Kigali: Accommodation
MILLE COLLINES HOTEL is a four-star hotel in the city centre in a garden setting with stunning views over the capital city.
The hotel was made famous by the film Hotel Rwanda, which told the remarkable story of how it became a sanctuary and enabled more than one thousand people to survive the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
The 105 comfortable rooms and eight suites are equipped with cable TV, phone, minibar and internet access. All have private balconies, either overlooking the pool or with views over Kigali.
The standard rooms are small by comparison with modern hotel standards. If you are staying for more than a night or two, the suites are a better size, with two good size rooms. The suites also have air-conditioning, whereas the standard rooms have only fans. However, for a small fee, you can hire a portable air-conditioning unit!
The bathrooms are old style and corridors are dark, but this adds a sense of history.
The hotel has a pleasant garden where you can engage in a spot of urban birdwatching. The massive tree near to the swimming pool is a feature of the gardens. It looks as if it had been there since time began, but it is about 30 years old!
The Mille Collines provides a full range of services including room service, same day laundry, hotel parking and hairdressing. It has a number of shops and boutiques, and offers a free airport shuttle service.
Facilities include a fully equipped business centre with internet access and e-mail, a floodlit tennis court, a pool, and fitness centre. There is a 9-hole golf course near by.
The hotel's crowning glory is its rooftop restaurant, the Panorama, where you can sit and have breakfast as you take in the sights and sounds of early morning in Kigali, spread out below. In the evening, the restaurant serves international cuisine and provides a magnificent view over the capital.
The Mille Collines is the ideal choice for many people touring Rwanda. It is comfortable and welcoming, it provides many services and amenities - and, if you are visiting Rwanda's national parks, you will not be embarrassed in your travelling gear.
From four-star sanctuary to star of Hollywood, Jeevan Vasagar, The Guardian, 16/02/05
Where I'd rather be, Andy Sirkis, The Guardian, 26/11/05
What are you looking at?, Nicki Grihault, 03/07/05
Rebirth of a nation, Jason Cowley, The Observer, 27/02/05
Prices are subject to currency fluctuation.