If your layover in Addis Ababa is between 8-24 hours, chances are you can score a free hotel room courtesy of Ethiopian Airlines during your long layover.
Not everyone with a transit between 8-24 hours will receive a free hotel voucher. Note these exceptions.
- You must be transiting from an Ethiopian Airlines international flight to another Ethiopian Airlines international flights.
- The long layover must be necessary — in other words, if there is an earlier connection available inside the eight hour window, you will not receive a complimentary hotel voucher.
- Your passport must be eligible for a transit visa on arrival (most passports qualify).
Rapid Travel Chai points out that if you do not qualify for a free hotel, you can still buy one…generally at a cheaper rate than retail.
Earlier I outlined my Addis Ababa Transit Guide. If you’re looking for a free hotel, follow the transit signs and you’ll find a pair of desks that look like this–
> Read More: Addis Ababa (ADD) Transit Guide
There was no line when I arrived, but I hear it can get pretty busy.
Once you arrive at the desk, simply present your onward boarding or itinerary as well as your passport. If flying in business class, you may be given a choice of hotels. For example, I was offered the Hilton or the Radisson Blu. Economy Class passengers are provided lower accommodations.
Two Essential Documents
Your passport will be returned to you with both a hotel voucher (printed on regular paper) and a laminated yellow transit card. You’ll need both documents to exit passport control without paying for a visa.
Proceed downstairs where you’ll wait in line to be stamped into Ethiopia. I was directed into a line for “Ethiopians” then chewed out for being in the wrong line.
If you’ve checked bags, you do not need to collect bags during your layover.
Once in the country, look for a sign for your hotel. Most hotels in the Ethiopian Airlines transit hotel program have airport staff to arrange shuttle transport. Shuttle service is complimentary.
Once you get to the hotel, no credit card or cash should be needed. Meals are also included. At the Hilton, I was provided three meal vouchers: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Your hotel voucher will indicate what time you should return to the airport.
CONCLUSION
Ethiopian Airlines’ complimentary transit hotel program worked like a charm for me. If you have a long layover, take advantage of the opportunity for a free hotel to rest, recharge, and refuel.
I was not given a choice of hotel, but was instead taken to a guesthouse of an airport security guard…
I actually had to do this about 2 weeks ago. @Matthew I was at a different set of desks which was on the mezzanine and referred to as the interline desk. We were towards the front of the line after deplaning, yet it took over an hour to get a voucher. It was more madness than a Spirit Airlines flight. People would ignore the line and head right up to the desk with their issues and look at you with no shame. I travel on Ethiopian Airlines quite a bit and anticipate having to get in this line again, which I will never look forward to.
Sounds like your experience was far worse than mine!
Thanks Klint for the tip I am flying in December and was wondering if I can get a hotel voucher.
Also carrying checked luggage was going to be hectic for me
What is your routing?
I just spoke to Ethiopian. If you did not book your tickets with them directly and originate on another airline, like I do, the hotel is not free regardless of you having to layover between two Ethiopion flights. The transit pass and hotel/transport are still available for $70-80 dollars. I don”t know how much the transit visa is but there are lovely looking airbnb options in Addis for @$25. It would be great to not have to stand in long lines of uncertainty at midnight after 24hrs of travel to get a hotel and get some sleep for the next days journey.
Manda I wonder what day you will be transiting in December??
I also experienced chaos trying to get a transit visa in January this year. There was one window open and about 20 people crowded around it pushing and shoving. I was ineglibile because while I arrived on ET J I was departing on MS J so was denied.
What was the hotel and meals like? 3 meals seems very generous.
We were not given any choice of hotel, at 1st it was them airlines who change our flight we supposed to land at 7:15am from Montreal Canada and take off 9:30am to Entebbe Uganda, but we are kept setting in airport until 7:30pm with bad stinky bathrooms, my kids were tired and security couldn’t allow us into the lobby to get something to eat. Again on way back to the US our flight schedule was 12:30pm from Ebb to Addis and depart 11:30pm we are more than 8 HRs in airport again with no hotel. Wish they hold to their words cuz they mess people’s schedules and the airports don’t have amenities for entertainment.
