Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel — Hotel in Cyuve

Review of Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel – Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

From the moment we arrived in Rwanda, our experience with Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel was nothing short of exceptional. If you’re planning to visit Volcanoes National Park to see the gorillas or golden monkeys, this resort is perfectly situated and beautifully equipped to make your stay memorable and seamless.

Our journey began with a warm welcome at Kigali Airport, where we were met by John, the resort’s driver, who remained with us throughout our stay. He was consistently friendly, reliable, and incredibly helpful—his presence really enhanced our experience.

On arrival at the resort, we were greeted with freshly squeezed juice and personally escorted to our room. The room itself was spacious and well-appointed, with the option of either twin beds or a double. The large bathroom was a welcome feature, and we loved relaxing on the private veranda, soaking in the peaceful atmosphere. While Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, the signal can vary depending on your location within the compound.

One standout feature was the exceptional food. Our stay included three delicious meals daily, with snack packs provided on trekking days. Each meal was generous and beautifully prepared—I especially looked forward to the fresh local fruit each morning. We had the chance to meet the chef, who was engaging and clearly passionate about his craft.

As part of our package, we took part in two treks: one to see the gorillas and another to visit the golden monkeys. The hotel provided gaiters to protect our clothing during the muddy mountain treks—a thoughtful and practical touch. When we returned from the gorilla trek, the staff greeted us at the door, took our muddy shoes to be cleaned, and surprised us with a complimentary foot massage—an unexpected and deeply appreciated gesture after four hours of hiking.

The resort also offers a range of facilities including a massage area, steam room, sauna, and two swimming pools. While the weather during our visit was a bit cool for swimming, we still found the wellness offerings relaxing and enjoyable. There is also a small gift shop onsite with local crafts available for purchase.

From start to finish, the service was outstanding, and the value for money was excellent—especially when compared to some of the more expensive options nearby. The booking process was smooth, with prompt email responses and assistance with arranging gorilla trekking permits and payments. On-site purchases could also be made easily by credit card.

In summary, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel exceeded all expectations. It’s a welcoming, well-run, and beautifully located base for exploring the natural wonders of Rwanda. I would return in a heartbeat—and highly recommend it to anyone planning a trek to see the mountain gorillas. Just be sure to book your permits well in advance, as they are limited.

Five stars. Highly...

We stayed here for 3 nights as our tour operator Natural Wonder Safaris would not allow less. We have traveled extensively and were surprised by premises given the astronomical cost of $ 1400/ night for a family of 4 (almost $ 5000 for 3 nights). I requested upon booking heated rooms which was confirmed. The name "boutique" rather refers to "small" than to "small luxury". The website photos are not a proper reflection of the hotel: bathroom featured a pipe sticking out of the floor where a tub is supposed to be and fixtures on the wall. No TV (not needed, but advertised). No heat other than a very tiny flimsy electrical heater, sheets and room felt clam. Guest pick up/ drop off area in front of all 8 cottages never allowing silence. Hotel on a very small property making you feel trapped right off Main Street (car noise). Pool area has 4 (!) lounge chairs - just enough to accommodate 2 rooms. No reception or restaurant area other than an outside terrace for dining - the first night no dining table was available when we got there at 8 pm. Ongoing construction next to pool and terrace - every day including Sunday. Who wants to lay at the pool listening to hammering? This was not communicated when booking. Massage was great but noisy and head rest was broken with no replacement. Being in hospitality it is a function of pricing and full disclosure - the price tag doesn't deliver. The owner is never on site and clearly must lack hospitality background. High room charges are acceptable if service and value is delivered. Not the case for this property and we felt taken advantage off. On the positive the hotel's staff is the hotel's best asset: friendly, attentive, accommodating. The manager granted us to move into the one room w/ proper heating on site to make us more comfortable. The service staff worked hard to make us feel welcome. Nothing they could have done better as all mentioned issues are the owners responsibility. We greatly...

We absolutely loved our stay at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel during our visit to Kinigi, Rwanda!!! Everything about this hotel was AMAZING! All of the hotel staff (front desk staff in the lobby, up stairs restaurant/bar staff, waitress and chef, gardener and even the guys that massage your feet and clean your hiking boots after a trek) were all incredibly nice, polite, attentive, professional, friendly, helpful, always greeted us and they all always had a smile on their face!! The entire staff made us feel very comfortable and very welcomed throughout our stay. They all treated us like VIP guests!

Our suite was also absolutely beautiful, clean, comfortable and very spacious. I can't remember the name of our suite, but we had a private outdoor fireplace and tub outside of our back patio which was great for relaxing.

The breakfast, lunch and dinner menu dishes that were served at the upstairs restaurant of the hotel were out of this world! Every single dish that was served to my boyfriend and I were absolutely delicious! We had traveled for almost 4 weeks through Africa and my boyfriend and I both agreed that our absolute favorite and most delicious meals were served at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel. Even at high end restaurants here at home we have not eaten anything as delicious as what we ate at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel! My boyfriend and I both give the chef at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel major thumbs up!!

As for the location of this hotel, this property is very centrally located and in short driving distance to all attractions/excursions in the area.

Thank you Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel for making our stay so relaxing, beautiful and...