Ethiopia is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in East Africa. It is a country that is best known for its deep culture and history. “Amharic” is the common language in Ethiopia, and it is considered as one of the oldest written languages in the world. As a writer who is passionate about African stories and immersing myself in the culture, I was eager to learn all I could about this beautiful country, the food and the people. Travel to Ethiopia: A land of culture, history and beauty
I had the chance to go to Addis Ababa for a few days. I had only been to Addis Ababa on transit, so I was looking forward to exploring this beautiful city because it has so much to offer – 6 Great Places To Visit While In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I was going on a working vacation, so accommodation was key. I got accommodation at the Jupiter International Hotel Cazanchise and this is where I stayed for five days.
The flight from Nairobi to Addis Ababa is around 2 hours. I took the early 5 AM Ethiopian Airways flight so that I could make the best of the day by arriving early enough to be able to make the best of my day. Two hours fly by quite fast on a plane and in no time, we had landed in Bole International airport. I don’t know about you, but flights of any duration leave me feeling quite tired. I couldn’t wait to get to the hotel to get a hot shower and grab some food. One of the things that impressed me is that when I had emailed ahead to ask Jupiter how I can get a cab from the airport they just asked when my flight was coming in and they told me there would be a courtesy hotel shuttle waiting for me and it was. I was also able to change some dollars into birr which saved me the hustle of looking for a bureau.
LOCATION
I had the option of either booking into Jupiter Bole, which is right next to the airport, or Jupiter Cazanchise which is located in the middle of the city. I chose to book into Cazanchise mostly because its location was ideal to all the places I wanted to visit. Jupiter has built their hotels as business destinations to provide accommodation to the business people visiting or travelling through Addis. Because location is an important factor that business travellers look for while choosing accommodation, all the Jupiter hotels are positioned strategically to make the guests’ stay as less stressful as possible in terms of access and getting around.
Jupiter International Hotel Bole provides its visitors with easy access to the airport in case they have to make local or international trips. It is ideal for visitors who need a good place away from town to get some work done or hold meetings.
Jupiter International Hotel Cazanchise, on the other hand, is in Addis Ababa where visitors are in close proximity to the Ethiopian government offices, United Nation headquarters and major cooperate offices. These locations make Cazanchise quite unique because clients can make bookings and run errands without having to travel too far.
The Rooms
My first impression of the Jupiter International Hotel Cazanchise was warmth. It has space and light, my hotel suite was spacious, well-lit and complete with tasteful pieces of furniture. My hotel suite had two rooms with one room being the bedroom and the other set up in such a way that you can have meetings or just turn the room into an office. All the amenities you would need as a business guest. There was high-speed Wi-Fi, coffee making facilities, a desk where one can work and the usual amenities like a safe, and something that surprised me which is an iron and iron board. Sometimes when you travel you get challenged because you have to ask for an iron box and it is being used by other people, so you have to wait a while.
Staying at Jupiter International Hotel in Addis Ababa. My room or should I say rooms are really spacious. Perfect for those gus who want to have meetings while in Addis. This is a business hotel after all. #Ethiopia #AddisAbaba #JupiterInternationalHotel
#Travel #RayhabTravels pic.twitter.com/rrOyOdKgO7— Rayhab (@potentash) April 29, 2019
Jupiter has installed state of the art internet connectivity that is offered for free to ensure that you are always connected. I also found their Wifi to be excellent, with no buffering. I was able to work as well as watch some movies without worrying about the connection.
Hallo @JupiterIntHotel how you doing? I am loving your hotel. Especially the personal touches. Like if you forget your loofah they got you covered. I love the fact that I don’t have to call reception for an iron. We are those guys, the ones who must iron, yes even jeans pic.twitter.com/jjYfdGM34v
— Rayhab (@potentash) April 29, 2019
All that space in the rooms comes in handy when a guest has colleagues over whom they might need to entertain after a long day of talking business and strategy. The room service is really effective, you can order meals and drinks and you will get them in minutes.
I loved that the bed was very comfortable. Also, the fact that although the hotel is somewhere in the middle of town, you could not hear the noise outside. It was very ideal for both catching up with work or relaxing as well.
SERVICE
When I arrived at Jupiter International Hotel Cazanchise, I was taken by the hotel’s interior. Although it has a glass interior that doesn’t reveal much, the inside is very different. Warm tones throughout the building. Its truly a nice place to be in, I was met by very friendly staff at the entrance who asked about my journey and helped me with my bags. The service felt really genuine and welcoming. I later came to learn that Jupiter had won a couple of awards for being the best company to work for in Addis Ababa. It made more sense why the employees at Cazanchise seemed so motivated and eager to help.
The hotel’s management emphasizes on quality customer service, they pride themselves as a business that considers all the suggestions made by their clients. The idea is that guests get a homely feeling during their stay; my experience with the staff and services offered was excellent and I left the hotel with very good memories of my stay there.
FACILITIES
The hotel boasts a 24-hour state of the art gym that comes as a complimentary service for the guests. There is a spa too where guests can enjoy a little pampering for a reasonable price. There is also a sauna and spa which is also complimentary. The only disappointment I had is that they don’t have a swimming pool but if you need one you could probably swim at one of the nearby hotels.
