ANIRA Hotel & Suites
A modern aparthotel with a Travelers' Choice badge, tucked into leafy Lelydorp with quick reach to both Zorg en Hoop and downtown Paramaribo.
Why Go
ANIRA sits in that sweet spot most first-time visitors to Suriname don't know exists: 15 minutes from the domestic airport, 20-25 minutes from the Waterkant, and surrounded by butterfly parks, warungs, and back-road adventure outfitters instead of downtown traffic. It's newer, quieter, and — thanks to that outdoor pool and private balconies — feels more like a mini-resort than a business hotel.
The Experience
Pull into Soebhasstraat and the first thing you notice is how green Lelydorp still is compared to central Paramaribo — coconut palms, cassava plots, and the low hum of the East-West Link a few blocks away. ANIRA itself is a crisp, contemporary aparthotel: air-conditioned rooms with flat-screens, safes, private balconies or terraces, and bathrooms that lean spa-clean rather than tropical-rustic. The heart of the property is the outdoor pool deck, where guests drift back after a day up the Suriname River or a market run in the capital. Because it's an aparthotel, many units are set up for longer stays — think workspace-friendly desks, quiet Wi-Fi that actually holds, and enough space to unpack. It earned Tripadvisor's Travelers' Choice designation early, which locally is a good tell that the housekeeping and staff attentiveness are punching above the price bracket.
What to Try
Book a suite with a balcony over the pool side rather than a standard room — the extra square footage and the morning light through the palms are worth the small upgrade. Ask the front desk to arrange a driver for a half-day loop that combines the Neotropical Butterfly Park (a 10-minute drive) with lunch at a Javanese warung in Lelydorp; it's the classic Wanica District day and hard to DIY without wheels. If you're staying multiple nights, use the pool as your reset button between big excursions — a morning at Fort Zeelandia and Waterkant, an afternoon float back at ANIRA, dinner at a nearby spot like 168 Restaurant or 'T Vat.
Insider Tip
Lelydorp is not walkable to downtown Paramaribo, and Suriname's rideshare coverage is thin — so pre-arrange a car. Either book through 88 Car Rental or 4x4xJankie (both minutes away and used to hotel guests), or ask ANIRA to line up a trusted driver for the day at a flat rate. It's almost always cheaper than stacking one-way taxis, and it unlocks the interior — Brownsberg, Colakreek, the Commewijne plantations — which is really why you came to Suriname in the first place.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Soebhasstraat 22-24, Lelydorp, Wanica District, Suriname. Roughly 15 minutes from Zorg en Hoop Airport (domestic) and about an hour from Johan Adolf Pengel International (JAP/PBM). Free private parking, free Wi-Fi, outdoor pool, 24-hour reception. Rooms include AC, safe, desk, flat-screen TV, private bathroom with shower, and balcony or terrace. Payment is typically in SRD, USD, or EUR cash; card acceptance exists but bring backup cash for excursions and warungs. Aparthotel format means some units suit longer stays and small families.
Pair It With
- Neotropical Butterfly Park — A 10-minute drive from ANIRA and one of Suriname's easiest half-day nature outings — perfect morning before a poolside afternoon.
- 168 Restaurant Guide — Nearby sit-down spot that's an easy dinner walk-or-short-drive when you don't feel like heading into Paramaribo.
- 'T Vat Sidewalk Cafe Guide — Classic Paramaribo people-watching terrace on the way back from Waterkant — pair it with a downtown sightseeing day launched from ANIRA.
- 88 Car Rental Suriname Guide — Right in the neighborhood, making it painless to grab a car for day trips to Commewijne, Brownsberg, or the coast.
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — Local adventure operator nearby — an easy adrenaline add-on to a Lelydorp-based itinerary.
