Bridge House is the only hotel situated right in the heart of the bustling fishing port of Elmina. Its right on the bridge separating the town from the Fort and most of the rooms look out onto the fort. We arrived by car with no reservation and were slightly concerned that there would be no parking. We were directed to the pavement right outside the walls of the hotel and were assured that the car would be safe. The security man promised to keep an eye on it, which he was doing every time we checked. Unfortunately the car was right on a main pedestrian thoroughfare and it was no surprise when we took it back to the rental company that there was a scratch on the side of it. Therefore if you arrive by rental car you may want to look at one of the out of town hotels with secure parking.
There were rooms available when we arrived and the receptionist was very friendly. We got a large room with double bed, air con, but no mosquito net. There was also a fridge, but when I opened it I almost gagged- it looked clean but someone had obviously allowed some food to deteriorate in there and it stank. It remained closed for the duration of our stay. The room was actually very clean if a little frayed at the edges. The bathroom was Ok and had a powerful shower which is rare in Ghana.
The hotel is ideally placed for visiting Elmina- all sights are within 10 minutes walk. However the town is very busy with vehicles and pedestrians so don’t expect a relaxing stay-- the rooms weren’t noisy though and we slept well, even though we overlooked the fish market which opens when the boats return around 6am.
At night we decided to visit one of the out of town hotels for a meal. The Almond Tree guest house was closed, so we walked to the Elmina Beach resort. This was a fairly sterile 4 star affair with few guests. We decided not to eat there and returned to Bridge House where we had an OK meal on the patio.
The most surprising thing about Bridge House was the price- at less than $30 it was an absolute bargain.
In summary- if you want to be right in the heart of Elmina, this is an excellent value choice.
