Carlton Madagascar

From the outside this hotel might not look overly impressive, but never judge a book by the cover and I’ll be staying again on any future visit to the city. The whole property has a traditional luxury vibe, which might feel dated to some, but it’s somewhat in keeping with the location. Checking in was a lovely experience and all the staff are friendly, offering and help and advice for the city. My room was very spacious with great views over the north of the city. A huge very comfortable bed with charging sockets and armchairs added to the comfort and bottled water was provided. While there was a good selection of drinks and snacks in the mini bar, there was no bottle opener for the drinks, nor indeed an iron which was disappointing for such a high end hotel. The bathroom, while feeling a bit dated, was very clean and had lots of storage space along with all the amenities you would expect. The shower over the bath was decent and with the good quality towels hard to find cause to complain. Housekeeping did a great job and were really friendly whenever you encountered them, which reinforced the really welcoming sense the hotel gives. There’s a nice outdoor pool area complete with a bar, but with the poor weather it all remained closed with no one using it during my stay, but it does look a great space. Breakfast is served in a bit of a basic space, and rather than a buffet you tick your selection on a small paper menu and it’s cooked to order. While a nice concept, access to some self-serve drinks or pastries would have been great. Again though, the staff are lovely. The bar in the lobby is a great space to relax in an evening. There’s a decent food menu and range of drinks, although nothing on draft when I was there. Prices were reasonable and whether you’re on your own or in a group there’s good seating options, along with a small terrace outside. If ever I’m in the city again I’ll certainly stay here again, and if traditional luxury is what you like then it’s great.

Comfortable, safe business hotel in Antananarivo Very good, no-frills hotel with excellent service

I’m writing this review about my stay at this hotel when it was still known as the Hilton. In 1979 my Dad was posted to Madagascar to work on a Hydro power project. He travelled to the worksite during the week while my Mum, sisters and I stayed at the Hilton for a while before finding an apartment in Tana. I can’t remember how long we stayed but in my memory it seems liked months. I remember fondly exploring the grounds, eating in the restaurant everyday (frog legs were a favourite) and looking for treasures like silk flowers that were left behind after a big weddings in the reception hall. We never had complaints about insects and the food was good..except once, on my birthday the manager of the hotel asked what I would like the chef to make for me and I grinned and said Yorkshire pudding. They produced very good French cuisine but the Chef was baffled when it came to the Yorkshire pud and although he tried hard the texture left a lot to be desired. We eventually moved to the Andekaleka in the jungle and in 1982 we left to head back to the west after the job was completed. I’d love to see some photos of the hotel dating back to the 1970 if there are any.

All staff is nice and willing. Unfortunately the property itself seems to be left in disrepair. The worst part is the lack of a proper restaurant/chef: food quality is below par. Breakfast is appalling, very little choice and poor quality. Definitely, as it is now, not a 5 star hotel.