Olympe du Bemaraha

Staff was lovely but facilities are poor. The room had a bad smell, there were no bath towels, only two floor towels, there was one tiny bar of soap, no bedside lamps, and the room was just overall a bit sad. I wouldn't have minded if the price was in line with the facilities. It was quite high for what you get and breakfast wasn't even included. I have stayed in every kind of accommodation all over the world and have rarely been this disappointed. I was hoping that the food would make up for it but it was subpar as well.

You will have a tough time if you don’t speak French. Despite there being several English speaking guests present during my stay, hardly any staff spoke English. At least 3 times per day I overheard guests asking, “Is there anyone who speaks English who can assist me?” And my three night stay was one miscommunication after another whether it was the English speaking” staff member incorrectly translating menu options or incorrectly explaining the cost of something. I was always handed a cocktail menu only to always be told - no cocktails available. Most times I wanted to pay for something the cashier was not available, and I was told to return later. Two or three trips to pay for a beverage or meal, and they had change when I paid. So then I had to make one or two extra trips to get my change. It is a 100 meter walk uphill to the reception area. So it was not a pleasant experience having to walk the hill 3 to 4 times a day in 100 degree weather just to pay for a meal and receive change for my payment. The rooms are basic. No AC. My room had no waste basket. My room was not cleaned during my 3 night stay. The rooms get extremely hot. There is a fan, but it’s not no available to use at night due to solar-powered outlets that do not function after 11pm.

After reading reviews of this hotel, I was very nervous booking it. But, due to the covid situation, it was the only hotel I could find which is open (turns out there was one other, but most are closed for the season). I booked via direct email with the hotel. I took a leap of faith- and was pleasantly surprised. Upon arrival, they had the rooms ready for us, along with some juice, which was really sweet. It's currently very empty- we were one of two or three groups staying there during our three-night stay. We received rooms towards the top of the hill, and all three were together. We had reserved a family room, which, from pictures, was a double bed and a bunk bed in a slightly separate area. However, it turned out to be 4 twin beds crammed together. Nevertheless, we spent most of the time at the lodge so it didn't really matter. The bungalows are sweet little cabins with porches with cozy chairs outside. There were mosquito nets on all beds and the bathroom was a good size. Very quaint and a cool vibe. They don't have electricity during the day, and there were occasionally power outages in the early mornings. Bring a flashlight in case and charge up at night. Water varied between cold and hot- it's run by solar, so if you can shower around 4 pm, you'll be golden. All that said, for their rural location, it was very comfortable. The food was good and the menu changed every day. They always had a vegetarian option. However, the food was very expensive for Malagasy pricing. 35000 Ar for a packed lunch, with dinner around 30000 Ar & breakfast at 25000 Ar. But, the rooms are a reasonable price. I don't know if the manager who so many people mentioned having negative experiences with is gone for the year due to covid, gone for good, or we just never met him. We only interacted with Malagasy staff, but their English was very good and they were incredibly sweet and helpful. Wifi in the lodge is pretty good- though it did cut here and there. Pool was fun and clean-though very cold haha. Overall, we were very happy with our stay and felt very safe and well taken care of. We loved the rustic charm.