Harbe Hotel

From the balconies you can look out over the hills, and the very clean rooms are well furnished. The hotel is beautifully designed in the style of a cave built church. Breakfast was perfect, with toast, coffee, fruit, and a choice from the menu; dinner was excellent too, with local and European food. The staff couldn’t do enough for you, and it was a bargain. Near the central roundabout for a stroll, and about 15 minutes’ walk to the churches.

It’s a 15-minute walk from the hotel to Lalibela Church. The place was very clean, the staff wonderful, and breakfast good. They weren’t serving lunch or dinner at the moment, but there are restaurants nearby. Alem restaurant is my favorite for local-style food and friendly staff. For dinner, I’d recommend Kal restaurant for international or traditional food with a nice view.

The location made it easy to walk to the main UNESCO site and St. George’s Church, and the rooftop was lovely for watching the sunset and stars. The room had a balcony, and the hotel itself was clean and beautiful. Breakfast was a treat, especially the coffee, and the staff were helpful and friendly. But there were dozens of mosquitoes in our room. With no window screens or bed nets, they buzzed around all night, and I woke up with bites. Visitors have apparently mentioned this on TripAdvisor repeatedly over the last two years, but nothing seems to have changed. A simple fix could make this one of Northern Ethiopia’s best hotels.

After sightseeing around dusty Lalibela, it was lovely to return to Harbe hotel and relax in its pretty little garden. The hot showers were especially welcome on cold nights. The place is clean, and the staff are warm and helpful. Breakfast and airport transfers are included, so the price seems fair for what you get. The WiFi can be unreliable because of technology issues in the country, rather than necessarily a problem with the hotel. Worth a look if you’re visiting Lalibela.