Setif Hotels

Hotel El Hidhab: The best hotel in Sétif

Sétif, like most of Argelia, has very little exterior tourism. So, what is a 3 or 4 star hotel in Algerian standards doesn't correspond to the hotel standards in more tourist zones.

Still, according to the locals, Hotel El Hidhab is the best one in town. During our 2 week stay there were three wedding banquets there, what would be a top wedding for the city's standards.

It was a very clean hotel (compared to some horror stories I heard from other people who travelled to Algeria). Especially after giving a tip to the cleaning lady, my bedroom was spotless!

I was in three bedrooms; The first one was overlooking a minarete, and I wasn't amused being woken up every night at around 3 am for a long while, while they were calling for prayer. Especially when I had to work the next morning. The second bedroom had a few ant-rows going up and down the length of it, and I got restless when I woke up in the morning with them all over me... The third bedroom, though, was great.

All in all, the service in the hotel was great, the people very attentive, especially concerned for these "minute" details in the above paragraph.

I'd go there again if I ever went to Sétif.

Unique Quality: This hotel, belonging to the government, offered very high security, you "felt" you were well kept. It hardly offered any views, since it was quite enclosed among trees, and a tall fence shunning views from the adjoining avenue.

One of the advantages of belonging to the government is that it had a very liberal policy as to "western" culture and wasn't subject to the stiff rules of the muslim society is was in.

One of the downturns in its liberal policy is that the cocktail lounge was populated by women that.... well you know.

But the advantage was the only place in miles around to offer alcoholic beverages, even simple things like having wine for the meals, or a cool beer after a hard days work. By the way, Algerian wine is fabolous!

Since I went for work, I don't know the price. Sorry.

• Opinion of Price: N/A
• Address: Rue de l'Armée National de l'Indépendance
• Phone: +213 36.85.45.45
• Related to: Historical Travel, Business Travel, Archeology
• Written August 24, 2004

Me (center) in El Hidhab's draped dining room

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