Unfortunately my layover in Kigali was fairly short, as I was arriving from Nairobi after 4PM, and my flight the following morning to London was at 8AM. While I didn’t get to see a lot this time around (other than walking around the area near the hotel for a bit), it’s a place I definitely want to return to with Ford very soon, especially to go gorilla trekking.
For my one night in Kigali I decided to book the Marriott. It cost just 16,000 points per night, while the paid rate was over $270 including taxes and fees, so that was an excellent use of points.
I had arranged an airport pick-up through the hotel. That cost 40USD, and the drive to the hotel took about 30 minutes, in spite of it being around rush hour. There were a couple of security checks at the hotel, as seems to be the norm in the region.
The Marriott is quite beautiful, with a massive lobby that has several different seating areas.
Marriott Kigali lobby
Marriott Kigali lobby
Marriott Kigali lobby
The lobby overlooked Soko, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant.
Marriott Kigali lobby
While I thought the hotel itself was nice, unfortunately the service experience left a bit to be desired (at least initially).
I arrived at check-in at 4:40PM, and the check-in agent wasn’t friendly at all. He just took forever — I wasn’t sure what he was doing, but I waited and waited and waited.
“Your room isn’t ready yet.”
“But isn’t it way past the check-in time?”
“Yes, it’s not ready.”
“You don’t have any room available at all? I have a short night here and leave first thing in the morning.”
“No, it’s not ready, you’ll have to wait.”
There was no “I’m sorry,” there was no “have a drink on us at the bar,” there was no “why don’t I bring you to the executive lounge, so you can wait there.”
I had some work to do, so I told him I’d be over at the nearby couches working, and he should let me know when my room was ready. After sitting there for about 15 minutes working I asked how much longer it would be. He said five minutes. It ended up being over 30 minutes, at which point another (in this case friendly) front office agent came and brought me with my keys.
I understand sometimes operational snafus happen, that doesn’t bother me. But not apologizing or offering anything for the inconvenience isn’t good service at all.
With my key in hand I headed towards the elevators, located on the opposite side of the lobby of reception.
Marriott Kigali elevators
I was assigned room 444, on the fourth floor (the hotel has five floors).
Marriott Kigali hallway
Marriott Kigali room exterior
I believe this was just a standard king room, and I thought it was quite nice. To the right of the door was a closet, and to the left of the door was the entrance to the bathroom.
Marriott Kigali room entryway
The room featured a king size bed that I found to be comfortable.
Marriott Kigali king room
Marriott Kigali king room
Across from the bed was a desk built into the wall, as well as a wall-mounted TV.
Marriott Kigali king room
Then in the corner of the room was a daybed and a table.
Marriott Kigali king room daybed
In the immediate distance the room had a view of the hotel grounds and of some trees, but in the distance you could see the city.
Marriott Kigali room view
The room even had a small balcony.
Marriott Kigali room balcony
Back near the entrance was a kettle, bottled water, and a mini-fridge.
Marriott Kigali coffee & kettle
Marriott Kigali in-room fridge
The bathroom was fairly compact, but featured a sink, walk-in shower, and tub.
Marriott Kigali bathroom
Marriott Kigali bathroom
Marriott Kigali bathroom
Toiletries were from Acca Kappa.
Marriott Kigali Acca Kappa toiletries
The hotel did send up a welcome amenity, which was a nice touch. This had some fruit, sweets, and nuts.
Marriott Kigali welcome amenity
In the evening I checked out the club lounge (which I had access to on account of my Platinum status), where happy hour was offered from 5:30PM until 7:30PM. The lounge is located on the first floor, one floor above the lobby.
Marriott Kigali executive lounge hours
The club lounge was large and also a beautiful space with lots of seating. The lounge had some partitions to create a few different zones.
Marriott Kigali executive lounge seating
Marriott Kigali executive lounge seating
There was also a small business center with a printer.
Marriott Kigali executive lounge business center
The one downside to the club lounge is that it didn’t have exterior views, but rather just faced the lobby and the restaurant.
Marriott Kigali executive lounge view
My experience in the executive lounge was the opposite of my experience at check-in. The staff in the lounge were phenomenal. Like, not just friendly, but they offered Singapore Airlines first class levels of service.
The lounge was well staffed, they were constantly roaming to clear plates, and they also offered drink refills every few minutes.
The food and drink selection was also excellent for a “standard” Marriott.
Marriott Kigali club lounge buffet
I’ll let the pictures of the food speak mostly for themselves.
Marriott Kigali club lounge buffet
Marriott Kigali club lounge buffet
Marriott Kigali club lounge buffet
Marriott Kigali club lounge buffet
Marriott Kigali club lounge buffet
Marriott Kigali club lounge buffet
Marriott Kigali club lounge buffet
Then there was a coffee machine, as well as a selection of liquor, beer, wine, and soft drinks.
Marriott Kigali club lounge coffee machine
Marriott Kigali club lounge liquor
Marriott Kigali club lounge wine
I obviously didn’t have much time at the hotel, though the hotel did also have a decent looking gym, open 24/7.
Marriott Kigali gym
The hotel also had a nice outdoor area. Part of that space belongs to the hotel’s main restaurant, but then there’s also a pool area (the pool was closed for renovation while I was there).
Marriott Kigali outdoor area
Marriott Kigali outdoor area
Marriott Kigali pool
Marriott Kigali exterior
Marriott Kigali exterior
I walked around the area for a bit, and really want to return to Kigali soon.
Eventually I headed to bed. I mostly slept pretty well, though I should note that there was a weird noise all night, and I couldn’t quite figure out if it was coming from inside or outside of the hotel. It sort of sounded like a flagpole with a flag “up” on a windy day.
Furthermore, when someone in the room a floor above mine showered, it basically sounded like I was in a swimming pool. So I had a couple of minor “noise” issues, but that was it.
I left the Marriott at 4:30AM the following morning, since I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to review the lounge before my flight to London.
Marriott Kigali bottom line
The Marriott Kigali is a beautiful property with an excellent club lounge and well appointed rooms. I did find the service to be really inconsistent — it was pretty terrible at check-in, while it was excellent in the executive lounge, so I guess that balances out.
On balance I’d probably recommend this place.
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