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Seku Bi A Charming Boutique Hotel in the Heart of Dakar

Seku Bi is a charming boutique hotel located in the heart of Senegal’s capital city, Dakar. As you step through its doors Seku Bi invites you to leave the hustle and bustle of city life behind and turn your gaze towards the Atlantic Ocean. The calming, blue waters provide a mesmerising backdrop to the white-walled property. Seku Bi takes its name from the Wolof word for ‘parrot’ in a nod to the flamboyant birds that inhabit the fragrant Frangipani plants surrounding the buildings. 

Owned by Yodit Eklund- the Ethiopian businesswoman and founder of the trendsetting surf brand Bantu Wax -Seku Bi is a place where European and African cultures blend. Taking two French colonial villas, Eklund transformed them into a beautiful inter-connected property, taking care to preserve the historical aspects of the building such as the terrazzo tiled floors. Balancing old and new the interior decor offers modern comforts and is a celebration of contemporary African art, design, and culture. Eklund sourced furniture and design accessories from local, and pan-African designers including Ousmane M’Baye’s distinctive upcycled metal furniture bowls crafted by Mabeo in Botswana, and wooden stools hand-carved by local carpenters. Continuing to embrace local creativity Eklund also called upon Senegalese fashion designer Adama Paris to design the female staff uniforms.

Accessed via a private courtyard Seku Bi is a spacious property with 7 well-appointed bedrooms. And given its location, most of the rooms have balconies or picture windows offering stunning views of the ocean, perfect for putting your feet up and relaxing after a day of surfing or sightseeing. One room on the ground floor swaps the views for access to a private garden. Catering to both leisure and business guests, rooms are also equipped with a desk should you need to catch up on some work, and a conference room is on hand for intimate business meetings. There is also a library and lounge for guests to relax and get to know more about the hotel and Senegal.

Celebrating local extends to the food and drink offerings. To start your stay, upon arrival at Seku Bi every guest is offered a refreshing drink of bissap, ginger, or baobab juice. Seku Bi has an Italian inspired restaurant called Il Pappagallo serving Italian cuisine with a Senegalese twist courtesy of Senegalese chef Abdou Fall who grew up in Turin, Italy. Crafting a menu based around fresh and locally sourced ingredients Chef Fall adds to the Seku Bi ethos of embracing and blending different cultures to create new enriching experiences. For more informal culinary experience Seku Bi also has a coffee house called Cafe Bunna. Taking its name from ‘Buunna’ the Amharic word for coffee Cafe Bunna is a reference to Eklund’s Ethiopian heritage. Cafe Bunna pays homage to rituals around Ethiopia’s legendary coffee making and drinking ceremonies. 

In Seku Bi Eklund has created is the perfect idyllic retreat for those seeking a city and beach escape.

– Tapiwa

Additional details:

For further information about Seku Bi visit: http://sekubi.com/

[Image credits: The images shown belong to Seku Bi. If downloaded and used elsewhere please credit accordingly.]

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