We like this place. The building may not appear to be Bamako's most promising from the outside but inside is another, completely renovated and altogether charming world. Rooms are light, airy and spacious with an attention to style that's lacking in many Bamako hotels.
Wrought-iron furnishings and European-standard bathrooms set the tone with the occasional nod to African themes. The service is at once professional and warm, one of those places where you don't feel embarrassed to ask for an extra towel. There's no public courtyard but the marble-lined dining room is sophisticated and the food on offer is consistently good. Rooms have the bonus of coming with satellite TV and - very important in a city that loves to party - double-glazed windows that serve a double purpose of sealing you off from the outside world if it all gets too much and keeping at bay the main street that runs right outside. In a city where all the best hotels and restaurants are removed from the centre, the Quinzambougou is as good as any.