Where to stay in Ghana on a budget – “Somewhere Nice” Hostel Review

Booking accommodation is one of the most important parts of a trip. A lot goes into the decision and it’s probably the choice that takes the longest. When deciding where to stay in Ghana, I looked for budget accommodations in Accra on booking.com. It took me almost 2 weeks, but I finally landed on Somewhere Nice Hostel in Accra.

I have a few non-negotiables when it comes to picking my stays; a pool, free breakfast, central location and affordable and Somewhere Nice Hostel ticked all my boxes. When people hear “Hostel” what often comes to mind is unclean shared spaces, but I had a good experience.

In this post, I’ll give you a detailed review of my stay at Somewhere Nice Hostel, one of the only budget stays in Ghana.

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Why I stayed in a hostel

Simply put, I wanted to experience hostel life and I was on a budget. Since I was travelling solo, staying in a hostel gave me the option to socialise and meet people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Why I picked Somewhere Nice Hostel

After reading over 50 online reviews, I settled on Somewhere Nice Hostel. It had everything I was looking for from beautiful aesthetics, socialisation, and central location to great service and extra features like a pool and swim-up bar.

Service

The service at the hostel is great, the front desk is open 24/7 so, there is someone to check you in at whatever time you arrive. They also offer airport pickups (it’s expensive).

When it comes to breakfast, if you choose to have a hot breakfast, it’s cooked for you, however, the breakfast options are extremely limited. It starts getting repetitive after 2 days.

Location

The hostel is in Kokomlemle, Accra, just 15 minutes away from Kotoka International Airport and 5 – 20 minutes to everywhere I planned on visiting. It’s also in a safe neighbourhood, I felt safe walking around at night. 

Rooms

I stayed in the 7 – bed female dorm room but the room was never full during the 5 days I was there.

What I liked:

• The 2 balconies
• The aesthetics
• Ability to socialise with my roommates

What I didn’t like:

• I know what I paid for, but I still didn’t like sharing a bathroom or living space with strangers.
• Every night and each time I went out, I had to lock all my belongings which was very tedious.
• You must be considerate of other people because of course, it’s a shared space.
• The door has no locks. When I asked the staff why, they said because it was a shared space so, having no lock avoids people getting locked out. A simple solution to this would be to give each person staying in the room a key.

Price

Hostel life is affordable, and I think that’s what drew me in. I paid $89 for 4 nights for a bed in 7 – bed female dorm and this came with free breakfast, Wi-Fi, and pool access.

*Tip: pay in cedis at the property, it’s much cheaper.

Socialisation

Unlike most hostels in Europe, Somewhere Nice doesn’t plan social nights where residents can meet and socialise but, there are opportunities to meet other residents over breakfast (there is a communal eating space), by the pool and in dorms.

Many of the people I met were backpackers or volunteers partaking in volunteer programs.

Connectivity

There is WIFI across the hostel and the connection is very strong, as well as 24/7 electricity.

Extra Features

My favourite part of the hostel is the pool and swim-up bar. The pool is open 24/7 except on days it gets cleaned. There is a swim-up bar that serves cocktails till 2 am.

The pool from 12 am till late is where a lot of the residents hang out after a night out so it’s a great way to meet people.

I didn’t know I could do Ghana on a budget, I was wrong. Somewhere Nice overall was a great first hostel experience, I loved meeting different people and the affordability. However, if I was to stay in a hostel again, I would pick a private room, I like my space and privacy. I don’t think a shared room is for me.

Would you ever consider staying in a hostel? Let me know in the comment section!

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