La Residence Hotel

La Résidence felt safe and dependable during my trip to Chad, though it’s expensive for what it offers and there aren’t many other options in town. It’s centrally located, close to the airport and directly across the border wall of the presidential palace. The heavy security adds to the feeling of safety. The clean, well-kept rooms felt more residential than hotel-like. My wing had no elevator, but getting around was manageable. Food choices were basic, though acceptable given the limitations in the country. Like in many places in Chad, there were lizards on the walls, nothing alarming.

I spent four days here and enjoyed my stay. The restaurant was a highlight, with a skilled chef making delicious meals with plenty of variety. The pool was clean and good for relaxing or exercising, and the place felt very safe. The staff were friendly and greeted me with a smile, which helped me feel comfortable right away. I’d recommend it for comfort and good service.

Pretty basic, but good for Chad. The food was really good, except for breakfast. Great location and a very nice pool.

Our second stay turned into a complete disaster. A cancelled flight left us at this hotel for 2.5 days. We arrived late Friday afternoon, and the man at reception was extremely unfriendly. He couldn’t find our reservation in the computer system, became rude, and sent us to the manager. The manager was even worse and insisted we show him some kind of reservation. We felt like criminals. Our travel agent in N'Djamena came over and quickly sorted it out, but no one apologized or said a kind word. The manager didn’t even greet us during the following days. This is not international standard. The rest of reception was just as unfriendly. We never met one kind person there, and questions got rude, stupid answers. The restaurant staff were also unfriendly, lazy, and rude. They’re all male. Once they realized we didn’t speak French, they stopped being friendly and even ignored us. Three times we ordered food or drinks and never got them. It was all completely unprofessional. Breakfast was another struggle. We had to ask three times for boiled eggs, and it took 30 minutes to get two, served hot as hell. By the pool, we ordered two coffees with milk. After 30 minutes we asked what was wrong, with no apology. Ten minutes later, we got one black coffee. I’ll never stay here again. It’s a desert of service and friendliness. Absolutely avoid this place!