Outpost Lodge — Hotel in Arusha

We ended up spending three nights here, after flight schedules required being in country two more nights than originally expected. We asked our guide to swap out one night at a higher-end location for three nights elsewhere for the same total price. We asked for a place in town within walking distance of the main area that is clean, safe and quiet.||Outpost Lodge is all of those. It was about a 60 minute drive from Kilimanjaro airport, and 30-35 minutes roughly from Arusha airport. We arrived a bit before 9 pm our first night and were able to get dinner. The food was good for dinners and breakfasts, and service timing met our needs. Our guide told us that a security company with dogs had moved, so past concerns in Trip Advisor about dogs barking at night were no longer a problem. It was quiet our first two nights. We heard a couple of dogs our final night but it was short-lived and did not disrupt sleeping. ||The staff are warm, friendly and work hard to keep the grounds and rooms clean. Our toilet the first two nights didn’t flush so well, so we ended up using the trash for the toilet paper to reduce the stress on the toilet. However, our toilet on return worked very well, sometimes with two flushes. We realized it might have been our error the first two nights as we learned on safari (at least in the camps) that flushing twice in a row was what was recommended as it was really the second flush sometimes that seemed to make everything work right. ||For those looking for a budget / 2-star type of option, I recommend it. The towels and sheets are a little scratchy, but the staff (hotel and on-site restaurant) are warm, friendly, and care about your safety. For example, on our very first morning, we set out for a walk but before the security person opened the gate, Lightness, an employee, ran out to make sure we were not carrying passports or any large sums of money, just in case. She also recommended we walk only in a certain direction since walking the other direction was very quiet and therefore more isolated, which I’m guessing they assumed could leave us open to being targeted in some way. ||The cleaning staff are to be commended for keeping the grounds and the...

The complex is very beautiful and you can relax comfortably in the restaurant or by the pool. There is some noise from the street now and then. 10-15min walk to the city center. The prices in the restaurant are a bit above average in my opinion. The breakfast is varied. The rooms are clean. Unfortunately only cold showers in the morning. The staff is very very friendly. There is a large German Shepherd living in the complex. He seems very peaceful. However, I don't like dogs and was initially "shocked".

Unfortunately there is no WiFi in the rooms, only in the restaurant and at reception and even there it is not constant. As we had to plan our further trip, this was very annoying. Therefore unfortunately I cannot recommend this accommodation if you are traveling on your own.

What we found strange: When we arrived, we asked at reception for directions to the city and the Tanzanite shop. Both were roughly explained to us. A short time later there was a knock on the door and the lady from reception told us that a man was there who was on his way to the city anyway and could give us a ride. So we went with him and he showed us the Tanzanite shop. After we finished there, he was still there and said he was going to the market and if we wanted to come with him. We went with him. After the market, we wanted to go to a cafe because we wanted something to eat. At this point he asked for money for the tour. After a short discussion, we gave him 10 USD. We weren't aware that we had booked a tour. This should have been made clear from...

I stayed at Outpost Lodge in Arusha and had two different rooms during my stay. The experience was mixed, but mostly disappointing. Here’s a breakdown:

❌ Negative points:

-No air conditioning, which made the nights uncomfortable. -Showers with inconsistent water pressure and unreliable hot water. -One room was extremely damp — even the bed felt wet. -Visible mold on the mattress and on the shower walls. -Strong smell of mildew throughout the room. -Laundry service is very expensive, though that seems to be common in Tanzania. -Staff sometimes tried not to return change, and once I was charged illegal card fees, which are not allowed in Tanzania.

✅ Positive points:

-Great location, close to the center of Arusha. -Located on a quiet street, so it's peaceful at night. -The food is decent, nothing special but okay. -The staff are generally kind and helpful, despite a few issues mentioned above.

Conclusion:

I would not recommend Outpost Lodge. There are better places to...