“Hotels are our ambassadors,” notes a tourism expert at the Ethiopian Ministry of Tourism.
“Addis Ababa is not just a city—it’s a global capital and for many of those guests, their hotel experience is their first impression of Ethiopia,” said Tariku Demissie, Executive Director of Quality Assurance and Grading of Tourism Services at the Ministry of Tourism. “They don’t just remember the meeting—they remember the mattress, the bathroom, the breakfast.”
Conference tourism appears to be the primary reason Addis Ababa’s tourism sector remains relatively resilient to the prevailing political instability that has curtailed tourism nationwide. Functioning as “the capital of Africa” and a crucial center for a large diplomatic community and international organizations—a standing shared only with New York and Geneva—Addis Ababa consistently maintains its advantage in conference tourism.
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In the outgoing budget year alone, Addis Ababa hosted over 80 major conferences that account for more than 100,000 international guests according to the data at the MoT.
For these “ambassadors” to establish their competence and provide guests with reliable rankings for their consideration, they require ongoing assessment and reassessment.
In May 2025, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Tourism released the long-awaited results of its first formal hotel star-rating reassessment in more than a decade. The announcement, covering 40 hotels across the capital, revealed a mixed outcome: some properties moved up in rank, others dropped—and a handful disappeared from the official list altogether.
For Tariku, the announcement marked more than just the unveiling of a list; it was the country’s inaugural formal reassessment of previously rated hotels. He noted that until now, no hotel in Ethiopia had been reassessed.
“This isn’t a campaign—it’s a system now,” said Tariku.
A Decade Without Oversight
Ethiopia’s hotel grading system was first launched in 2014/15 through a partnership with the United Nations World Tourism Organization. By 2018, the Ministry conducted a second round using domestically trained experts. Then, the process stalled.
“According to Regulation No. 173/2002, hotels must be reassessed every three years. But that wasn’t happening,” Tariku admitted. “The grading was done—but the follow-up wasn’t.”
The consequences were visible across the hospitality landscape. “Some hotels no longer met the standard they were originally graded for. Others had made improvements but had no way to reflect that in their rating. And guests were left to assume that stars awarded ten years ago still meant something.”
How the System Works
Hotel grading in Ethiopia is governed by a 2,249-point national standard developed by the Ethiopian Standards Agency. The framework measures performance across 12 categories, including guest service, hygiene, food and beverage operations, environmental sustainability, and safety protocols.
But not every lodging qualifies. To be considered a hotel under the law, an establishment must operate year-round, offer at least ten rooms, provide essential services like reception and housekeeping, and be registered with the relevant tourism authority.
Hotels that meet those requirements are then scored on two fronts: total evaluation points and fulfilment of mandatory criteria for each star level.
One-star hotels must provide basic private accommodation and minimal guest services. Two-star properties are expected to offer en-suite bathrooms, daily housekeeping, and basic food service. A three-star hotel must add amenities like porterage, a business center, and a licensed restaurant.
Four-star hotels are held to higher standards: 24-hour front desk, multilingual staff, full-service dining, guest laundry, and enhanced in-room features. At the top of the ladder, five-star hotels must deliver international-level service—multiple restaurants, round-the-clock room service, wellness and conference facilities, trained staff fluent in foreign languages, and full compliance with fire and safety codes.
The Assessment: Fire Safety First
Of the 92 hotels initially slated for reassessment in Addis Ababa, only 40 made it through to receive an official star rating. The most common reason for disqualification? Fire safety.
“We found many hotels that did not comply with even the most basic fire safety requirements,” said Tariku. “This is now strictly enforced under city regulations.”
Hotels without fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, or clearly marked emergency exits were immediately ruled out—regardless of their amenities or reputation.
The grading framework itself has evolved since it was first introduced in 2014. While the 12 core categories—ranging from guest services to sustainability—remain in place, Tariku confirmed that some outdated requirements have already been removed. Among them: designated smoking areas and ashtrays, once mandatory for hotels, were scrapped in line with Ethiopia’s updated tobacco control laws.
A broader overhaul of the grading standard is also in the works, he said, aimed at aligning the system with current international practices and national regulations.
While newly established properties are granted a grace period of up to one year before they must request formal assessment, older hotels are expected to comply on schedule.
To ensure objectivity and preserve the integrity of the process, the Ministry has instituted a randomized assignment system for assessors. “This eliminates any prior contact or coordination between hotel operators and inspectors,” Tariku said. “It helps us get a clearer picture of how these places actually operate on a day-to-day basis, not how they perform when they know we’re coming.”
The groundwork for the reassessment was laid years ago, but the process was significantly delayed by the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Ministry resumed the effort, Tariku says it did so deliberately.
“We gave hotels more than eight months to prepare,” Tariku said. “We reached out to all of them in Addis Ababa.”
Nationwide, more than 400 hotels have received what the Ministry calls “support supervision”—technical guidance and training to help properties align with national standards before official evaluations are carried out.
