hold air conditioning, satellite TV, a minibar and a private bathroom. A golf course sits 1.4 kilometres away, the National Museum and Botanical Gardens 900 metres, and free parking is on site.
Why families love Four Points by Sheraton Dar es Salaam New Africa
Families staying here are buying the ferry run and the harbour view. Catching an early Azam boat to Zanzibar from a hotel a kilometre from the pier removes the worst variable of that trip. Bike rental and the walk to the Botanical Gardens fill a morning, and the pool handles the afternoon. The 24 hour casino on site is separate from the family floors but changes the lobby atmosphere after dark.
💡Tips for Choosing a Hotel with Golf in Dar es Salaam
- 1Book the earliest tee time available. Play in Dar es Salaam is realistic from first light until about ten, after which the heat and humidity make eighteen holes hard work even for adults.
- 2Contact the course directly about green fees and junior clubs. Neither Serena nor Four Points publishes rates, tee time booking or whether child-size equipment exists.
- 3Pick Serena if only one parent plays. The kids club, playground, babysitting service and tropical gardens mean the rest of the family has a full day without leaving the compound.
- 4Note that Four Points has a 24 hour casino on site. It is separate from the family areas, but it changes the atmosphere in the lobby late in the evening.
- 5Combine a round at Four Points with the walk to the Botanical Gardens. They sit 900 metres away next to the National Museum and House of Culture, which gives the non-golfing half of the family a real morning.
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