Damal Hotel Hargeisa

I stayed at Damal both in Hargeisa and Berbera. Both hotels are very old and not particularly clean. They both gave me rooms with no windows and very stuffy. WiFi is unstable, as is the electricity, which sometimes goes off mid-night and shuts off the a/c, making you wake up all sweaty. I found the staff a bit grumpy. Service in restaurant is brutally slow. Not sure if there are better choice around, but this wasn't great for sure.

Located in the center of town, near everything. The people are very friendly and helpful. The rooms are lovely and very comfortable. The hotel restaurant is lovely with good food, and the plaza between the hotel and the restaurant is lovely. We loved this hotel.

Good hotel with an amazing location. Breakfast was amazing and kinda convenient having a little mall inside the building.

Stayed three non-consecutive (1+2) nights. Excellent central location overlooking the MiG Fighter Jet War Memorial. While the view was great, the flipside was the noise. There is no soundproofing whatsoever, and you can hear traffic, music, calls to prayer, barking dogs as if they were in your room. Earplugs and white noise are a must. The room was on the small side, but clean and reasonably comfortable. Amenities included a mini-fridge (no electric kettle. There was no light switch near the bedroom. There was a power socket on one side of the bed (not the other), and a power strip on the desk, although nearly all outlets were occupied. Well lit desk area. Comfortable bed and pillows. A/C worked well. Bathroom with everything in working order. Shower with hot water, although the water pressure was low. Breakfast to order from a set menu - edible but nothing exciting. The restaurant is open all day, and service is very slow. Wifi worked well. While not up to international standards, this hotel is as good as it gets in Somaliland.

I booked the hotel per email, and got a quick reply from Amal, who handles all correspondence. She was professional and courteous, and answered all my questions quickly. Sadly, the hotel was not able to arrange invitation letters anymore, so I had to arrange an entry permit from the ministry separately. The hotel driver was promptly waiting for me when I exited the terminal building and was carrying a sign with my name on it. The drive to the hotel at noon took 25 minutes and cost 10 dollars one way, payable at reception. The return, at 9 am, also took 25 minutes. Amal checked me in at noon. Her English was very good and she was helpful in answering all the questions I had about the city and also organized a driver for me to visit the camel market. She is a true gem and I hope the hotel realises her value. There are several room categories. I booked an entry level "Deluxe" room for $43 a night, including taxes and breakfast, payable in cash in dollars at the hotel. The room was small but came with a comfortable bed, with a UK socket by the bed. There was a nightstand, a desk with a chair and a closet (with a safe that did not work). Two 0.33 L water bottles were provided. I got a room with a balcony and a nice view of the central square with the MIG fighter jet, but be sure to ask for a room with an exterior view as some rooms only open to the interior corridors. Wifi was easy to use, free, fast and reliable. A/C worked well, too. No electricity problems. While the view was great, the downside was poor noise insulation. Bring earplugs. The bathroom was okay sizewise and amenity-wise (small bars of soap, minibottles of shampoo, shower gel and body lotion as well as a dental kit) but the shower was terrible. Water pressure was nowhere near enough to take a decent shower. Even when you turned on the water heater, the water was lukewarm at best and if you wanted any kind of pressure, you needed to settle for coldish water. This was a huge letdown in dusty Hargeisa. Breakfast was included in my room rate and was served from 7 to 11 in the restaurant in the courtyard. There is no buffet, instead you order a set plate from a menu, eg. omelette, toast, jam and butter, and hot and cold drinks. It was a simple affair. There are also sweet alternatives, such as Somali pancakes. The restaurant was open all day for meals and drinks. Think pasta, pizza, burgers, steaks, fish and some local dishes. I had a huge bowl of tasty creamy chicken pasta for $9. The cakes were very good, too. While the waiters speak English, you might still encounter a language barrier when ordering. This is one of the best hotels in Hargeisa, and the location is impossible to beat, as the hotel is on the main street, overlooking the central square (MIG square). You can buy water and snacks opposite the square. The hotel advertises itself as a four-star establishment, but by Western standards, I would rather say it would get 2.5 stars, and if the shower worked well, three stars.

I can’t say enough good things about the Damal Hotel, specifically Amal, who works the front desk. We had so many questions and spent quite a bit of time on the internet before we even arrived. She was so patient with us and she helped with so many logistics! She recommended the guided services of Abdilahi at Horn Expeditions, which turned out to be a fantastic tour company. Amal’s English is excellent and she’s also learning other languages as well. She’s bright, charming, well-organized, and willing to do whatever she can to help guests have a great experience. We arranged an airport transfer and our ride was waiting with a sign at the airport. The hotel is conveniently located in the center of the city. The rooms at the Damal Hotel are very spacious and comfortable. We were offered two options, both for a reasonable price, and decided on a nice large room with lovely view and small balcony for a great price. AC and Wifi worked very well. Hot water was available in the shower. Breakfast and two bottles of water were included in the price. The on-site restaurant serving breakfast (and other meals) was absolutely fantastic. They had a wide variety of local and European dishes that were all delicious. The coffee and drinks were exceptional. Service was very friendly and spoke good English as well. Overall, the Damal hotel offers the best quality rooms, services, and customer experience in Hargeisa. Highly recommended!

Professional service and welcoming staff, took a good night, will recommend to anyone visiting Hargeysa to check without question

Exellent good service. food was amazing, and the staff were helpful. the location of the hotel was good in the heart of the city. other facilities also nearby or in the same building like money exchange and banking.