The Girassol Bahia markets itself as one of Maputo’s most upmarket hotels, but until the management carries out badly-needed renovation work, we think you’ll get more bang for your buck elsewhere. Granted, it’s centrally-located and there’s a snazzy lobby, but most of the rooms are downright depressing, and breakfast isn’t up to much.

At $189 a pop, the double rooms are frankly too shabby to warrant that high a price tag. Ours came with a geriatric air conditioning unit that wobbled along and eventually gave up (but was later fixed by the maintenance staff), and the over-priced Wi-Fi, which we were assured would work in the room, sadly did not. The bathroom was fine, and we slept okay, but we would have expected comfortable sheets or duvets for the price, rather than tired, faded animal print bedspreads.

Our check-in experience was a disappointment, too. The clerk on duty was a new employee undergoing training, and while the delay was not her fault, none of the other staff hanging around nearby ventured an apology for the slow check-in, nor the mistakes made in calculating the price. Breakfast was a fine but pretty tired affair; expect the usual offerings of rubbery fried eggs, toast and fruit.

So, the good points. There’s an okay pool for a dip on hot days, and the location on Avenida Patrice Lumumba is pretty good. The conference facilities are much better than the rooms, so this is not a bad place to be if you’re slaving over a powerpoint presentation. It’s a shame that we don’t have better things to say about the Girassol Bahia – its sister hotel out near the airport is much better, and we’ve heard good things about its lodges in Gorongosa National Park, too. Room renovations, improved maintenance, and a service makeover would make a big difference.