Stella Maris Executive Lodge — Hotel in Kilimanjaro

We stayed here for a couple nights prior to our Kili climb with Peak Planet & one night after the climb. Happy that this was the accommodation chosen with our package! I would absolutely stay here again if in the Moshi area.

Pros (a long list): The staff is incredibly warm & friendly. Shoutout to Teddy & Innocent. I hope that you two (along w/the rest) have a fantastic Kili climb! I genuinely hope to hear more about it & so happy for you all to go on this adventure.

Everyone at Stella Maris was more than helpful & thankful to Teddy for showing us around the school & introducing us to a classroom. Also thanks for helping us coordinate a last minute waterfall & coffee tour (be prepared to pay in cash for this one). Can't say enough positives about the staff (leave a good tip!) Thanks to Innocent for the shuttles/driving to Moshi & the airport.

The rooms are spacious & have ample natural light. Each one has a balcony & we especially liked being on the rooms away from the parking lot & facing the garden. It was so peaceful just to rest out on the balcony in the mornings & evenings. It was also easy to hang a few items of hand washed clothes to dry. Love the little details, like the wrapped soaps. It was also a huge plus to have a little hot water pot in the room to use for coffee or tea.

The breakfast buffet is pretty extensive, a little tricky if you are gluten-free, but otherwise very delicious and filling. Pro-tip for ordering food otherwise: Order at least an hour in advance. I only ordered dinner once, but the dish was good (some type of chicken & rice with veggies/sauce...sorry, as I don't recall the name) and a large portion that I probably could have split.

Possible? con: Stella Maris is kind of located "in the country" so it is a perfect home base before & after the trek (pro) but a little trickier if you would like to eat elsewhere/travel around. You need to get other transportation to and from. This is only a con if you want to be more in-town and have more dining options. Again, the flip-side is that Stella Maris is so peaceful & calm that it might change your mind on the location. So this really isn't necessarily a "con" haha. Just a heads up...also okay if you don't mind paying for transportation to and from.

Room for improvement: The showers are a little tricky to figure out, specifically the hot valve. I actually got a second degree burn on my pinky finger and toe as the water gets scalding hot. So be really careful, especially if you have kids or even for yourself to shower. That is probably the only real "con" that I would be careful.

The mosquito nets are not the best or most functional. There is a triangle gap that you cannot tuck, leaving space for mosquitos to get in. I even tried safety pinning to no avail. There are certainly tiny mosquitos so make sure you are taking your malaria prophylaxis and wearing bug spray. But the nets could be updated to help.

We did store our locked luggage in a room, but I think we would have preferred to count/account for all of our valuables before leaving them for 10 days. The process was a little chaotic, which may have been related to multiple guests coming/going at the same time. Nothing happened with our stuff, it was secure. But it did cause us some stress to think we had valuables (passports, cash, etc) and no real "proof" of that anywhere.

Overall: Other than a few items that could be improved, still giving Stella Maris 5 stars because it really was a solid place to stay in Moshi! Also the outside spaces were very relaxing. The wi-fi was pretty decent (this is Tanzania! I actually did not know what to expect) and although it goes in and out, it is mostly consistent especially if you are downstairs near the common space.

Asante sana,...

Stella Maris Executive Lodge truly feels like a home away from home! From the moment I arrived, I was greeted with incredibly warm hospitality. The staff not only remembered my name throughout my stay, but also my room number—such thoughtful, personal attention made my stay extra special.||The rooms are clean, cozy, and come with everything you need: hot water, mosquito nets, bottled water, soap and other amenities, plus plenty of plug points for charging devices. The beds are super comfortable, and many rooms offer lovely views of either the back garden or majestic Mount Kilimanjaro.||The top-floor bar is a perfect spot to unwind, and the on-site restaurant serves delicious, high-quality food at affordable prices. You can also buy cold bottled water anytime.||Security is taken seriously here. If you’re going trekking, they provide secure storage and keep an inventory of your items—you even get a receipt to claim everything when you return.||The lodge is set back from the main road so it’s peaceful (occasional monkey chatter aside), and there’s even a local school in front where guests can volunteer.||Honestly, it’s the staff that make all the difference. The atmosphere is warm, genuine, and truly feels like family. Don’t...

July, 2021 - I stayed two nights before my Kilimanjaro climb, a night after the climb, and four MORE nights after that! The Stella Maris Lodge is a true gem. The rooms are super clean, the food is fabulous and the staff is AMAZING! In fact - the entire staff at the Stella Maris Lodge were helpful, friendly, genuine and fun. I caught a bad head cold after summiting Kilimanjaro and Teddy, the manager, took me into town to get medicine. I rested comfortably for several days while eating the most delicious chicken noodle soup and chapati bread with hot sauce - SO delicious! I will never forget how thoughtful and helpful they all were while I recovered. I had a room directly above reception with a great view of Kilimanjaro. When my group returned to hotel after our climb, we were met with smiles from all the staff and they were so happy and excited for us! The hotel takes their profits and donates them to the Stella Maris primary school where you can take a tour and even watch the children sing songs during their morning assembly. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Stella Maris Lodge - you will not be...