White House Addis Hotel

We’ve visited Ethiopia several times and have found its people, culture, and experiences rewarding. This stay nearly ruined our trip, though, and I felt I had to tell other travellers what happened. I don’t recommend the White House Hotel. We planned to stay for one or two weeks with our family. After checking in, we found both rooms dirty: floors, bathrooms, and towels were unclean, dead bugs were on the window ledges, and the curtains were dusty. There was human hair and small stains on the sheets under the comforters in both rooms. It looked as if the beds had been made without changing or washing the sheets after the previous guests. We told the staff, then said we’d find other accommodation and leave. The staff contacted the hotel’s “owner,” who refused to address the problems. We were told that even though we’d been there for only 20 minutes, we had to pay $110 USD to leave. The owner wouldn’t speak with us and told staff not to let us go until we paid. While we spoke with the front desk, the security guard blocked our vehicle and driver in the parking lot. We felt taken advantage of and trapped as foreigners in the city. The security staff were hostile and rude, and we paid so they would let us leave. At the next hotel, which was a great experience, the management told us that charging a full night’s stay for 20 minutes in the room was against Ethiopian law. I don’t usually write negative reviews, but this was bad enough that I felt compelled to share it.

The rooms are spacious, with their own toilets, fast WiFi, and good food. It’s a great hotel in a great location, tucked away from everything. The owners and staff are extremely friendly and helpful. There’s a shuttle to and from the airport, and you can rent a car with a driver at the hotel for sightseeing in or outside Addis. Prices are reasonable.

They quote you one price, then charge more when you check out. They lie, so don’t trust a word they say. The room is small and there’s no hot water. They tell you there’s a water heater and it’s coming soon, but it never does.

We couldn’t stay in the room and left for Vamos, just a minute away. Their room was clean and their customer service was good. The room here was filthy, and when we asked right after seeing it for a clean room or at least a change of comforter, the staff refused. They also wouldn’t refund the $100. The women working there were extremely rude and unwilling to help.