Hotel Le Sahel

The nice garden out back has peacocks, and the room I had was spacious and clean. WiFi was decent, the staff were pleasant, and the price starts at XAF20,000. It’s right by the Touristique Express Terminal and a local bus terminal, which worked well for arriving late or leaving early. Almost nobody on staff spoke English, though. The air-con was so weak that the room felt hot during the day, when it was 40oC outside. There was also a problem with the payment records at reception. At 5:00 am, while I was taking a shared taxi to Maroua, a man followed me to the taxi stand asking for the room payment. He left when I showed him the invoice. It made me wonder what would’ve happened if I hadn’t kept it. I’d have given the place 4 stars without that incident.

The grounds are great, and there’s a swimming pool, gym, and security. The facilities are good, but the rooms aren’t well maintained. Service, especially at the restaurant, needs work, and it’s hard to get by without French.

Room 207 was great. Other rooms may have mosquitoes, but Catherene was very helpful, and the other staff showed care too. The place is okay.

Maroua city doesn’t really have another hotel option. The other place is outside the city and is also just one star. Staying here was still an experience in Cameroon’s Far North.