Ado-Tina Hotel

For a quick night’s sleep during my scheduled layover, it was enough. The rooms are spacious, and there’s cable TV and hot water. That’s about where the positives end. My room had no fan or air conditioning, there was no duvet, the shower and taps were dated, and restaurant service was slow. It’s what you’d expect from a two-star hotel, and a bit more, but I’d look elsewhere for a longer stay in Addis.

The place felt awful, and the room was old with no renovations. Cockroaches greeted us, and the windows didn’t lock, so someone could easily get in. The sheets were brown and yellow with strange marks. Sugar for the coffee had been left open, and the white bathroom towels looked ash-colored and dirty. The lights and shower area were terrible too. I skipped both dinner and breakfast because I didn’t want to end up with an upset stomach. People shouldn’t be lodged in a hotel like this. Ethiopian airlines, please remove this hotel, Ado-Tina and Dreamliner, from your transit hotel list.

There are plenty of Ethiopian restaurants nearby if you want local dishes, and SANAA RESTAURANT, a Yemen restaurant, is also close. For other African restaurants, you’ll need to go farther. The hotel is close to the airport, and it’s easy to get to many places from here, including the African Union. I’d recommend it to someone wanting to stay around Meskel Flower, Kirkos. The surroundings are lovely, with a number of embassies nearby. The Georgian embassy is the closest, and the staff are warm and friendly. Room options and prices vary, but the toilets need attention because the smell is strong and unpleasant. There isn’t much of a view. Breakfast choices are limited, and car parking space is limited too, though it feels very secure. There’s now a club on the penthouse level, just above the restaurant, with shisha and a lively DJ for the evening. It’s a decent place overall.

The staff are lovely and keen to help. There’s a bit of a language barrier, but it mostly adds to the fun. Facilities are practical and cover nearly everything you need, with daily complimentary water and good exercise facilities. A great hotel for the price.