Across the country, more than 400 hotels received what the Ministry’s “support supervision”—a form of technical assistance to help operators understand and meet the required standards before facing a formal evaluation.
The Final Ratings: Who Made the Cut?
Of the 40 hotels formally reassessed in Addis Ababa, eleven earned the coveted five-star designation. The list includes prominent names such as the Sheraton Addis, Hilton Addis Ababa, Skylight Hotel, Inter Luxury Hotel, Capital Hotel, Radisson Blu, Marriott Executive Apartments, Golden Tulip, Hyatt Regency, Nexus Inn, and Iliy International Hotel.
Notably, several of these properties—Hilton Addis, Inter Luxury, and Nexus Inn—had previously held lower ratings and were upgraded following extensive renovations and service improvements.
For Hilton Addis Ababa, the transformation has been years in the making. Once rated just three stars in 2015, the historic hotel underwent a phased overhaul that touched nearly every aspect of its infrastructure.
“The issue was never service—it was condition,” said Seifedin Badi, Hilton’s commercial director. “The rooms, the fittings, the furniture—they were simply outdated. So we renovated in phases: guest rooms, restaurants, even staff areas. By the time the reassessment came around, the hotel had changed completely.”
Nine other hotels were awarded four stars, including Ramada Addis, Sapphire Addis, Jupiter International, Harmony Hotel, Getfam Hotel, Saro Maria Hotel, Azeman Hotel, Sor Amba Hotel, and Best Western Addis. The remaining properties received three, two, or one star based on their total scores and compliance with mandatory criteria.
Some high-profile hotels, however, were missing from the list—not due to failure, but timing.
Haile Grand Addis Ababa, a major new entrant in the capital’s hotel scene, was not included in the 2025 reassessment. General Manager Emishaw Teshome clarified that the hotel was not avoiding the process, but was simply not ready. “We didn’t apply earlier because there were things we needed to complete,” he said. “But now we’ve submitted our request and expect to be assessed soon.”
Tariku confirmed this. “New hotels are given a one-year grace period before mandatory grading,” he explained. “In the case of Haile Grand, we provided early support supervision. They weren’t ready at the time. But after the results were announced, they reached out and we’ve scheduled their assessment.”
He emphasized that the Ministry’s goal is to see hotels evaluated after they meet the national standard—not before.
Non-Compliance and Consequences
While many hotels cooperated with the reassessment process, a few declined outright—including two of Addis Ababa’s most recognizable names: Desalegn Hotel and Wabi Shebele Hotel. Both were subsequently delisted.
“Their stars were revoked,” Tariku confirmed. “And if this continues, their qualification certificates may be at risk.”
While some hotels requested extensions and were granted flexibility—particularly those undergoing construction in the city’s corridor redevelopment zones—the Ministry took a firmer stance with those that refused without valid reason.
“For hotels that simply avoided or refused assessment, the policy is clear: no compliance, no rating,” Tariku said.
More than a dozen additional hotels were delisted for various reasons, including closure, conversion to other business functions, or failure to meet basic legal requirements.
Reactions from the Sector
The hospitality industry’s response to the nationwide hotel reassessment has been cautiously optimistic.
Aster Solomon, president of the Addis Ababa Hotel Owners Association, described the process as ““fair enough when compared to the previous ones ,” crediting increased transparency and stakeholder involvement. For the first time, representatives from hotel associations had seats on the grading committee and were allowed to accompany site visits.
“This time, hotel owners were involved. We joined inspections, we attended review meetings, and we were allowed to ask questions,” Aster said.
Still, she acknowledged that the process moved quickly at times, and not all hotels were ready. “But overall, it was done properly.”
Aster also observed a noteworthy shift in the ratings landscape. “Many of the hotels that used to be four stars didn’t retain that rating,” she said. “There were more five stars this time—but also more downgrades.”
What Comes Next
The Ministry says reassessments have already been completed in several regional cities—including Adama, Bishoftu, Hawassa, and Dire Dawa—with results pending final committee review. Regions such as Sidama, Oromia, and parts of Southern Ethiopia have also been covered. Gambella and Afar are next on the list.
This is no longer a one-off campaign, Tariku emphasized. The reassessments will continue on a rolling basis, accompanied by follow-up inspections to ensure that hotels maintain their rating standards.
“If a hotel earns stars today and drops in quality tomorrow, those stars can and will be revoked,” he said.
The Ministry is also expanding the effort. Beginning next year, it will roll out new grading frameworks for restaurants and lodges, extending accountability beyond hotels.
For the Ministry, the reassessment is more than a bureaucratic update—it’s a structural reset for the sector.
Tariku asserts that the reassessment marked the beginning of a systemic shift toward accountability in Ethiopia’s hospitality industry. He believes star ratings now reflect current, verifiable standards, not legacy status or marketing claims.
