Sherar Addis Hotel

The room and bed were comfortable, and the service was good. Breakfast was a different story: twice I went down at 7:30 a.m. and was told the chef and barista hadn't arrived, with no idea when coffee or food would be ready. The location is handy, but two clubs are right next door. If loud music every night will keep you awake, this isn't a good place to stay.

I paid 16k and came away really disappointed. From the fifth floor, the noise was already so loud, even with a car alarm going off. The video shows it, and you can imagine what it would be like on the first floor. There's no bathroom light, the Wi-Fi doesn't work at all, and there are lots of mosquitoes. The bathroom window has no metal screen, and breakfast is often missing basic items.

The staff are great and try hard to make you feel welcome. It's a new hotel, with clean rooms, new furniture and fresh sheets, and the location is good for the price. Food is decent for what you pay, though I wouldn't expect standout meals. Check out the lounge on the sixth floor. There are a few things to sort out. The internet is slow and keeps dropping while you browse. The hot shower works for about five minutes, then you have to wait around 20 minutes for it to warm up again. I think the new boiler could be adjusted to keep the water hot. They say they take cards, but the machine declined every card I had, so I paid cash. I could get money from the nearby ATM.

The breakfast was unacceptable. There were only three local dishes, more like lunch food, and every morning we had to argue to get fruit or eggs. We ended up arguing with them about nearly everything. We booked this as a five-star hotel, but it wasn't close. The airport vehicle was seriously dirty and in poor condition. The lobby looked polished, then our rooms told a different story: old-fashioned, poorly maintained, and not clean. My bed was broken and some lights didn't work. Our friends had plumbing problems and leaks. There were spider webs in the corners, and we had to push for clean towels and sheets. They didn't even mop the floors. It was really bad for the money we paid.