Are you planning your Sao Tome and Principe holidays soon? Good, then you must be looking for the best Sao Tome and Principe hotels out there! Heh, you’re in luck, as this complete guide will give you plenty of hotel and resort options for all tastes and budgets. That’s a promise!
Sao Tome and Principe is an island nation in Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea, close to Gabon. And, if you ask me, it’s one of the most underrated destinations on the entire continent! Sao Tome and Principe is an island paradise where you can swim, snorkel, sunbathe, hike, see incredible wildlife and explore national parks and reserves. It’s the perfect spot for a fun or a romantic getaway.
In terms of accommodation, you can find different types of hotels here, from luxury resorts to budget-friendly eco-lodges and local guesthouses. And this post includes THE best of them for your stay! Scroll down to find my hand-picked selection of Sao Tomé e Príncipe hotels on each of the two islands, as well as reasons to choose them for your stay.
NOTE: There’s a tourism tax for accommodation on the islands for an extra 3€ per night which you’ll need to add to the price of your room. If you choose to book a hotel through Booking or other hotel aggregators, they’ll automatically add the tax to your final price, so no worries about that!
NOTE #2: Some hotels on the two islands are closed until summer/autumn/end of the year due to coronavirus or until further notice. In this case, some of the links below won’t work and you’ll most likely not find the accommodation on any other hotel aggregators until they re-open. Make sure to come back here and check, as I’ll update this article as often as I can and I’ll let you know when the situation changes!
You can either book a hotel in Sao Tome for the entire period of your stay and do day trips to Principe to visit its attractions, or you can split your trip and choose a hotel for each separate island. The choice is yours! If you only have a short time in Sao Tome e Principe, maybe it would be best to only have one hotel as your base. If you’re staying in STP for 4-5 days, then I’d suggest staying on both.
RELATED READ: By the way, if you need help deciding which one of the two islands is more interesting (although I totally recommend visiting both), then you should check out my dedicated post here: 15 Best Things to Do in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome is the bigger island and the one where the capital is located (Sao Tome City), as well as the international airport and Obo Natural Park. Below you’ll find the best Sao Tome resorts and hotels for your stay, all hand-picked by me:
WHY: Omali Lodge Sao Tome is a wonderful 4-star eco-friendly luxury hotel and one of the best places to book if you want to make Sao Tome island your base. This hotel is located super close to the beach (just across the road from Emília Beach, sounds good enough?) and it’s ideal if you want to explore Obo National Park as well. They have air-conditioned rooms, some of them with their own private patio. Plus an on-site restaurant, 2 bars and a swimming pool as well. It’s an island paradise!
WHERE: East coast of Sao Tome, 1.6 km from the airport
PRICE RANGE: Splurge/luxury
WHY: Club Santana Sao Tome is hands-down one of the best Sao Tome resorts! If you’re looking for a luxury resort that has an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, search no more, my friends. Moreover, this place has a golden sand beach right at its base, as well as a diving centre, and paddle boards and kayaks that guests can use for no extra cost! Their bungalows are clean and beautifully decorated and the staff can organise different tours for you – you just need to ask!
WHERE: East coast of Sao Tome
PRICE RANGE: Splurge/luxury
WHY: Mucumbli is a cute lodge run by a local family and it’s an awesome place to stay if you want to feel like this is your home away from home. The rooms here have a beautiful ocean view, there are private bathrooms and there’s also a nice garden on-site where you can relax and unwind. Moreover, Mucumbli fights for protecting the environment and the entire accommodation is eco-friendly with lots of local initiatives such as sustainable agriculture. It convinced me!
WHERE: North-Western coast of Sao Tome
PRICE RANGE: Mid-range
WHY: Rocas are traditional Sao Tomean plantations where coffee and cocoa used to be produced. They all had beautiful colonial buildings and, although most of them are in ruins now, some have been restored and brought back to life. Such is the case with Roça São João dos Angolares as well, which hosts one of the best and most popular restaurants in the entire country. I definitely recommend this place if you want to experience a traditional farm stay in excellent conditions!
WHERE: South-western coast of Sao Tome
PRICE RANGE: Mid-range
WHY: Jalé Ecolodge has a nice, rustic feel and one of its best advantages is that it’s right on the beachfront of Jalé Beach. If you’ve been dreaming of staying in a tree bungalow with accessible prices, then this one’s for you. This eco-lodge has been made using local materials found in the surrounding area, so you’ll know everything is as natural as it gets.
