I recently stayed at El-Elyon for 8 nights. I tried to call ahead to reserve a room but the connection was poor. I emailed the personal email account on the website though and got a response the next day. I was told the room rate was $100 USD, but was $80 with the TripAdvisor discount. (Room rates are also posted when you arrive at the hotel.)

I was in a single room that contained a full size bed, an armoire, a desk, a flat screen TV, a small safe, and a mini-fridge. Connect to the room was a private bathroom with toilet, bidet, bathtub, sink, mirror, towels, soap, and hair drier. Please note that the shower head is hand held like most showers in this part of the world.

The room was clean, not fancy, but I also wasn't expecting much. The bed was extremely comfortable. More comfortable than my bed at home.

There were many lamps in the room but they weren't all plugged in. In fact, I could only find one outlet in the room. This served my purposes fine, so again, this wasn't a drawback, just want to help others set reasonable expectations. (The outlet had an adapter in it that all plugs could be plugged into you, US, European, British, etc.) They have a generator to compensate for the frequent power outages in Accra.

There was free wireless internet available throughout the hotel. They gave me the password when I get there ... but I still couldn't really get it to work. I didn't try long though because there was an unsecured network that had a great connection that I used instead. I was able to stream videos and have Skype video calls without any issues, so it was good internet.

Breakfast was available everyday from 7 AM-10 AM for free. Breakfast consists of toast, juice, coffee, tea, and fruit served buffet style. If you want the kitchen staff will make you a 1-2 scrambled eggs, some chicken sausage, and a small salad. I highly recommend this. Just let them bring you whatever they have that day. Don't necessarily try to order something specific or you will likely be disappointed. If you don't eat pork, don't be afraid to say so.

The hotel has a great location. El-Elyon is right next to the Ivoirian Embassy, so if you have business there, it is really the best location. There is also a money exchange place a couple meters away that had quick and good service. There are a number of food options around the hotel, from the fancy Dynasty and Bella Roma which are both steps away, to fast food chicken and pizza about 2-3 minute walks away. Places like Epos are a 10 minute walk away.

Safety-wise, I have no complaints. I'm a tiny female and I'm used to being harassed a lot in West Africa. I didn't have any problems in this regard even though the hotel staff knew that I was staying there by myself. They never made me feel uncomfortable and I never felt unsafe while in the hotel. Although, one of the the employees did ask me for money twice because she "was hungry." That was pretty odd.

So what's the bad news? Two things.

1) I specifically asked if there was an airport shuttle service before arriving and they said yes. The night I arrived they were no where to be found because my flight had come in two hours late. When I called them, they said I never showed up and that it wasn't their fault. They said they would see if they could find someone to come get me. I called back 30 minutes later and they agreed to send someone. Leaving Accra, I asked if they could give me a ride to the airport to which they responded, "maybe." I told them I would check back in the afternoon when I needed to leave. When I did, the official response was "Oh, our driver just left. We can help you get a taxi." Lesson learned: They don't have airport pick up even if they say they do. The hotel next door, Royal Blue Hotel has a van dedicated to airport pick up. El Elyon does not. Also, they made me pay for the taxi that they took to come get me the night I arrived, the round trip fare nonetheless (for a total of 30 cedi). This is why when I was leaving and they said they would arrange the taxi for me to the airport I said no thanks and got one on my own for 10 cedi.

2) Payment options. Before arriving I also specifically asked if I could pay by credit card. They said yes, of course. Upon arriving, all the credit card stickers are on the door. Then they asked for a deposit when I arrived and I handed over my card and they said, "We prefer cash. Our machine is broken." They really just prefer cash. If you can, pay in cash, but pay in USD. The room rates are set in USD and it cost more to use their exchange rate of 2.4 if you pay in cedi. They did eventually take my card begrudgingly and applied a 6% surcharge. But, I was staying there for 8 nights and had time to wait. If you're not in that position, go with cash. Also! I paid my bill in full two days before I left, so I cannot comment on how long the check out process took.

You should stay at El-Elyon if:
* You want to stay mainly in the Osu neighborhood,
* You need to visit the Ivoirian embassy, or
* You want to be in a decent hotel that is noticeably in Accra (instead of a beach resort that could be placed anywhere in the world)

Note: I used to be a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, so my standards may be different than most.