paradise Lodge Arba Minch — Hotel in South Ethiopia Regional State

We stayed at this hotel for two nights and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience, despite a few good aspects.

First, we were told during the reservation that the total price for two nights was 17,000 ETB. We sent 10,000 ETB in advance and expected to pay the remaining 7,000 ETB upon arrival. However, when we got there, we were told the remaining balance was 22,000 ETB — bringing the total to 32,000 ETB, which was nearly double what we were originally told. There was no clear explanation, and this felt dishonest.

The room looked nice at first glance, but we couldn’t sleep because small animals were getting into the house from the outside. The shower had no hot water, and the design was so poor that water splashed all the way to the bed.

On the positive side, breakfast was very good and the waitstaff were kind and professional. The hotel ride drivers and shuttle staff were also very helpful.

However, our experience ended on a very negative note. After we checked out and were waiting for the shuttle to the airport, the hotel staff accused us of taking a gown from the room — one that we never received in the first place. Both my wife and I explained multiple times that there was no gown in the room when we arrived. Despite that, the manager insisted they search our carry-on luggage. It was extremely disrespectful and humiliating, especially considering how much we had paid for the stay. Even after suggesting it might be a towel instead, the manager still insisted on a search, showing a complete lack of trust and hospitality.

In summary, this hotel may have good food and helpful drivers, but the poor communication, maintenance issues, and disrespectful treatment we received left us with a very bad impression. We would not stay here again or recommend...

An amazig view and nature which gives the area great potential for tourist attraction. For me the natural beauty of the place is breathtaking!! Unfortunately the rooms are not as such classic and some of customer services are unpleasant. Yet the ladies who handles customer compliance are amazing and professional.

Overall, you need to be aware that there is no Internet services within rooms; when you decided to go to the restaurant to have cup of coffee and use wifi, usually most of the tables are reserved for VIP or a large number of people who are having meeting in the hotel. I think there are two large halls that organizations books to use it for meetings and training. Sometimes there is a very loud music in these halls which you don't expect from such peaceful lodge.

If you are foreigners you may get relatively better customer services and care from the staffs, but if you are local (unless you act like diaspora) don't expect a standard services. I'm sure the restaurant will lose their customers when there are some competitors. I heard Haile and Lewi (two well known resort owners in the country) are building an alternative hotels just nearby.

We decided not to go to the place again! We will wait until there are...

Let me start with the positives. The location is amazing. Arguably, this is where you get the best view of both lakes and God’s Bridge. The staff try their best to be friendly. Special shoutout to the OMO tour driver, Behailu.

Now for the rest: The “Zebra Lake View”: Yes, there is a lake nearby, but it’s definitely not in your view 😅. On top of that, it’s about a 10-minute walk from the reception area. The bathroom facilities were old and dirty. We had to switch to another room for an additional $50 per night. Sadly, the bathroom in the new room still had issues, but at least it came with a better view. The crocodile market tour: This was nothing but a scam. We didn’t even see a crocodile. The “tour guide” casually said, “Yeah… these days it’s difficult to see them.” You’d think seeing crocodiles was the whole point of the tour. The food: I was left disappointed by the limited options and the overall taste of the food. For such a culturally rich region, I was hoping for a completely different experience.

In general, it feels like this place is taking advantage of the limited options around here. Visitors, I recommend going to Haile for your stay and coming here just to grab a coffee and...