Where to stay in Ghana

Hotels

Accommodation in Ghana tends to be of mediocre quality and quite costly for what you get, and most travellers will find it is proportionally, the biggest drain on their budget. The few chain or standalone hotels that genuinely conform to four- or five-star standards are almost all located in the capital, though there are also isolated examples in the cities of Kumasi and Takoradi, and a few of the major coastal resorts. These typically cater to government, NGO and business travellers, and are likely to feel overpriced to leisure visitors who are footing their own bill.

In urban centres, most budget accommodation consists of unremarkable local hotels that tend to be rather lacking when it comes to service, maintenance, cleanliness and amenities that don't quite work as advertised. This sort of accommodation used to be very cheap, but a high rate of inflation over the past decade means it now tends to be quite pricey by comparison to similar accommodation somewhere like South East Asia or India.

Generally speaking, beach camps and B&Bs are more popular with travellers than bona fide hotels, and also more attractively priced. 

Note that in Ghana, rooms with ensuite toilet and bath are ubiquitously referred to as self-contained. Also, rooms advertised as single will often have a double bed, and be suitable for a couple travelling together, while one advertised as double will most likely be a twin (i.e. with two single beds).

Grading: Hotels, hostels and guest houses are theoretically classified according to the international star system, but in most cases you would need to deduct at least one star from the official rating to get a real idea of the hotel's quality in international terms.

Bed and breakfast

A far more attractive option than proper hotels is the scattering of characterful and attractive mid-priced owner-managed B&B-style lodges in Accra, Kumasi and along the west coast.

Camping

There are relatively few opportunities for camping in Ghana and most visitors feel that the hassle of carrying a tent and other camping equipment outweighs the advantages. The major exception is if you expect to spend a lot of time visiting remote wildlife reserves and national parks, many of which are only realistically accessible to people with camping equipment. In addition, many backpacker-oriented resorts along the coast also allow camping. Camping is also available on the beach in many of the fishing villages, but permission must be granted first from the local authorities.

Other accomodation

The coast is dotted with many unpretentious but pleasant beach camps offering simple accommodation and a sociable feel to backpackers, volunteers and younger travellers. Similar facilities are available in a few towns.