Best hotels in Ethiopia

Nestled in the breathtaking highlands of Lalibela, Hill Top Lodge Lalibela offers a serene and authentic Ethiopian retreat. Built in traditional Lalibela style, the lodge harmoniously blends local architecture with modern comforts, providing guests with an unforgettable experience in one of Ethiopia’s most sacred and historic destinations.

The Lodge du Chateau makes a perfect base for exploring Gondar with friends, family or as a couple. Immerse yourself in the wonders of Gonder and enjoy unrivalled hospitality

SKY Resort is one of the best resort found in the beautiful lake side city of Bahir Dar. The resort hotel is a luxury facility that is intended primarily for customer’s comfort and is located around near special attractions, such as Lake Tana monasteries, Tiss Issat falls and so many attractions around.

Stay at this serene urban oasis, a dignified yet peaceful spot in the middle of downtown Addis Ababa. The hotel has been proudly built with elevated yet understated ambiance to accommodate your stay, whether it's to host an event for a few hours or a long stay in one of the elegant suites, AYA is the perfect fit for your needs.

Recharge your batteries in the tranquil accommodations, nourish yourself at the decadent restaurant, Curly Kale, meet friends in the quietly graceful lobby, and host your events in one of the venue halls. The staff awaits, eager to tailor fit any of the multitudes.

Perched between presidential palaces in the Ethiopian capital, Sheraton Addis has been hosting everyone from heads of state to honeymoon couples since 1998. This architectural gem on the hilltops overlooks the sprawling city below, offering a sanctuary of manicured gardens, underwater musical pools, and eleven different dining venues under one roof. The hotel's unique position – literally between the National Palace and Prime Minister's residence – makes it both a fortress of security and a gateway to Addis Ababa's ancient mysteries. From three-storey private villas with personal pools to the legendary Gaslight nightclub, this is Ethiopian luxury redefined.

Addis Ababa sits higher than almost any other capital on earth, and Cassiopeia occupies a corner of Bole, the city's most modern district, a few minutes' drive from Bole International Airport. It's named for the mythical queen of Ethiopia, and is a contemporary 120-room hotel built for airport access (so no pool or spa). You'll get no more than a clean room, Ethiopian hospitality and a convenient airport shuttle - but certainly no less.

The Golden Tulip occupies a city block near the heart of Addis Ababa's business district, close to several diplomatic embassies and a kilometre from Bole International Airport. Classy and modern, the hotel's facilities are freshly minted and extremely well constructed. Designed to serve international and business travellers, it contains several convenient amenities for business and leisure: a handful of restaurants and bars, a gym, a 24-hour shuttle service and a top-notch concierge service. This is the kind of place you don't have to second-guess.

Wild Expeditions Private Mobile Camp pitches its tents across the most remote and starkly beautiful areas of Ethiopia. While in Bale, the camp is located in the Geysay Plateau region. With a diversity of landscapes from vast grasslands to lush forests, the wider area is home to a variety of wildlife, including the Bale monkey, over half the remaining population of the Ethiopian wolf, Menelik’s bushbuck, and Africa's famous cats — spotted hyena, lion, leopard, and African painted dog. Not to mention the plethora of endemic bird species. With just a trio of simple canvas tents (with hot-water bucket showers and a flushing toilet) and a casual mess tent, the camp's authentic setup focuses on nature and experiencing true wilderness. Explore Bale on game drives and bush walks, washed down with chilled sundowners.

The only one of its kind, Lale’s Camp is located in the Omo Valley, on the eastern banks of the Omo River. The camp comes with a mess area and a maximum of seven sleeping tents. It also serves as an excellent base for day and overnight trips. The food is hearty fare, with cooked breakfasts, picnics and three-course dinners, while the service is lovely. A first-class piece of adventure accommodation, Lale's Camp links traditional destinations with areas rarely visited. Lale's Camp opens up corners of the country in comfort and in style.

Arba Minch means "forty springs" in Amharic, and the name gives you the gist — this is a town built on water. It sits on a ridge above two of Ethiopia's great Rift Valley lakes, Abaya and Chamo, with Nechisar National Park stretching between them on a grassy plain locals call God's Bridge. Chamo has one of the densest Nile crocodile populations in Africa; you can see them sunning themselves at the Crocodile Market, a stretch of shoreline where they gather in numbers that take a moment to process. Up in the hills behind town, the Dorze people weave cotton and grow enset in villages built around tall, beehive-shaped bamboo houses. Arba Minch is also the jumping-off point for the Omo Valley and Konso further south, which makes it a natural stopover on any southern Ethiopia itinerary.