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WATCH THIS SPACE FOR ADVERTISING AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE ETHIOPIA HOTELS GROUP |
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Two
Great Old Places in Addis
Ababa Taitu Hotel: In the
Piassa area just past the road on which the famous
Castelli's restaurant holds court, is the oldest
still functioning hotel in Ethiopia. Founded by
Empress Taitu of Ethiopia in 1914, the hotel
started a new tradition in the country. It may be
hard to imagine now, but food and accommodation for
travelers was entirely through private hospitality
up until that time. The generous and hospitable
nature of Ethiopians was clearly exceptional. In
Europe the notion of Inns dated back thousands of
years, and even in the nearby Middle East, Joseph
and Mary could rely on an Inn 2000 years
ago. Early European visitors to
Ethiopia report that hotel accommodation was rare
and not that good. For hardy types like William
Thesiger in the 1930's, that was just fine. He was
happiest riding a camel and sleeping in a tent. The
British novelist Evelyn Waugh, on the other hand,
was used to the comforts of the upper crust, and
deplored the simple accommodation he was afforded
in Ethiopia, especially when he was forced into the
overcrowded conditions experienced during the
coronation of Haile Selassie in 1930. The early Scots explorer
James Bruce had no Inns to rely on in the 1760's,
but he made do with the generous room in the
castle, with built in bookshelves, which the
Empress Mintwab provided him in Gondar. Clearly the Taitu Hotel was
designed to be a model for elegance and comfort for
Ethiopia. Restored from dilapidation to its former
glory, the hotel now exhibits the charm that it
must have had when it was new. Clearly Empress
Taitu wished to have a decent place for visitors to
stay, to match the modernized status which the
Ethiopian Empire enjoyed with the construction of
the railway from Djibouti. As the railway crept
closer to Addis, the relative ease of travel
attracted a growing number of foreign
visitors. The front building is 3 tall
stories high, in elegant white with a faded 'Taitu
Hotel' still visible on the front. The new name of
the hotel is 'Itegue', but I think many people join
me in insisting on calling it the Taitu. You enter
through a wonderful old wood revolving door, which
must have been restored with some
difficulty. The main lobby is wide and
open, with a grand wooden staircase decorating the
side. There are small tables for coffee or meals
scattered through the lobby, which is cut off from
the bar and restaurant at the back by large
archways. The fixtures have been restored to their
art deco style. The artwork ranges from
cheaply framed photos to modern Ethiopian style, to
depiction's of various ethnic groups. Over the bar
is a big traditional painting of a nude woman, with
a curious monkey in the corner. Recently redone wood floors
are already showing signs of coming off. Less
glossy, but nicer, are the original wooden floors
that have been left. They are worn but retain their
original charm. All of the three areas on the main
floor are nice to sit in - the main lobby for
coffee, the bar for a beer, and the restaurant for
a good meal of national food. Unfortunately, as too
often in Ethiopian restaurants, the atmosphere is
marred by two loud TV sets. Near the back door there is
a bulletin board for tourists, both with
information about tours and such and a place for
travelers to leave messages to each
other. Up the staircase in the main
lobby is the gracious and large hallway of the
second floor. The wooden floor is wide and
gorgeous, leading off to the rooms that line both
sides. The rooms look comfortable enough, if a bit
worn, and go for the same price for foreigners as
Ethiopians. The birr 145 with shower, or 120
without seems reasonable for a foreigner at least.
Same price with one or two persons. At the end of the hallway on
the second floor is a narrow staircase that leads
up to the small third floor. There is a nice view
over the Piassa from the small windows. The room
was under preparation when I visited, so it was
empty and barn-like. The plan is to turn it into a
nice loft restaurant. I look forward to trying it
out! Behind the main building is
a large two-story set of rooms. On the bottom is
the hotel reception. I was told the rooms and rates
were the same as the rooms in the main building. My
kind host and guide, Demoz Beyene from reception,
assured me that business was good and that the
Taitu Hotel was doing fine. Finfinne Restaurant And
Hotel The Finfinne restaurant is
one of the great sites of old Addis. It is right
near the center of town, on Yohannis St. at one of
the turnoffs to the Sheraton Hotel behind the
National Palace. Now both a restaurant and hotel,
this started as the mansion of one of the leading
nobles of Ethiopia. The Finfinne hot springs just
up the hill from the villa were a popular spot; in
fact they were probably the main reason that Addis
became the capital. Empress Taitu was so fond of
the hot springs, which she visited from Entoto hill
where she lived, that she is said to have insisted
that the capital be Addis Ababa rather than Addis
Alem 30 kilometers away. The partially constructed
Addis Alem was abandoned, although the nice church
built at the time is still good for a
visit. The villa at Finfinne was
converted to a restaurant during the time of Haile
Selassie. Now it is a popular spot, not only for
lunch or supper, also for Ethiopian weddings and
receptions. The setting is perfect. You go in
through a main gate into a large parking lot,
staring down the long entryway with corridors of
rooms on either side. The center of the building
has the restaurant, which is a wonderful two-story
affair. Latticing decorates the archways, and the
overwhelming effect is of wood. This is something
you rarely see these days, when wood has become a
scarce and expensive commodity. The main floor of the
restaurant has a huge polished wooden bar, where
patrons can sit comfortably on bar stools and sip a
beer or something from the extensive collection of
bottles behind the bar. Two sets of stairs lead from
the bar area to the upper restaurant. This appears
to be used only for special occasions. The walls
are lined with traditional Ethiopian paintings and
artifacts. The upstairs is a fairly narrow
corridor, with the center opened up above the bar
area. At weddings, the guests are lined up on the
tables stretching down two long corridors, with the
wedding party holding court in the front center
corridor. It is reminiscent of old paintings of
feasts, where the guests sit in long parallel rows
stretching in front of the head table. Behind the bar at the back
is another long room where most of the restaurant
patrons sit in booths or at tables. It is pleasant
enough, and there is pretty good Ethiopian food at
10-15 birr a dish (I like the spicy meat - kaye
wot). Around the back of building
is an extension of the restaurant in the garden
area. There is a nice tukul to sit under, as well
as a row of tables next to the back wall. The
garden is a bit decayed, but I prefer the eating
area outside unless it is raining. The washrooms
are also decayed by Western standards, but apart
from that it's a nice place to visit. The above article
appeared in the Addis Tribune. Permission for its
use was granted by the author, Mr. Graham. Off
the Beaten Trail by
John Graham Food and Lodging In
Ethiopia: We first met John Graham in La Petit
Paris, a charming French Restaurant in Addis Ababa,
and during our conversation he suggested we try
Castelli's, mentioned briefly in the following
article. We loved the Italian style food at
Castelli's, and I am certain our readers will enjoy
any location Mr. Graham recommends.
Editor |
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