One&Only Nyungwe House

We were happy with you and the welcoming spirit, we felf like home. Good service, Good staff and a wonderful fitness coach Herve,I already miss the stretching session, yiu are very professional in what you do.

Location and Atmosphere: Fantastic location for anyone who wants to visit the national parks, do some monkey, gorilla or chimp trekking, hiking, and general exploring. Situated on a tea plantation, there are also tea tours and bird watching on property. If you're lucky, little monkeys may spy on you from your patio. The staff is welcoming and kind. Benefits include free daily laundry and help getting into (and out of) your trekking clothes. There's a gorgeous heated infinity pool with great views, as well as the BEST SPA EVER (book a massage with Louise - you will be in the highest level of heaven) and a small but very serviceable gym. Rooms: We stayed in a suite, which was spacious and combined rustic mountain decor with luxurious amenities. We did have a few issues with housekeeping on the first day (stained towel, dirty shower), however, this was rectified and the manager, Christian, was good about it and on top of things. Service: As is typical with luxury African properties, the service is always impeccable. Bring money for gratuities. Trust me, you'll not resent them; they'll be well deserved. SPA: I already mentioned the spa and it deserves about 100 gold stars because it is so wonderful. Louise gave me a massage and a facial and both were absolutely perfect. I have had the good luck to have enjoyed many fine spas throughout the world and Louise was the best massage therapist I've experienced. The spa is small so be sure to book in advance if you need a very specific time. There are three rooms - the main lobby area, an individual treatment room and a couples treatment room, as well as a delightfully appointed wrap-around patio. Even if you don't stay at this property, it's worth going to the spa as a stand-alone. It's that good. Ask for Louise! Dining: My family is plant-based and we met up with friends who are vegan and vegetarian and it was a non-issue. The restaurant staff provided plentiful, delicious and accommodating meals, going off-menu and creatively cooking for us. There was even vegan wine from South Africa that was delightful. The chef and bartender will both happily go out of their way to create special things for you if you ask and are glad to alter existing dishes and drinks to accommodate allergies and dietary preferences. Language: I highly recommend spending at least your flight over reviewing some basic Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda. Even though the staff is quite proficient in English, as well as other languages (I heard various staffers speaking French, Spanish, etc.), it is much appreciated if you take the time to use a few simple phrases in their mother tongue and you will be the richer for learning it. Water: The hotel has a water filtration system and their tap water is fine to drink. I did and I am alive and well. Sustainability: I loved that I saw not a shred of single use plastic when I was in Rwanda and I appreciated the work the hotel does to support re-forestation initiatives and provide employment to the local villagers. If you're traveling in, be respectful of the plastics ban and try to be as environmentally friendly as you possibly can. Africa is a rich, rich country in flora and fauna and it behooves us all to help them keep it that way. Overall: Rwanda, as a country, is stunningly beautiful with a breathtaking array of wild animals and plants. The culture is fascinating and the language lovely to the ear. If you can make it to Kigali, visit the Genocide memorial. The scars of that are still there and the people are working hard to create healing. It is a tragic but critically important part of Rwanda's history and worth taking the time to learn about while you are there.

When we were planning our trip to Rwanda the first thing you think is obviously Gorillas, but seeing pictures of this property in advance made it a must-visit destination for us. It is just as magical in person as it is on social media. Nestled in beautiful tea plantations, this is the perfect homebase for a day of Chimpanzee trekking or any other activities in Nyungwe Park. The service was absolutely top tier, our room was amazing (we were upgraded to Villa One which was totally insane!), and the food was amazing at every meal. The staff really made an effort to go above and beyond. Depending on where you stay for Gorilla trekking or prior experience in Africa, this may not feels as much like a traditional "lodge". Think more like luxury resort/hotel in an amazing location. The pool and gym were also really really nice. You can obviously book a stay here through a travel agent if that's the route you're going; however, we ended up booking it ourselves through American Express Fine Hotel and Resorts as this allowed us to both earn extra points as well as enjoy some of the FHR benefits (property credit, potential for upgrade, etc).

This has to be one of the best hotels we have ever stayed in. We had the most wonderful time The hotel is fabulous in an amazing location with tea plantations all around and wonderful Mountain View’s beyond The staff are wonderful and can’t do enough to help. Thank you for looking after us so well! Food and drinks are first class and we loved breakfast on the terrace outside. The room had everything we needed and was very comfy. Little touches like backpacks and rain jackets also helped There are wonderful snacks too and a great minibar with wine from Spier. The laundry service was brilliant and we also liked the touch of taking out boots to be cleaned when we came back from the chimpanzee trekking. And what an experience that was too! We would love to come back.

Quite possibly the most exceptional hotel I’ve ever experienced. Outstanding service and a breathtaking location. It’s very expensive, but absolutely worth the price.