Capital Hotel Djibouti

Brand new hotel, not quite finished (mid-November 2018). I was the first ever guest in room 709. And after an upgrade also the first ever guest in room...

Brand new hotel, not quite finished (mid-November 2018). I was the first ever guest in room 709. And after an upgrade also the first ever guest in room 810 !Really great central location, very friendly staff, as expensive as everywhere else in Djibouti (for the guests that is - hotel furnishings are cheap to midrange), it’s safe, has excellent airco, strong shower even on the top floor but only one temperature of water (a little on the low side for a comfortable shower temperature in an airconditioned room but OK), good fridge, kettle, intermittent TV (ask someone to show you how it works), intermittent wifi (bandwidth just about enough for whatsapp audio when it’s working), no room safe, comfortable bed. Bottled water provided for drinking and cleaning teeth. No pool of course but sadly no outside terrace of any sort either (unless you count standing next to the airco units on the roof) - you'll need somewhere like the Sheraton for that (pleasant 20 minute walk away if you're interested). Or there are a couple of less luxurious fenced terraces on the main square nearby. Late checkout to 1500 OK, not later. Your rate is based on USD but they will also take DJF at a fair exchange rate – so unless your home currency is USD pay in DJF you can get from the many ATMs nearby (check what your daily withdrawal limit is before you come). No credit cards 'yet'.Forget the hotel restaurant for anything but breakfast - there are plenty of good restaurants within a very short walk (Ethiopian and Italian are local favourites, plenty of goat on offer, try Yemeni fish at least once). Breakfast is currently a bit chaotic but the staff are learning fast, there was noticeable improvement even during my short stay. Beans and lentils and fruit and bread are the main constituents, plus meat or egg. Proper Ethiopian coffee and fruit juice - always good to see.RoomsSuites will sleep four (two chairs in separate living room fold down into single beds) - crowded but reasonable privacy. Two of you can have the double bed, the other two get the TV ! If there are three or four of you travelling on a budget this might well be better than two rooms at a cheaper hotel. Short-term issues (which should disappear over time):The promised airport shuttle didn't materialise. The airport ATM worked when I arrived but I made the mistake of getting a multiple of 5000 DJF from it so had a predictable issue with the taxi driver over fare and change. (No meters; there are well-publicised rates to town shown at the airport - whatever your driver tells you ....)With a bit of luck they'll get the two lifts working as one integrated unit before too long. Right now if you press the buttons both lifts arrive together.Bathroom of room 709 is adjacent to bathroom of room 710 and noise insulation is poor - so I got woken up by the workmen expectorating, peeing and their ringtones as they used the room next door to de-qat or whatever. Similar experience when I was upgraded to 810. Maybe normal guests won't be as noisy but keep the bathroom door closed at night !Shower just about drains OK through a basic no-removable-parts-lots-of-holes-in-the-floor drain. I was the first ever user; after a few months of soap, hair and other gunk it will be a miracle if this doesn’t become a major problem without very regular chemical unblocking. I would recommend replacing with a maintainable drain asap (that means NOW), but suspect that won’t happen. Why come to Djibouti as a tourist ?Because it's there ... and /or because it's easy to combine with Ethiopia. The two day excursion to Lac Abbe and Lac Assal is a must and easy to book (go to the main tourist office 100m from the hotel for guide suggestions) but expensive - I was quoted (in US$ and DJF) from €405 to €710 all-in for car with driver and guide and accommodation at Lac Abbe and all food and water. Go in a group of 4 and it won’t be much more (car and driver is the main cost element) - I failed to find any fellow travellers and went by myself. Whaleshark day trips (no guarantee you'll see whalesharks though) in season and short trips to the DECAN wildlife sanctuary (in theory open at a few specific times of the week, but closed when I tried because a lion had just killed someone) and longer trips to go hiking in the mountains are all on offer. Spend a day or two wandering around town to soak up the atmosphere - no touristic gems but do go as far as the fishing port and the brand new shopping mall complex near it. I had no safety concerns anywhere I went in Djibouti but there are a large number of security guards around everywhere in town and I didn't go to the areas tourists are particularly told to avoid ... and you’re also advised not to go too close to certain border areas. If you arrive by air visa on arrival (VOA) is easy (have cash to pay for it with you – US$90 or about the same in €); no VOA for road or train transits so you would need to get your visa in advance. In conclusion: This mid+ range hotel is Djibouti’s most modern and to be recommended.

This hotel had only been open for a few months. Everything was still clean and shiny new. Very good breakfast with fruit, bread, eggs/omelettes to order...

This hotel had only been open for a few months. Everything was still clean and shiny new. Very good breakfast with fruit, bread, eggs/omelettes to order etc. Room was very large with good view of the harbor. We upgraded our room to a king suite based on the advertised balcony and fireplace. Unfortunately there are no rooms with a balcony or fireplace in the hotel, so unless you just need the extra room I would save some money and stay in a standard room, which is plenty roomy. Housekeeping staff is still being trained in- one day our room was not touched, another no towels were left. As most nice hotels in town it is fairly expensive. Be aware that there is no hot water in the hotel, which apparently is standard for Djibouti. Good prompt van service to and from the airport. As of this review only cash or Mastercard accepted, no VISA. From what we could see and heard from other travelers, probably the best bet in the center of the European quarter. A nice feature are the thick windows which are very effective at soundproofing.