Bole Ambassador Hotel

Bole Ambassador Hotel is described as a four-star property in Addis Ababa’s Bole district, around 1 km from Bole International Airport, making it convenient for business or leisure stays. Its facilities include an indoor pool, sauna, spa and wellness center, fitness center, and restaurant. Rooms combine contemporary design with traditional Ethiopian elements and have a TV, seating area, minibar, and private bathroom with a bath and shower. Services listed include free Wi-Fi and self-parking, a 24-hour front desk, and babysitting.

Don’t let the decorations fool you. The service is really bad, and the breakfast is a small menu that usually comes down to one option. Forget about things like an iron. The rooms don’t even seem to have a kettle or fridge.

I booked two weeks through Agoda, so when I arrived to a filthy, smelly apartment, I knew getting my money back probably wasn’t an option. The pillow by the door had a bright yellow stain, and the place clearly hadn’t been cleaned after the previous guest. For the whole room, I got one towel and one roll of toilet paper. No cups, plates, spoons, water, kettle, tea, or coffee. During the next six days, nobody came to clean or ask if I needed anything. I had to go buy pillows, a kettle, tea, a cup, and more toilet paper myself. The room looked nothing like the pictures on Agoda or other booking sites, and the building was falling apart. The bathroom smelled awful, and so did the water. There’s no air conditioning in the small bedroom, and with the door shut it gets suffocating. Leave it open and bright light from next door spills in, so bring an eye mask. The kitchen has no curtains either, and stays bright all night. The restaurant food was shockingly poor. I ended up having breakfast at the Reliance Hotel next door, which was much better in every way, cost almost the same, and included a decent breakfast. I’ve stayed in hotels in Addis on several visits, so my expectations are adjusted for what’s available there. Even allowing for that, Ambassador Hotel doesn’t deserve one star. It’s nothing like a hotel, and there are much better places nearby for the same or less money. The Ethiopian Authorities should inspect it and take away its rating. It’s disgraceful. You have to give at least one star to post a review, but it isn’t worth even that. Be wary of the glowing reviews. If you look closely, many are from local “reviewers” who have few or no other reviews. A four-star place on the Palm in Dubai can’t be compared directly with a four-star hotel downtown in Dhaka, of course, but even by Addis standards this place was terrible.

I stayed for a night during a connection through Bole Addis Airport. It’s affordable for a night or two in Addis Ababa, and they have a shuttle to and from Addis Airport. They serve international food too.