Hôtel Chelia

We only came in looking for a bar, since we weren't staying at the hotel. We found a spot for a cold beer in the Salle De Conference. The place seemed untouched by renovation for about a hundred years, and it was full of drunk men, but everyone was friendly while we sat and played cards.

This is one of the old hotels in Algiria, right in the centre of Batna province, and it has plenty of space. But the years have taken their toll: the furniture is worn out and the sanitary facilities are badly damaged. The food is ordinary and not very good. It might be meant to be a four- or five-star hotel, but it doesn't deserve that rating.

The hotel was very dirty and old, and breakfast was horrible. We had already paid through Booking.com, but the receptionist said they didn't accept online reservations and made us pay again in cash. Booking.com later refunded our original payment. A very bad experience. (March 2019)

The rooms looked stuffy, and the bathrooms had run out of paper. As soon as we entered, there was a smell like a public toilet. We also saw staff sitting, chatting and smoking by the entrance, while the place needed cleaning and toilet paper. It felt like nobody cared about the hotel. Sad, because it needs more work. One employee did give us a tip about another hotel, and they were right that the choice of hotels in Batna is generally very poor. I wouldn't recommend this place.