Belvedere Hotel Antananarivo
by the TopOfHotel team
Belvedere is a budget hillside stay that still hands you Tana stretching to the western skyline, with four panoramic terraces and an Italian-Malagasy kitchen at a price that's hard to match.
Belvedere is a budget hillside stay that still hands you Tana stretching to the western skyline, with four panoramic terraces and an Italian-Malagasy kitchen at a price that's hard to match.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a small house on a hillside in the Ankerana neighborhood, on the southern side of Tana, climbing high enough to open a view of Madagascar's capital stretching toward the western horizon — that's the first thing Belvedere Hotel Antananarivo has going for it. The building is a small boutique of roughly 28 rooms, plainly designed rather than five-star plush, but it carries the feel of a holiday home that pays attention to detail in a Malagasy-meets-European way. Walls are hung with photographs and local crafts, the furniture is warm-toned wood, and big windows pull in highland light and breeze all day. Step into the lobby and it reads like staying at the guesthouse of a long-settled French friend in Madagascar: warm, easygoing, no ceremony. Staff speak workable French and English, greet you with a smile, and help sort out trips into the city without fuss. Rooms come in several types, from standard doubles up to family rooms, and most have a small desk for writing up the day or doing light work. The beds are soft without being mushy, the linens clean, and the bathrooms run hot water reliably.
Food and amenities
The hotel restaurant is another point reviews keep landing on. The menu mixes Italian — pasta, oven-baked pizza — with local Malagasy dishes like romazava (beef stewed with leafy greens), braised zebu beef, and fish in laoka sauce, all at very friendly prices, with big, filling portions and real depth of flavor. Many guests choose to take dinner out on the terrace, where warm lamps glow at night and the city lights shimmer below, glass of French wine or a local Three Horses Beer in hand — the setting turns the meal into something as memorable as the room itself. Mornings bring a simple continental breakfast: fresh-baked bread, croissants, eggs done to order, seasonal fruit, hot coffee and tea, taken while the city sits under thin morning mist. Beyond the restaurant there's a small bar for an evening drink, a common area to read in, and free parking on site. There's no pool, spa, or full gym — this is a budget stay, and it doesn't pretend otherwise.
Location and getting there
Belvedere sits up the hill in Ankerana, south of the center. By car, Ivato airport (TNR) is about 35 minutes away depending on traffic, and the hotel runs an airport shuttle you can book ahead. Downtown Analakely — the main market and restaurant district — is roughly 20 minutes by car, as is the Tsaralalana area. The catch is real: no public transport runs directly to this hillside, so you'll lean on the hotel car or a taxi every time you go down into the city. Walking up and down the slope isn't practical with heavy bags or small kids. That said, the trade-off buys you quiet and a view most hotels in town can't touch. If you're using Tana as a base before pushing on to Andasibe for indri lemurs, the island of Nosy Be, or Morondava with its famous baobab avenue, the hillside calm makes an easy landing pad.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. The thing to brace for is that hillside location in Ankerana: it delivers the view and the quiet, but you pay for it by depending on a taxi or the hotel car every time you want to be in the city. Plan a few trips down per day and you should budget for the rides. Second, some rooms are starting to show their age with minor upkeep gaps — a tap that's seen long use, a showerhead that doesn't adjust smoothly, curtains that have worked hard. If something small comes up during your stay, flag it: reviews say the team sorts issues quickly. Wi-Fi in rooms at the far ends of the building, away from the router, can run weaker than rooms near the lobby — if you need to work online, ask to switch rooms or use the common areas. Finally, remember this is a 3-star budget hotel: no pool, no spa, no full gym. Don't expect luxury-hotel amenities at a starting rate of around $43 a night.
Our take
After reading through real guest reviews and weighing the hotel's details, Belvedere Hotel Antananarivo is the best answer for travelers who want a premium-feeling atmosphere on a budget that's actually reachable. If the picture in your head is opening the balcony door to the city in morning light, coming back for dinner on a terrace overlooking the lights, and cooking your own lunch in the room, this place covers it at $43–80 a night. It suits backpackers who value view and atmosphere over polish, families wanting a roomy space with a kitchenette, and solo travelers who want to soak up capital-city life without burning money on the room. If you're in Tana for daily business meetings downtown, or you're after a plush room with a full spa, this won't be your first pick. Overall we score it 8.2/10 — the best-value budget choice in Tana for anyone chasing a city view that's hard to match at the price.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Four panoramic terraces stack up the hillside, each opening Tana toward the western horizon — you get a full sunset show without leaving the property.
- Rooms start around $43 a night, making this the best-value option in the city while still delivering the kind of view you'd expect from a far pricier hotel.
- Family rooms come with a small kitchenette — fridge and stovetop included — so you can cook your own food or reheat what you bought at the market instead of eating out every meal.
- The in-house restaurant serves an Italian-Malagasy mix that reviews praise for taste and generous portions, and the prices stay friendly.
- The hillside setting is quiet and removed from the downtown bustle, which makes it an easy place to come back to and unwind after a full day exploring Tana.
- The hotel sits up the hill in Ankerana, where no public transport runs directly — you'll need a taxi or the hotel car every time you head down into the city, so build transport into your budget.
- Some rooms show their age with minor upkeep gaps — taps, showerheads, or curtains that have clearly seen heavy use. Reviewers say staff fix small issues quickly if you flag them.
- Wi-Fi weakens in rooms at the far ends of the building, away from the router. If you need to work online, ask for a room nearer the lobby or use the common areas.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Antananarivo
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Insider Tips
- Ask for an upper-floor room facing west — you get the full sunset over the highland plateau and it's quieter than the lower floors.
- Arrange the hotel car from the airport in advance: taxis waiting outside Ivato tend to charge more and are hard to haggle with after dark.
- Order pizza and pasta from the in-house restaurant and eat out on the terrace — a dinner over the city lights below is the highlight many reviews mention.