Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel is a mid-range addition to the hotels in Ruhengeri. Just a 15-minute drive from the headquarters of Rwanda’s renowned Volcanoes National Park, it is in a prime location for guests wishing to trek to see the mountain gorillas, and offers great views of the surrounding volcanoes and countryside.
Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, commonly known as Five Volcanoes, is on the main road to Kinigi, closer to the town than most of the other accommodation options in this area, though set back far enough from the village to not be bothered by too much noise.
The hotel’s main thatched building houses a tiny reception area downstairs, which gives the impression of quite a cramped property. Stairs leading upstairs soon dispel this idea, as the first floor houses a spacious restaurant and lounge area. With a contemporary but comfortable feel, with some striking photographs of Rwandese life adorning the walls, there are also comfy sofas facing a large television and with windows all around. One side overlooks the hotel’s large swimming pool, and the others offer vistas of the surrounding volcanoes.
Away from the main area, set in large and well-maintained gardens, Five Volcanoes has 13 rooms: four ‘standard’ rooms, seven ‘deluxe’, and two cottages. Single storey, and spread in smaller blocks throughout the gardens, all are clean and tidy, if lacking in character, and gentle uplighting gives a more homely feel than you might expect.
Every room has either a large double or twin four-poster beds, with mosquito nets, small bedside tables with lamps, and a solar lamp in case of power cuts. Across the room you will find a personal safe, minibar (at extra cost) and tea- and coffee-making facilities. The rooms are fitted with American plug sockets, but international adaptors are provided, and the reception has extras should you need them.
The en-suite bathrooms have flush toilets and hot showers, with toiletries, dressing gown and slippers provided for guests’ use. Each room has a small patio out front, with a couple of chairs, while some also have a hammock.
The seven ‘deluxe’ rooms are larger than the standard ones, and also have a heating/AC unit and DSTV. These rooms have incredibly spacious bathrooms, too, with both double sinks and double showers.
Five Volcanoes is well placed for those wishing to visit the mountain gorillas. It’s not as characterful as some of the other lodges in the area, but the rooms are clean and tidy, and there is a good range of amenities. For those who prefer a more ‘hotel’ style of accommodation, rather than a lodge, this will suit perfectly.
