Ag Palace Hotel

There are lots of local cafes and places to eat nearby, with excellent Ethiopian food and beer at super cheap prices. It's a short drive from both the airport and city centre, and both are easy to reach. The owner and staff were helpful and proactive. The hotel is centrally located, spotless, and has all the necessary amenities. Rooms are a decent size, and many have balconies with large sliding glass doors that reach nearly from floor to ceiling. The WiFi was very fast. Great value, and I highly recommend it as a base for exploring Addis.

The mixed grill was amazing, though if you prefer healthier food with less salt, I'd mention that when ordering. The rooms were clean and well kept, and the staff were friendly and helpful. My only concern was the location. It's a bit away from the main road, and the way in is bumpy.

I booked for a week after thinking it over, and I don't regret it. For a longer stay in Addis, this is an affordable, pleasant place with clean sheets, a decent city view, a central location, helpful staff, and free breakfast. It's simple and not fancy, so look elsewhere if you want luxury. I spent about 10-15 minutes getting here from Bole airport, and it cost about 10 American dollars. It's a fairly new, quaint, simple but modern six-floor hotel with a balcony, roughly equivalent to a Holiday Inn in the States. The building feels clean and modern, with a granite staircase and a sixth-floor balcony overlooking the city. There's cable TV with CNN and Ethio TV. Receptionists speak English and are kind, and the staff keep the rooms and sheets clean. Massage costs less than 15 American dollars. Breakfast is free, and they can make delicious omelets. Showers are clean, with hot water and good pressure. The free internet worked well for me after I had them change the password. There's a guard outside watching over the area, and I thought the price was hard to beat. Nearby hotels cost more, don't include free breakfast, and seemed older and more run down. This place had consistently good reviews, followed American-style hotel standards, and had plenty of international guests and business people. The beds are firm. I liked that and slept well every night, though some people may want a softer mattress. The balcony view is really nice, and exercising up there in the morning felt refreshing. The bathrooms are clean, something you'll appreciate once you get around Addis. The neighborhood is a little shabby, though that may change as it grows. The road to the hotel is rough, and it's down the street from a taxi mechanic shop, surrounded by low-income homes. Still, it felt safe, and I enjoyed the friendly people nearby. Since the hotel is fairly new, taxi drivers may not know it. Ask if they know Blue Bird hotel down the street or Yonas hotel, or say Hiya welete or 22 in English to get close. Download a map before heading out. There's no elevator, but staff were happy to help with luggage. I'd still choose an upper floor for the views and less noise from the ground. The rooms are clean and nice, but small compared with the huge rooms you may be used to in America. They feel similar to a Holiday Inn, so don't expect anything fancy. The towels are a little thin and don't absorb much.

We had a satisfactory stay at this decent hotel. It was clean enough and had all the amenities apart from internet in the rooms. There was internet on every floor, but we couldn't connect. The lobby had a better connection. The towels were old, and booking online was cheaper for some reason. Don't expect luxury.