I had a massage before I left, and it was an intense deep tissue massage. I found their prices to be quite reasonable as I spent around 20 dollars which is about half of what I would pay to get a good massage in Kenya. It really was a good experience. The masseuse was really professional and seemed to really know what she was doing. Nothing like a good deep massage to kick start your day.
There are restaurants located within the hotel that offer business-class buffets during breakfast, lunch and supper. I food the menu quite interesting, it not only includes Ethiopian cuisines but also international dishes to accommodate foreign guests who might want something a little closer to home.
Cazanchise also houses a vibrant African artefact shop with ethically made products such as leather bags, t-shirts, souvenirs and jewellery. Store 251 is a good place to buy souvenirs from Ethiopia to take back home. You can also buy some coffee to take home with you.
If you are ever in #AddisAbaba check out @store251 at @JupiterIntHotel. They have some awesome ethically made products like leather bags, t-shirts and jewelry. #Ethiopia #Shopping #Travel pic.twitter.com/XbWH90ZYGO
— Rayhab (@potentash) May 1, 2019
ACTIVITIES
Though the whole idea of a business hotel is for the clients to feel comfortable and work with minimal disturbance, there are various activities you can participate in when you want to unwind. There is the hotel bar, which I really liked, Jazz nights on Thursdays, book club and piano nights on Monday. If you are a lover of jazz music like me, you will definitely appreciate the jazz music that is played. It was a really good set and I was sad when it ended because it was really good.
If you are ever in #AddisAbaba check out @store251 at @JupiterIntHotel. They have some awesome ethically made products like leather bags, t-shirts and jewelry. #Ethiopia #Shopping #Travel pic.twitter.com/XbWH90ZYGO
— Rayhab (@potentash) May 1, 2019
Ethiopian coffee ceremony
Having coffee at the @JupiterIntHotel. There is a traditional coffee ceremony for making coffee at the lobby. Coffee is taken with either popcorn or some other cereal. The coffee costs around 70 US Cents which is very reasonable. #AddisAbaba #RayhabTravels #Ethiopia pic.twitter.com/7ZaFnLPfLg
— Rayhab (@potentash) April 30, 2019
Coffee is an important part of Ethiopian traditions. It is customary for a host to prepare a coffee ceremony whenever they have a guest around. An invitation for coffee is considered to be a mark of respect, friendship and an excellent mark of Ethiopian hospitability. It is customary that a young woman pours the coffee, this meeting for coffee might take quite some time so be well prepared. In the lobby next to the coffee shop, they have set up an area where you can observe and take part in the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. You can have some delicious strong coffee with popcorn. This was an interesting experience for me. I got to sit down, watch the coffee being brewed and have the coffee as I did an interview with An Interview With Marketing Manager Maedot Assefa On What Makes Jupiter International Hotel The Best PlaceTo Stay In Addis Ababa
Coffee and more coffee. This is how Ethiopians traditionally have coffee #AddisAbaba #RayhabTravels #Ethiopia #Coffee at @JupiterIntHotel #TravelTuesday pic.twitter.com/BtqlR8Tfuk
— Rayhab (@potentash) April 30, 2019
Jupiter hotel wants to give its guests a taste of Ethiopian traditions and coffee. This is why they launched the coffee concept in 2017. They intend to branch out into a coffee chain retail and set up a processing plant by the end of 2019. Jupiter is using the plant to better the lives of the inhabitants of rural Ethiopia where it is located.
I found Cazanchise to be very well placed in terms of access to local destinations. The National Library is just a few minutes drive from the hotel and there you can read about the history of Ethiopia and see “Lucy”, the earliest ever remains of humankind. There is also the cultural museum which has a rich history of the rural communities and their traditions.
There is also a traditional market where you can find traditional Ethiopian handmade garments and ornaments for sale. Between the traditional market and the end of Addis Ababa are the mountains which are also an interesting place to visit. If you are in Addis Ababa make sure to check out the area called Stadium where you can buy some beautiful leather bags, wallets and shoes. You can also head over I found it a very convenient place to move around from as I was attending events for World Press Day and it was convenient in terms of distance to the UN, and to the African Union Headquarters.
If you are new in Addis Ababa and are not quite sure where to go, not to worry. The Jupiter International Hotel has an informative magazine that gives you tips on all the nearby attractions and also has a map of Addis Ababa. You can ask the staff to give you a copy.
If you are staying over in Addis Ababa for a few days and need a quiet place to jumpstart your vacation or business meetings, then I would recommend Jupiter International Hotel. You can also get a honeymoon package as well. The things I loved about the hotel were the location, the service and just the feeling of being home away from home. It is a hotel, but it is very cosy. It is in a very safe area and I was able to even go out at night for meals. I stayed for 5 days but it felt like too short a time because of how I liked my hotel room. The peace and quiet allowed me to slow down and relax, it didn’t feel like a working trip. I would recommend a stay there.
You can check out the TripAdvisor reviews here.
Heading for Addis Ababa, here are places you should visit while you are there – Travel: 6 Great Places To Visit While In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
