Kempinski takes over 'Hotel Rwanda' property

Kempinski Hotels has officially taken over the management of the Hôtel Des Milles Collines in Rwanda, made famous by the 2004 film starring Joaquin Phoenix, Hotel Rwanda.

The film depicted the hotel as a place of refuge during the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

Hôtel Des Milles Collines by Kempinski in Rwanda’s capital Kigali was taken over at the start of July and is the European company’s ninth hotel operating in Africa, with three more hotels in the Middle East and Africa scheduled to open in the next six months, including The Marsa Malaz Kempinksi, The Pearl, Doha.

Commenting on the soft opening of Hôtel des Milles Collines by Kempinski, general manager Christoph Strahm said: “This is definitely the right time to be in Rwanda. We experience here a perfect marriage between Hôtel Des Mille Collines, the first grand hotel to open in Rwanda forty years ago, and Kempinski, Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group.

“Kigali is a remarkable city. The people are warm and generous and we have a great team already in place ready to showcase the unique personality of Hôtel des Milles Collines by Kempinski. We are excited to bring our signature Kempinski service to this city and usher in a renaissance of hospitality in Kigali.”

The hotel first opened in 1973 and plans are in place for a major refurbishment to the rooms and restaurants over the next eighteen months to facilitate the full implementation of Kempinski services and standards.

Located on a hilltop in the centre of Kigali, the hotel features 112 rooms and suites, meeting and conference facilities including a conference room for up to 300 people, an outdoor swimming pool, a recreation area and seven boutiques.

The name of the hotel translates as ‘hotel of a thousand hills’, after the lush, hilly landscape of Rwanda that can be seen from the property.

Home to a third of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas Rwanda offers tourists a rare opportunity to observe them in their natural habitat on the luxuriant slopes of the Volcanoes National Park, just a two and a half hour drive from the hotel.

Kempinski Hotels currently operates 72 hotels in 30 countries and has more than 40 hotels under development worldwide.