Hôtel Yabisso

The restaurant was the best part of my stay. The food was fresh and seriously delicious, and the chef was helpful and delightful. If you’re looking for your next Michelin chef, he’s the one to look at. The hotel’s central location was handy, with ATMs nearby for international transactions. They accepted cards, the AC worked well, and the staff spoke several languages. But the many positive reviews online gave me a very different expectation. I counted several roaches, the floor was dusty and sandy, the fridge didn’t work, and the sheets didn’t seem clean. The staff were generally somewhere between hostile and indifferent.

The staff were the bright spot for me. They were warm, polite, helpful, and well mannered, and they gave me information and arranged taxis when I needed one. The location felt a bit scary. When you step out, you’re looking straight at other people’s homes, and the street feels like a market, with people selling all sorts of things. At night, people in nearby houses sing and dance, so it gets noisy. There’s no restaurant at the hotel, which means going out for food. The bathrooms weren’t very clean. The faucets had limescale, the toilet had rust rings, and the towels were old and had lost their colour and texture. Honestly, they should all be thrown away.

Avoid this hotel. I spent three nights there and was robbed. At first it seemed like a nice, comfortable place. On the day before my last day, I was told they’d clean my room while I was out. I’d hidden a $100 bill in a small pouch at the very bottom of my backpack. Just before leaving on my last day, I looked for it to carry with me on my trip to Kpalime. The pouch was still there, but the bill was gone. The way they handled my complaint was even worse. I went downstairs, reported that my money had been stolen, and asked to speak with the owner. The manager, whose name I think was Mathias, said it was my fault because I hadn’t said I had “something to declare” when checking in. He refused to let me speak with the owner, said he was the manager and the only person I needed to talk to, then laughed off my problem. After repeatedly telling me the owner wasn’t available, he changed his story and said he was the owner. At check-in, Mathias had asked if I had “anything to declare.” I asked what he meant, and he just repeated the question. He spoke perfect French, my mother tongue, so I assumed he meant prohibited or restricted goods. When I said no, he didn’t explain or ask again, and he didn’t offer to let me leave valuables at reception. They don’t seem to have a safe there anyway. No safe place for my money was offered. When I complained, they dismissed me, blamed me, and literally laughed in my face. Based on what happened to me, I’d strongly recommend avoiding this hotel. Feel free to contact me if you want more details.

The rooms are comfortable and affordable, with hot water in the shower and a mini fridge. The staff are very helpful, and the WiFi is good. Unfortunately, there’s no breakfast.