Hotels in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has always held a fascination for the more daring international traveller, but currently the Ethiopian government is making a great effort to spruce up and streamline its tourist infrastructure in order to broaden its appeal as an international tourism destination, and indeed several major hotels are currently under construction in the capital. Bearing mind what a unique and interesting country Ethiopia is, it is easy to imagine that, once this process has been completed, that Ethiopia will indeed become a much more popular destination for holiday makers and tourists.

Addis Ababa is now, as it has been for many years, an important regional hub. It was the founding centre of the Organisation of African Unity, and is still the headquarters of that body’s successor, the African Union. As a consequence Addis Ababa hosts many permanent diplomatic missions and sees a succession of African and international diplomats and heads of state in various capacities. Therefore the capital is particularly well served by hotels of international repute and standard, with the old faithful flagships of the Sheraton and Hilton leading the pack. Thereafter there are some 20 listed hotels, and many others unlisted, with standards ranging from excellent to extremely poor, so a careful watch on local trip advisories before making your choice is a very good idea.

Outside the capital it is a very hit and miss affair to find good and reliable accommodation, and not always easy to book in advance. In the main centres of interest, such as Lalibela, where a UNESCO World Heritage Site protects and showcases the extraordinary rock hewn churches of the region, or the old imperial capital of Gonder, with its plethora of ancient historical sites, a small selection of locally run hotels broadly speaking enjoy a good reputation, with varying standards, and can be relied upon for information, services and advance bookings.