 The
New Safari Hotel - a blend of comfort and tranquillity
By: Elisha Mayallah
Once the home of the famous hunters such as Robert Taylor, John Wayne and Hardy
Kruger, the Safari hotel was masterfully managed for the English sisters Gladys
and Margot Rydon by a pale-skinned Englishman named Ben Benbow.
The two sisters owned coffee farms in Arusha; Gladys lived in a magnificent
mansion overlooking a mysterious crater lake called Duluti, east of Arusha.
Margot's son, David was killed by a buffalo near Arusha in 1964.
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An elephant entering Safari Hotel |
Benbow was a professional hotelier down to his manicured
fingertips and slicked-down hair. He was the only man at that time in Arusha who
always wore a suit and tie. Among his dusty khaki-clad safari clientele, he
stood out like a catwalk mannequin in the forest. Rotund, jovial and present
when guests registered, day or night.
He was on a first-time basis with every hunter as well as with celebrity actors
such as Robert Taylor, John Wayne and Hardy Kruger. During that time the walls
around part of the hotel were decorated with framed and signed photographs of
white hunters with their clients and trophies.
The Safari Hotel was so fascinating – more so when you learn more about how its
character evolved like the scene in HATARI film in which the elephants barge
into the hotel. It also happened that the famous film star stayed at the hotel
when making the movie. The present-day architectural evokes images that sparkle
with unique stay of an exhilarating experience and the memories of the great
hunter John Wayne as presented in the film.
The Safari Hotel has a quite a history right back from the last century, it went
down as did other old hotels in Arusha, and when it was reborn early last year,
it was refurbished extensively leaving no feeling of old but brought in an
independent present.
The Safari Hotel [which has now added the adjective 'New"] is strategically
located in the heart of Arusha City. It is closer to the famous Clock Tower
round about, which is the centre between Cape Town and Cairo. Lately, it has
become the starting point for the new face of Arusha City. It is used as a
starting or finishing point for music festivals, drama and provides a good City
tour for the newly-weds. Nearby there are women selling Maasai beads ornaments,
local batiks and sweet bananas while the actual round about is patronised by
newspaper sellers, all day-long.
From the hotel which is opposite the Telephone House is a walking distance to
the airlines offices, natural history museum, banking facilities, the District
and Regional Commissioner's offices, Tanzania Revenue Authority offices, curio
shops, Insurance Companies, Bureau de Change', Coffee Bar and the Arusha
International Conference Centre [AICC], where the headquarters of the East
African Community [EAC], International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda [ICTR] and
East African Legislative Assembly [EALA] are based.
First impressions of the hotel may give the guest suggestions of a four-star
service levels, which has no pretensions beyond its vision – simply superior!
Truly, it is an honest hotel, I cannot think of any other hotel in Arusha that
can rival this one for its odd taste, which offers a blend of comfort and
tranquillity. The Safari hotel was a four-story rectangular box-built of stone
and concrete and in its time the interior was comfortably appointed with lofty
rooms. Even today, while the New Safari Hotel has sunk into obscurity with the
coming of newer hotels, one cannot help notice the high standard of architecture
and design.
Until recently, Arusha had just been a place for quick stop-over before
venturing into the famous safaris adventures of Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara,
Mount Kilimanjaro or Tarangire, it appeared lackluster. But there seems to be a
new spirit of revival and hotels like The New Safari Hotel that had faded into
insignificance are now showcases of the modern revival.
In its Arusha clear beautiful morning, Mount Meru, the fifth highest mountain in
Africa, is seen in full view from the Hatari Terrace located in the first floor
of the hotel with Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa beautifully
seen in a far horizon. The Hatari Terrace has become a popular rendezvous for
private tête-à-tête, conference groups and tourists briefings, who enjoy the
fresh air ambience in total.
The hotel, itself full of hunters' tale of old, sits on its flanks overlooking
modern-day Arusha basking in its limelight as one of the best hotels in the
country. Standing in the cool reception area, I realize for the first time that
the hotel is quiet, restful place and ideally for private and business
conversations. Someone once told me that the simple recipe for a grand hotel is;
more of its quietness, heavy furnishings, reasonable lights with the atmosphere
quite solemn, and The New Safari Hotel reflects exactly that!
The hotel offers pleasurable accommodation facilities with a choice of 46
elegant and spacious rooms and 2 de luxe suites – all fitted with highly secured
in-room safety gadgets, TV and a minibar. In addition, the hotel offers
state-of-art meeting rooms for seminars, workshops and conferences all
year-round. It's Flamingo, Tanzanite, Gombe and Twiga meeting rooms, are used
repeatedly as a conference gatherings.
The food in the Malaika Restaurant is varied and plentiful, especially the
lunches. For buffets there is a wider choice of intercontinental sumptuous
dishes plus the local favourites.
It also serves as a breakfast room where chilled fresh fruits and juices; varied
fresh fruits, cereals and pastries are arranged on a buffet table, and you can
order eggs done to your liking [boiled, fried, scrambled or omeletted] and help
yourselves with bacon, baked beans, toast, jam or marmalade tomato and sausages
– all helped down with hot coffee or tea. How can you beat that at the start of
the day? Or in the middle of the day if it takes your fancy? The buffet
breakfast in the restaurant is splendid.
Nearer to the welcoming hotel' reception lobby is a cosy, lavish, comfortable
and modern internet café, enticing with its spacious area. That is where after
the wonderful tour, I retreated with my newspapers and a coffee mug.
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