Zan-Seyoum Hotel - Lalibela

I had a really good experience staying at Zan-Seyoum hotel in Lalibela. The staff are unfailingly polite, attentive, and helpful — the kind of people who genuinely don’t expect tips, but are genuinely pleased with no matter what you give. There is also room service if you’d like food or beverages brought up, which makes things very convenient. The manager deserves a special mention. He is obliging and resourceful, and also a great source of local information. When I fell ill briefly during my stay, he went out of his way to check on me often, offered to call a doctor, and even brought medicines from a local pharmacy without charging me extra. And when I asked for a room with a better view, he upgraded me to a much larger room with the best views around — again, without adding a single birr to my bill. The hotel offers airport transfer at a very fair price (Birr 300 in Sept 2025), and there’s a restaurant downstairs in a lovely setting. The meals are freshly prepared, with a good mix of Ethiopian and Western choices, all at budget-friendly prices. They also provide laundry service at very modest rates. The rooms themselves are spotless, tastefully done, and cleaned daily. While the hotel isn’t right in the city center, getting around is no problem at all. Tuk tuks are easy to find right outside the entrance, or the manager will happily arrange one for you to reach the main sights, including the famous rock-hewn churches. All in all, this turned out to be an excellent budget hotel in Lalibela — one I’d recommend without hesitation.