Must-see hotels in Northern Ethiopia

  • Hotel Lammergeyer

    Gonder

    Close to Fasiladas’ Bath, but otherwise a bit out on a limb, this clean, roadside place is ageing fast. Rooms are drab and a little claustrophobic, but…

  • Alief Paradise Hotel

    Lalibela

    Alef’s reasonable new rooms are bright, tiled and clean, with bathtubs and partial views. The older rooms, though dark and uninspiring, are still decent…

  • Habesha Hotel

    Rock-hewn Churches of Tigray

    With run-of-the-mill rooms with service that often goes missing, Habesha is a relatively new place that attracts a predominantly local clientele. It's…

  • Unique Landscape Hotel

    Simien Mountains National Park

    One of the quieter options along Debark's main street, the Landscape has basic but generally OK rooms out the back, but a pretty ordinary restaurant, so…

  • Queen Taytu Pension

    Gonder

    This popular backpacker spot has the usual broken doors and toilet seats you expect at cheaper places. It’s worth considering, however, if for its central…

  • Atse Kaleb Hotel

    Mekele

    Simple but clean and even most of the toilet seats remain firmly attached. It’s quieter than other similar nearby options, although some rooms are a…

  • Green Hotel

    Rock-hewn Churches of Tigray

    An OK choice along the main road through town, the basic Green Hotel has a busy little bar-restaurant and rooms with smallish beds and garish bedspreads.

  • Gebar Shire Hotel

    Northern Ethiopia

    A passable hotel on the main roundabout in the centre of town, Gebar Shire has tidy if unexciting rooms; those at the rear of the building are quieter.

  • Jaint Lobelia Hotel

    Simien Mountains National Park

    Similar in standard to the other places around town, but with slightly older furnishings, this place only warrants a mention because it has bathtubs.

  • Unique Pension

    Lalibela

    Four simple rooms with clean showers and squat toilets. Enquire at Unique Restaurant.

  • Chenek Campsite

    Simien Mountains National Park

    One of the more popular campsites for trekkers, with basic facilities and unappealing toilet blocks.

  • Vasco Tourist Hotel

    Northern Ethiopia

    If you want an early start, Vasco Tourist Hotel is the pick of the bunch, but it's pretty basic.

  • Buyit Ras Campsite

    Simien Mountains National Park

    One of the busier campsites for trekkers, with basic facilities and unappealing toilet blocks.

  • Sankaber Lodge

    Simien Mountains National Park

    Similar to the community lodges, but without meals, this park-run lodge has 20 beds.

  • Geech Community Lodge

    Simien Mountains National Park

    One of three basic community lodges for trekkers in the park.

  • Chenek Community Lodge

    Simien Mountains National Park

    One of three basic community lodges for trekkers in the park.

  • Eve Hotel

    Northern Ethiopia

    In the centre of town, Eve Hotel is cheap, not very cheerful and overpriced. The rooms are fine for a night, but they're tired and uninspired. The only…

  • Abreha Castel Hotel

    Mekele

    This place warrants a mention largely because it’s in a former nobleman’s palace. The eight rooms in the main castle-like structure have lovely high…

  • Ark Hotel

    Aksum

    Along the main street through town, this hotel is really only an option if everything else is full. The rooms are a bit on the nose and rather noisy, but…

  • Salem House

    Rock-hewn Churches of Tigray

    This yellow-red-black-pink spot on the south side of town is the best of the real cheapies. The toilets smelled less here than at any other place we saw,…

  • Tourist Hotel

    Rock-hewn Churches of Tigray

    Rooms at this OK, family-run hotel have gone downhill in recent years. The shared bathrooms have squat toilets and we'd stay here only if everywhere else…

  • Yordanos Hotel

    Northern Ethiopia

    A scruffy place, it has satellite TV in the rooms and offers a fair price, and the lines of vines over the courtyard are a nice touch.

  • Gide Araya Pension

    Rock-hewn Churches of Tigray

    Rooms are spartan, but bright and breezy. All toilets are the squat variety.