Kempinski Hotels officially took over the management of the famous Hôtel Des Milles Collines in Rwanda’s capital Kigali at the beginning of the month. Hôtel Des Milles Collines by Kempinski will be the European luxury hotel company’s ninth hotel operating on the continent, with three more hotels in Africa scheduled to open in the next six months.

The hotel, which opened in 1973, was made famous three decades later by the film “Hotel Rwanda” as a place of refuge during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The hotel is now officially part of the Kempinski network and is bookable online through Kempinski.com. Plans are in place for a major refurbishment to the rooms and restaurants over the next eighteen months to facilitate the full implementation of its signature services and standards.

Located atop a hill in the center of Kigali, the hotel features 112 rooms and suites, meeting and conference facilities including a large 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. Located at the heart of the central business district and a 15-minute drive from Kigali International Airport, Hôtel Des Mille Collines by Kempinski provides quick access to the upcoming Kigali Convention Centre, the Kigali Memorial Centre, and the popular Inema Art Centre.

Ideal for business travellers visiting Rwanda during this period of unprecedented growth, as well as for leisure travellers staying pre or post their way to famous gorillas treks. 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.

Akagera National Park, known for its “Big Three” and its variety of wildlife; Nyungwe National Park with its dense rain forest, 13 different types of primates and over 200 different tree species; and Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes and one of the 20 deepest in the world, are all within a few hours’ drive from the hotel.

Commenting on the soft opening of Hôtel des Milles Collines by Kempinski, Christoph Strahm, General Manager, 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.” Kempinski Hotels currently operates 72 hotels in 30 countries and has more than 40 hotels under development worldwide.