Perfectly located in a quiet, residential zone on the lip of Dakar’s downtown Plateau area – and a two-minute drive from the Corniche coastal road – the Hotel Sokhamon’s rooms look out over the ocean. There’s a spectacular terrace that’s popular with expats and visitors come sunset, a decent outdoor bar and a selection of stylish, reasonably-priced doubles (75,000 cfa) singles (70,000 cfa) and suites.

This hotel has something of a quirky North African feel, with terracotta-red interior walls, fabric-laced chaise-lounges and floor to ceiling windows. The rooms are elegant and spacious; our double room came with a relaxing view out to sea, dusty blue walls, hip wooden furniture and a sunken marble sink in the bathroom. The rooms that look out over the terrace are smaller, with twin beds and elegantly-carved wooden dressers and chairs, while the suites’ separate sitting areas are decked out with mahogany mirrors, low lighting and cool stone floors.

We’ve yet to meet anyone who didn’t enjoy sundowners on the Sokhamon’s pool terrace, so it’s worth stopping by here for drinks even if you don’t make a booking. There’s often a great live jazz band playing beside the jacuzzi, and the bar has a good wine list with a selection of crisp whites perfect for decompressing after a day on foot in the city. Breakfast is fine, although you’ll pay 5,500 cfa per day as an add-on.

If you’re staying for longer than a few days or are in town for business, the Sokhamon falls short on a few things: limited desk space, low-level lighting and the small closets. This isn’t the kind of place you come for luxurious creature comforts, but if you’re looking for something a little more special than a sleek, cookie-cutter business hotel – and without the high price tag – this might just be it.