It time we let the world know about Ethiopian airline and how they treat custoners… My wife has to move from Kenya to Ghana on this airline and having a layover of close to ten hours at Ethiopia was asked to pay about fifty dollars for hotel since the hotel they plan booking is full up. With her medical condition couldn’t even find water to take her pills… I think it time the media put them on their toes…
I just did this 3 days ago when ET delayed their flight resulting in a missed connection and 14h in Addis. I was not given any the choice of Hotel and the Hilton and Radisson Blue were full I guess because I was given the Capital (in Business Class).
Capital was not as good at the other two but still far better than the hotel I got on my outbound flight when flying in Economy which was so bad that I went back to the airport lounge where there is at least internet that works, sockets and unlimited edible food and drinks.
As someone indicated before, the transfer desks have moved downstairs where it is far more chaotic and small. They are now immediately under the escalators when you enter the terminal from your plane bus ride. The queue in my case was literally coming out of the terminal, definitively not peaceful. I suspect lots of people missed connections and had to fly the next day as it was the late night.
I was lucky to fly Business and be Gold so I went to the priority queue were they were not serving Economy passengers, at least they did not allow the chaos of queue jumping but the process is painfully slow and there were only 2 counters so expect 10-15min per person in the queue and you can easily spend a few hours there.
Interestingly, the two times I have done this in the last two weeks I have not got any transit visa cards nor was my passport stamped so I got into Ethiopia without any trace on my passport and nobody cared on the way back in both times. I have a Spanish passport
I’m glad I found this post but this makes me a bit nervous. I am traveling to Tanzania and while I paid attention to my trip there I did not pay attention to the fact that my return flight included a 12 hour layover in Addis Ababa. It is my first time traveling alone internationally. Do you recommend taking the hotel over just waiting it out in the airport? I’m just worried that I would be placed all the way across town and risk not getting back to the airport the next morning or risk getting lost somehow! A friend from Africa says that she found this airport easy to navigate and a good one but it sounds like others don’t feel the same…maybe depends on what it is being compared to?
I would take the free room — the airport is horrible for such a long layover. Even the lounges are not great if you somehow found your way in.
I’m visiting Tanzania next month from Lagos and have an 11hour lay over on departure trip then 18hours layover on my return trip. Would I be able to get a transit visa and would it be best i prepare to pay for a hotel if Ethiopia airline doesn’t take care of me well?
Yes, be prepared just in case, but if this was the shortest layover possible Ethiopian will likely take care of you like they did for me.
What happens if you’re transiting for 12 hours, whilst there’s another flight flying in 7 Hours. Can I book my own hotel before arriving there or I have to book with them once I get there and how much does it cost.
Thanks.
No free hotel.
Oh dear, I am travelling solo next week with Ethipian airlines to cape town and will have a 15 hour stop over in Addis Ababa on my return journey. This is the part I am dreading the most and hope that the fear of this stop over doesn’t spoil what should be an amazing vacation seeing my brother for the fisr time in 39 years.
What if the stopover is more than 24 hours?
No hotel room. For transit passengers only.
Can we get this with Ethiopian if we’re flying on award miles? Qatar will not allow it.
Thanks for your post.
I have an 11hr layover and I was thinking of waiting at the airport…. but I guess I’ll give the complimentary hotel a go.
I hope they have a shuttle…. not sure if I will feel safe in a random taxi. That’s my main fear. Insecurity in the streets.
Hi Matthew, did they stamped your passport and fingerprinted during your free layover?
Yes, they did.
Hello Mathew i will be travelling back to Nigeria through Ethiopia air and i will be having 12hrs stop over to connect another flight will they be providing hotel for the time?
Great Post Matthew!
My mom and I had a 17 hour layover in Ethiopia on our way back to the US. You’re instructions were just as follows. We stayed economy class so although we didn’t get lodging at the Hilton – they gave us rooms at the Beacon Hotel. The rooms were neat, the staff was welcoming, WiFi was provided and buffet meals. By far this was MUCHHHHH better than staying 15 hours in the airport.
Breakfast – assorted bread, French toast, pancakes, cereal, milk and juice, coffee and tea
Lunch – spaghetti, white rice, stewed rice, curries, mixed vegetables, and bread rolls. Each of us were given our own bottled water.
Thank you for all the information. We will be flying Ethiopian Airlines in October, on our way back from Cape Town to Tel Aviv we will have an 18h long layover in Addis Ababa. When booking this flight there were no seats left for all the earlier flights to Tel Aviv, does that mean we qualify for a Hotel voucher?