Accommodation In Eritrea

The only brand name hotel in Asmara is the Inter-Continental which offers standards more or less comparable with any other western establishment. The quaint and stylish Albergo Italia is among the classics of colonial architecture in Asmara, and is something of a destination unto itself. There are a number of other small hotels and pension that conform equally to the repertoire of architectural curiosities in Asmara, and are modestly priced, although at times also modestly served.

It might also be remembered that most hotels, as is the case throughout much of Africa, have a higher pricing structure for foreigners, who are often required to pay in hard currency.

Outside Asmara the only other destination with hotels of a reasonable standard is the coastal town of Massawa. Here accommodation is much cheaper, about US$65 per person per night, for which oftentimes facilities, even rooms, are shared, and where such basic services such as fresh sheets and room cleaning might be available upon stringent request, and might constitute an additional charge. In some of the mid to upper range hotels air conditioning is available, which is highly recommended year round.

The upside of all this is that most of these hotels and pensions offer food and drink facilities which tend to be local gathering places where people watching is a rich pastime.

Outside these two towns accommodation facilities are extremely patchy, and those that you do find will not offer much.