Before you venture off into the mountain, you can stay at a number of local hotels and enjoy the scenery as well as enjoy more civilized accommodations than you will once you are on the mountain. Try one of these accommodations before you start your trekking adventure:

Royal Crown Hotel
This hotel offers a quiet location just out of town, excellent food and very decent s/c rooms. The service is not amazingly friendly however but still OK.

From the frontyard there are good views on Kilimanjaro.Cheap dala dala (minibuses) bring you to the centre of town. Rates for double rooms are tsh 7000 ($7), single occupancy, including continental breakfast, dinners are about $3.

Springlands Hotel (in Moshi)
Excellent hotel to serve as a base in Moshi for your Kili or Meru trek. Rooms are standard size with clean large bathrooms. Garden bar is open late. Beer, soda and tomato/cheese sandwiches are served until midnight. Food is ala-carte for lunch and buffet style every night. Breakfast is again buffet style, with the choice of eggs made to order (try the spanish omelete, it's great!).

This hotel is situated in a secure compound about 15 minutes walk (3 kms) outside Moshi town. The hotel will arrange for a taxi into town and also local rainforest walks to look for Colobus monkeys if you so desire. There is cheap internet access available after 7pm or so until 10pm. Hotel only accepts cash or TCs. No plastic. Gift store is very pricey - don't get anything here. You will get much better deals either at the Kilimanjaro park gate or while on your safari. Rates are about $20-40 US.

Marangu Hotel
The hotel is located about 1 hr and 15 min. away from the airport. The hotel is a former farm and it was built in the early 1900s. The hotel consists of several cottages and buildings that look a bit old and "worn out", but include bathrooms. The Marangu Hotel offers an alternate arrangement where for about $70 per person, per day the hotel will arrange for a guide and two porters per climber as well as booking hut accommodation. This includes hut fees, park fees, guide and porters, and transportation to and from the park entrance. Climbers bring all their own food and equipment and cater for themselves on the climb. Campsites are available for the nights before and after the climb and cost about $5 per person per night.

Mountain Inn Hotel
If you are on a budget, this hotel may be what you are looking for. The rooms are basic but comfortable so long as you aren't looking for anything too luxurious. They are all ensuite and have mosi nets. The food was fine although the selection wasn't massive. They also have a good bar/pool area if you just want to sit out for a while.

Kibo Hotel
The Kibo Hotel still retains an atmosphere of the old Kilimanjaro expeditions at the turn of the century. Old photographs and maps line the walls of the public areas and hint at the grandeur of the place when it was first built. There is also a lovely walled garden that provides fresh cut flowers for the dining tables. Marina Stromvall, the general manager, is a delightful hostess who is sincere in her attempt to provide good service. The Kibo Hotel is noted for arranging alternate route climbs, especially the Machame route which Marina says is not very difficult. She has made these treks herself and is very knowledgeable about the mountain and East Africa in general.

Once you have started your trekking adventure up the mountain, your sleeping arrangements will be different than what you initially had. During your Kilimanjaro climb you are accommodated at mountain huts. The huts are run by the Tanzanian National Park Association. They are typical of mountain huts, having wood stoves, bunk accommodation and mattresses. Solar power has been installed in some huts recently as there is no electricity. All bedding is provided - some travelers choose to bring their own sleeping bag and thermarest although they are provided.