Tivoli

Back in the 90s it was known for the dive bar in the sub-basement. There were plenty of ladies waiting for patrons to buy them drinks, while street cops hung around outside, ready to fleece people on their way out.

The restaurant’s menu is tiny, with fewer than five dishes, and the food is poor. Even when I was the only diner, I could wait close to an hour for an order. Staff made the experience worse: reception was rude and unkind, and the restaurant team was slow and lazy. My room smelled awful, wasn’t very clean, and had cockroaches. At first glance the condition seemed okay, but a closer look showed shoddy work. This is one of the worst hotels I’ve stayed in across Africa, and I’ve been to more than 20. Avoid it. It isn’t worth even a third of the price.

The location is right in the city center, with lots of bars and restaurants nearby, and it felt safe to walk at night with guards around the banks and fancy hotels. My room was big and clean, with a new mattress, hot water, AC, Wi-Fi, and a few English TV channels. Breakfast was pretty decent too.

Good value for the price. The staff were well organized, friendly, helpful, and courteous. The place was very clean, and the restaurant was very good too.