Hôtel des Mille Collines

The Hôtel des Mille Collines (French pronunciation: ​[otɛl de mil kɔlin]) (English: Hotel of the Thousand Hills) is a large hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. It became famous after 1,268 people took refuge inside the building during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. The story of the hotel and its manager at that time, Paul Rusesabagina, was later used as the basis of Terry George's film Hotel Rwanda in 2004.

Hôtel des Mille Collines
Hôtel des Mille Collines front entrance
General information
LocationKigali, Rwanda
Address2KN 6th Ave
Opening1973
OwnerMIKCOR Hotel Holding
Other information
Number of rooms112

History

The Belgian airline Sabena built the Hôtel des Mille Collines in 1973 and owned it during the Genocide.[1] According to the film, Rusesabagina bribed the Hutu army with money and alcohol to protect them, and to obtain food and water. The United Nations mission, foreign governments, and the Rwandan Patriotic Front exerted pressure on the Rwandan government forces to ensure the safety of those trapped in the complex.

The four-star hotel has 112 rooms, a bar, a café, three conference rooms, a restaurant, a swimming pool, and tennis courts.[2][3]

On August 10, 2005, Sabena Hotels sold the Hotel des Mille Collines to MIKCOR Hotel Holding[4] for US$3.2million (about RWF 1.8 billion).[5][6] Miko Rwayitare, the managing director of the MIKCOR group, said during the handover held at the hotel on Thursday 16, that the group now owns 89% of the hotel with 8.5% and 2.5% owned by Rwanda Development Bank (BRD) and the government of Rwanda, respectively. Rwayitare is also the executive chairman of Telecel International, a communications company.[7] In April 2014,[1] Mickor Investment Holdings Ltd turned management of the hotel over to Kempinski Hotels[8] and it was renamed the Hôtel des Mille Collines by Kempinski.[9] The hotel left the Kempinski chain two years later, on April 1, 2016, and returned to its original name.[1]

The hotel is the setting for the film Hotel Rwanda, but it does not actually appear in the movie, which was largely shot in South Africa. The hotel does however appear in the 2005 HBO film Sometimes in April and the 2007 Canadian film Shake Hands with the Devil, which were shot on location in Rwanda.

References
  1. Mwai, Collins (March 22, 2016). "Mille Collines snaps ties with Kempinski Hotels". The New Times Rwanda. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  2. "Guest rooms & services". Archived from the original on 2006-05-11.
  3. "Facilities and Leisure". Archived from the original on 2006-04-06.
  4. "News: Mikcor Hotel Group". September 15, 2005. Archived from the original on 2008-09-22. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
  5. "Hôtel des Mille Collines news page". September 15, 2005. Archived from the original on 2008-09-22. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
  6. "Hotel Des Mille Collines". hotel-contacts.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  7. Majyambere, Gertrude (September 19, 2005). "MIKCOR Hotels takes over Milles Collines". rwanda.rw. Archived from the original on 2007-07-30.
  8. Agutamba, Kenneth (September 9, 2014). "No need for 'Hotel Rwanda' brand as Kempinski takes over Mille Collines". The New Times Rwanda. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  9. "Kempinski takes over running of 'Hotel Rwanda'". Breaking Travel News. July 22, 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
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