Obelisk Hotel Axum

I stayed here for a couple nights. First, I’ll list the good things. All of the staff with whom I interacted were very friendly and tried to be helpful. The food (breakfast and dinner) was quite good; I honestly recommend the special pizza. Now, the not so good things: compared with other places I stayed in Ethiopia as well as just in general the room was rather small. It was not clean. I had no hot water at any time during my stay. On the first morning, the water in the shower stall from my cold shower did not drain, but that was fixed. Nearby, there is an establishment that plays loud music very late at night.

While there were positive aspects like a comfortable bed, helpful service from Sami, and overall enjoyable stay, there were also significant issues, such as unresolved maintenance problems and the awkward situation with the owner regarding payment. I stayed at the Obelisk Hotel for seven nights. The bed was comfortable, and I slept well every night. My room was on the second floor, facing the side with the bar. If you sleep early, the noise might be an issue until the bar closes. There were some maintenance issues, such as a continuously flashing light in the bathroom and a non-working bulb above the mirror. The owner, Nati, said he would have it fixed, but it never happened. On the positive side, Sami, the helper at the bar, was fantastic. He made sure I always had a good breakfast with plenty of coffee, juice, and food. He even arranged to have my laundry done, though there's a DIY washing machine available if you prefer. The shower required some patience to get working properly, but it was worth it once it got going. Unfortunately, the stay ended on a slightly sour note. On the last day, Nati mentioned that he hadn't received payment for the room, which made me feel uncomfortable. I had already paid, so I didn’t offer to pay again, but the situation left me with an uneasy feeling as I left.Overall, I enjoyed my stay, especially thanks to Sami's attentiveness, but the unresolved issues and awkward departure left a cloud over the experience.