WHERE: Southern part of Sao Tome
PRICE RANGE: Budget
WHY: This local guest house is cosy, super nice and will definitely help you save some money during your trip if you’re travelling on a budget or as a backpacker. The rooms here are all air-conditioned and all of them have a balcony. Plus a shared kitchen if you want to save even more money by cooking your own breakfast or dinner.
WHERE: Sao Tome capital, 5 km from the airport
PRICE RANGE: Budget
Ooops, all the hotels I mentioned are already booked? No worries, you can check the following section:
RELATED READ: Ultimate Guide: 13 Best Sao Tome and Principe Beaches
WHY: I’m adding Pestana Equador Resort as a bonus because, although it’s close by and easily accessible, it’s not actually ON Sao Tome Island. It’s actually located on a tiny island called Rolas (Ilhéu das Rolas) and you can get there by boat. There are some very beautiful beaches on Rolas island as well as endless snorkelling and diving opportunities. This resort is, in fact, the only one on the island and it offers an excellent 4-star service. Some of the amenities include a huge swimming pool, an on-site restaurant, table tennis and more.
WHERE: Rolas Islet, very close to the southern tip of Sao Tome
PRICE RANGE: Mid-range to luxury
Although smaller and with no international airport on it (just a small national one), Principe boasts some of the BEST beaches in the entire country, as well as plenty of snorkelling and diving opportunities. If you decide to book a hotel on this island too instead of doing day trips from Sao Tome, below you’ll find my best hand-picked options:
WHY: Bom Bom Sao Tome and Principe is a gorgeous beachfront 4-star resort where you can book a gorgeous beachside bungalow to stay with your friends or loved one. They have a beach bar, an on-site restaurant with amazing food and an excellent location! What’s more, this resort has two of its own pristine, untouched beaches: Praia Bom Bom Beach and Praia Santa Rita and it’s right at the edge of a rainforest.
WHERE: Northern tip of Principe Island
PRICE RANGE: Splurge/luxury
WHY: Belo Monte is a gorgeous boutique hotel located in a renovated roça (traditional Sao Tomean plantation). It’s really beautiful and it even has its own private beach, as well as world-class suites with wonderful views of the garden and not one, but two swimming pools!
WHERE: North-East of Principe, very close to Praia Banana, one of the most famous beaches in STP
PRICE RANGE: Splurge/luxury
WHY: This is literally THE most luxurious hotel resort in the entire country! This 5-star beachfront hotel has an outdoor pool, 15 gorgeous tented suites and every amenity you can think of! Each room comes with its own balcony and there are also lots of family-friendly rooms in case you’re travelling with your kids or a group of friends. Hands-down the best luxurious stay on the island!
WHERE: Northern coast of Principe, not far from Bom Bom Resort
PRICE RANGE: Splurge/luxury
WHY: Beautiful colonial building with lush gardens and the rainforest nearby. An excellent choice if you want to stay in a traditional type of accommodation in Sao Tome and Principe! They have two separate buildings: the (traditional) Colonial House with 6 rooms and the (more modern) Plantation House with 9 rooms. There’s also an on-site restaurant and bar. The only downside is that it’s not on the coast as most of the other hotels I’m recommending in Principe.
WHERE: Same plantation as Sundy Praia (above), close to the Northern coast of Principe
PRICE RANGE: Mid-range
WHY: One of the best choices if you don’t want to spend a fortune on accommodation but still enjoy a comfortable stay. Principe Residencial is located in Principe and it offers various breakfast options each morning (buffet, à la carte and continental options). Plus, you can hire a car from them and explore the area!
WHERE: Close to the middle of the island, 5 km from the airport
PRICE RANGE: Budget
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Check out the following section as well for some bonus accommodation options:
Here we are guys at the end of my complete guide on accommodations for those of you that want to visit Sao Tome and Principe! In this list, I have hand-picked 6 amazing hotels and resorts on Sao Tome island, as well as 5 incredible accommodations on Principe island as well.
I’m pretty sure you already found your dream place in the list above, so it’s time to arrange the trip!
In case you want to read more about this ah-mazing destination, I recommend clicking here to find all my articles about Sao Tome and Principe, including a complete guide on everything there is to do and see.
xoxo,
Melissa
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