This hotel was selected by our tour operator for the northern Ethiopia tour.  We stayed at this hotel two nights, November 2012.  

The drive to the hotel is on a very bumpy road, but we drove to a cul-de sac, and our fears went away, as the hotel looks well-built, modern, and with nice flower shrubs around the parking area.
 
After a long distance drive, we arrived by mid-afternoon, and we were greeted by a porter who took our luggage inside. Our driver proceeded to the front desk to sort out our stay, which had been prepaid, to include all of our meals.  Upon check-in, we did not have any interaction with the hotel staff, as our driver did all of that. Our room was ready when we arrived.

Reception 

We did not have much interaction with the Reception staff, other than asking about internet and having clothes washed (for a song).  The staff speaks minimal English, but after a few sentences, we achieved our goal, and everyone was happy.
 
The Room

Our room had two twin beds. My first inspection of the room revealed clean sheets, fresh smelling pillows (a big plus for me), clean blankets, and two pillows per bed!  The mattresses were comfortable, and we had no complaints.

Storage in the room was plentiful, a locking wardrobe, and we could take the key with us. There was also a writing desk and a chair. 

The Bathroom

This is not a luxury hotel, maybe it's a three star.  However, the bathroom was fine. We founds a clean toilet, washbowl, tub with shower, and HOT water. This room was cleaned daily, and was acceptable. As far as toiletries, you are given a very tiny soap and shampoo in a sachet, so, you’d better carry your own products.

The View 

Everyone raves about the views, and from the rooms, they are wonderful as the hotel sits on top of the largest hill, with unobstructed views of the valley below. One can see the land below, as far as the eye can see!
 
The hotel also has a huge terrace, on top of the hotel, and one can sit there to enjoy the beautiful sunsets, over a beer or wine.

The Restaurant

The service was a little slow, but the young women were fairly friendly.  I thought the food was very good.  The chef made a wonderful chicken stew and another traditional dish which name escapes my mind, but overall we were very pleased; this was not on the menu, and they obliged us.

Our tour included our meals up to a certain price, and we paid a little extra for additional items, such as the chicken stew. For two beers and the extra for food items, we paid an additional $6-7.

And, the Prices 

I thought the food was reasonably priced for a la carte items.  There was a buffet meal one of the days we were there, but the food did not look really appetizing, so we ordered from the menu again. The room rate was around $65 per night.

Summary

Overall, we had a very good stay. This was our third hotel in Ethiopia, and I can say that this is perhaps the best hotel found in Lalibela, to include other smaller cities.
  
The nearby UNESCO Heritage Sites (namely churches) are about three kilometers from the hotel; so, not necessarily within walking distance, but only about 6 minutes by car over a bumpy road.

There are several souvenir shops only a few steps up the hill from the hotel.  We had our own guide with car, but the hotel can arrange for a guide, car and driver, at a reasonable price.

The Wi-Fi is free, when it's working. We had no luck the first night, but it was working great the second night.  This is only available in the lobby.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Mountainview.


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Thanks, Di (SurgRN911) for setting this up. The photo disappeared, however!

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