Palast Rock Hotel — Hotel in Nyamata

Because this hotel is still new, it is somewhat unknown but should not be. I have been here twice, and every person I have dealt with, from the housecleaners to the waiters, on up to the manager, has been consistently friendly and eager to give the highest level of service. Having traveled extensively, I have stayed in a wide spectrum of lodgings, from the most basic hostel to the most elegant, five-star hotel in New York City. But I have to say, Palast Rock is one of the best hotels I have ever experienced. Everyone works extremely hard to keep the cleanliness and the customer service at the possible highest level, and since the hotel opened in January 2013, everything feels pristine and new, because it is. The food is healthy, fresh, and excellent. Several different al fresco dining options will lure you outside all day. That is not to say that Palast Rock is some nouveau riche enclave; Rwandan professionals and others come here for conventions. Families can feel comfortable here as well, with plenty of room for children to play in the pool or go across the street to the recreation center to play almost every sport imaginable, or simply have room to run around. || Each room includes a terrace and bathroom, and also such welcome amenities as a refrigerator, slippers, and complimentary toothbrushes, toothpaste, and combs, just in case someone packed in a hurry. Like most Rwandan hotels, though, they do not supply shampoo and conditioner, so bring some. All rooms and outdoor premises include free Wifi, though the Internet can be spotty at times, as it is all over the country. Located on the outskirts of Kigali, this hotel is a fourteen-minute drive from the airport. Transportation from the airport can be arranged through the hotel by calling 0788316060. In addition, the hotel is one block away from Nyamata Church, one of the most important genocide sites. After visiting the memorial and reflecting on both the atrocity of the genocide and the resilience of the survivors, one can walk around the peaceful grounds. Though small, the upbeat town of Nyamata is a fine place to pick up necessities like phone cards, a twelve-pack of water, a few groceries or some beer. In a separate building adjacent to the pool, the Palast Rock has a spa where it's possible to obtain a reasonably priced massage or gratis sauna. In three months, approximately August 2014, the gym will open as well, and I have no doubt it will be as pristine and top-notch as the rest of this gracious hotel. Without hesitation, I give it five stars, two thumbs up, and a trip advisor rating of the highest level for outstanding service and...

When I arrived at the main entrance I found it closed due to ongoing renovations, however, there was no guiding sign to another entrance so I assumed it was closed. I asked a couple passersby for direction to any alternative gate and nobody had an idea. This is wrong because my Organisation had made reservations and it was not possible to look for another since I didn't have money enough on me. I persisted for more than 40 minutes before I found out another road to the back entrance. When I eventually was given a room (206) there was no warm water, telephone in the room was not working, Technician was away to Nyamata town for personal bussiness, when I needed to use one of the chairs at the veranda I was overwhelmed by the dust that filled the veranda and chairs. When the Technician appeared after an hour, he did some things and convinced me the warm water challenge is solved but to my dismay when I needed to have a shower water was still cold. The receptionist eventually bailed me with hot water brought from kitchen. This made wonder why all these challenges are not attended to before clients come!!! Why wait for clients to identify them as if the host doesn't...

Unfortunately we had no running water (hot or cold) during our night at this hotel. This was probably a one-off problem, but sadly the receptionist was quite rude about it too. She did not apologise and refused to contact a manager for us. I think $100 is expensive for a night's stay in a room without running water and would have appreciated some compensation, but she refused.||||Other than that the hotel was basic but fine. The music around the pool is very loud at all times of day and night, even when no one is there to listen (this was a Friday night stay so might be different during the week). Service in the restaurant was friendly, but slow. The food was good. The power was off for a while and there was no back-up generator. The wifi was good. The room was clean-ish, but with lots of insects...