The Quality Hotel in downtown Juba is the place where we place our guests on our tours to South Sudan. Why here? Well a combination of the price, location and the fact that our local partner clearly has a deal there.
Yet while the Quality Hotel Juba might not be the best hotel in the city, there is more than enough going for it to make it a great place to hang your hat in whilst in Juba. Oh and believe me if you get pissed on by a cow the shower here is amazing. Yeah I’ll explain this one later.
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What the Quality Hotel?
The Quality Hotel sits in the Hai Cinema area of downtown Juba, which is about as central as you can realistically get in the South Sudanese capital. Over the years it has become one of the more dependable mid range hotels in the city, largely thanks to the steady stream of NGO workers, journalists, contractors and the odd adventurous tourist who end up passing through Juba.
Despite the name it is not part of any global chain. It is locally run and operates more like a secure compound than a traditional high rise hotel. Rooms sit around a central courtyard and pool area, security guards control the entrance and generators kick in whenever the city power inevitably drops out. In a place like Juba those simple things matter far more than fancy branding.
Location wise it is pretty much ideal. You are right in the downtown area close to government ministries, offices, bars and restaurants, and only a short drive from the airport. In a city where roads can suddenly become chaos thanks to checkpoints, traffic or random cows wandering through town, being centrally located actually makes a huge difference.
Quality Hotel Facilities
It is the facilities (and location) of the Quality Hotel that actually make this place rather than the rooms. Firstly they have one of the best, or at least vest value swimming pools in all of the city. This is accompanied by gym, steam room and like legit massage. The pool is honestly top notch.
The bar and restaurant are also a big part of the appeal and are honestly where many guests end up spending their evenings. The bar sits beside the pool and works as a proper outdoor drinking spot, which in the Juba heat is exactly what you want. Cold beers, plastic chairs and a mix of aid workers, journalists and business travellers decompressing after a long dusty day.
The restaurant itself does a solid job serving a mix of regional East African food alongside the usual hotel staples. Portions are big, meat heavy and designed to actually fill you up rather than impress Instagram. Goat, beef stews, rice, chapati and various regional sides dominate the menu, with the occasional international dish thrown in for those who are feeling less adventurous.
Said bar is a great place for out door beers of an evening, while the restaurant offer fine local and regional fare. I personally dip big injera here (yes I know its Ethiopian), as well as some good goat dishes!
Oh and the F&B manager is such an absolute gent that he even did me a wee tour of the hotel, which I thought was a nice touch.
The rooms at Quality Hotel
OK, so when it comes to everything about the Quality Hotel in Juba the weakest point is the rooms. Basically they are OK enough and have a TV, bathroom and the like and are a a decent size. They are though not all that clean and being on a complex don’t exactly offer great views. The fact that they are need mosquito nets is also quite telling.
The rooms though start at around $70 if you are in the know, or up to $90-100 in nigh season or you just get the rack rate. It is also quite literally downtown and almost, just almost walking distance to the Pyramid. And while the rooms are so so at best, should you get pissed on by a cow the hot water showers (not golden ones) are well worth it.
Another note is that not only will they let you check in early to the hotel, but they will even do left luggage for those going out to do fun shit, like visiting the Mundari.
Address of the Quality Hotel
Quality Hotel Juba
Hai Cinema Road
Juba
Central Equatoria
South Sudan
Phone: +211 925 888 880
https://www.facebook.com/QualityHotelJuba
Click to see my South Sudan Tours with YPT.