There’s a lot to be impressed about at Maputo’s Afrin Prestige hotel, but the art in its public spaces was No. 1 for me.

My room was spacious and had a kitchen, like all 99 rooms in the hotel, but the stoves
don’t work so guests can’t cook — a decision by management that had something to do with safety.

My spacious balcony had a view of bustling Rua Marques Pombal, where I watched a constant stream of Mozambican commerce. Men carried rugs, belts and jeans for sale. Women dressed in colorful textiles and magnificent head scarves balanced their businesses gracefully on their heads
— bananas, oranges and tomatoes bound for a sidewalk market nearby.

A guy flashed what looked like an i-phone at me.

Depending on where you are in the hotel, other rooms have views of Maputo Bay and the port.

The hotel has a gym, spa and conference center that can hold 300 people, and like most of
the Maputo hotels I stayed it, it’s under construction for expansion.

When construction is complete, Afrin Prestige will have 155 rooms. And there are other Afrin
Prestige hotels planned in Nanpula and Villanculos.

The pool area was impressive and included a garden, bordered on one side by a
massive wall that had been converted into a water feature to enhance guests’ experience.

All the art in the hotel — and there’s a lot of it — was created by local artists,
according general manager Jose Almeida.

Some of the art was made specifically for the hotel such a large metal sculpture of a fisherman hauling in a catch. This work of art turns the lobby into something extraordinary.

Malangatana, Shikhani and Agostimho Muthimbo are some of the artists whose work enhances
this hotel.

The art makes Afrin Prestige quite a different experience, Almeida said. It’s not the type of commercial hotel environment where every square inch is for profit. “Business people have space to work here,” he said. “They don’t feel confined. They can relax, spread out.”

In the interest of fairness and balance I have to say the Wi-Fi didn’t work my entire
stay — a complaint I saw repeated in online guest reviews. However this can be true any time, any place in Maputo.

But the hotel service was excellent. When I needed a toothbrush, one was delivered to my room within minutes.

At checkin, a waitress brought me fresh orange juice in a fluted glass and there was a
platter of fruit in the fridge in my room when I arrived.

When I checked out, the receptionist refused to give me am invoice. She said it was
because I’d booked my room with someone other than the hotel and I hadn’t charged anything
to my room.