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Lake Kivu Serena Hotel

4.0 star property

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Photo gallery for Lake Kivu Serena Hotel

Exterior
Breakfast, lunch, dinner served; British cuisine
Breakfast, lunch, dinner served; British cuisine
Interior entrance
Lobby sitting area

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Pool
  • Air conditioning
  • Gym
  • Room service
  • 24/7 front desk
$191
includes taxes & fees
Dec 10 - Dec 11

Explore the area

View in a map
Gisenyi Rwanda, Gisenyi, 00100
  • Place, Gisenyi Beach
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Place, Rwanda Tourism University College
    ‪19 min walk‬
  • Place, Université Libre de Kigali
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Airport, Goma (GOM)
    ‪8 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Family Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Pool View

Family Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Pool View | 1 bedroom, in-room safe, free cribs/infant beds, free WiFi

Family Room, 2 Queen Beds, Non Smoking, Pool View

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(4 reviews)
  • 269 sq ft
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

View all photos for Superior Room, Pool View

Superior Room, Pool View | 1 bedroom, in-room safe, free cribs/infant beds, free WiFi

Superior Room, Pool View

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(5 reviews)
  • 248 sq ft
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Junior Suite, 1 King Bed, Lake View

Junior Suite, 1 King Bed, Lake View | 1 bedroom, in-room safe, free cribs/infant beds, free WiFi

Junior Suite, 1 King Bed, Lake View

  • 427 sq ft
  • 1 bedroom
  • Lake view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Superior Room

  • Sleeps 2

Suite

  • Sleeps 2

Family Room

  • Sleeps 2

Similar properties

Property grounds
Gorillas Lake Kivu Hotel
  • Pool
  • Kids pool
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi
3.6 out of 5, Good, 40 reviews
Gorillas Lake Kivu Hotel

About this property

Lake Kivu Serena Hotel

4-star Gisenyi hotel with restaurant
Spend the day relaxing on the beach or pampering yourself at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel's full-service spa.
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel offers 30 air-conditioned accommodations with safes and complimentary bottled water. LCD televisions come with premium satellite channels.

Bathrooms include bathtubs or showers and hair dryers. This Gisenyi hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access.

Recreational amenities at the hotel include an outdoor pool and a fitness center.
Guests can indulge in a pampering treatment at the hotel's full-service spa.
In addition to a full-service spa, Lake Kivu Serena Hotel features an outdoor pool and a fitness center. The hotel offers a restaurant. Guests can unwind with a drink at one of the hotel's bars, which include a poolside bar and a bar/lounge. Wireless Internet access is complimentary.

Business-related amenities at this 4-star property consist of a 24-hour business center and meeting rooms. This beach hotel also offers a terrace, gift shops/newsstands, and a garden. For a surcharge, an airport shuttle (available 24 hours) is offered to guests. Onsite self parking is complimentary.

Lake Kivu Serena Hotel has designated areas for smoking.

The Lake Restaurant - This restaurant specializes in British cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and light fare. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar.
Ziwani Cafe - This café serves light fare only.
24-hour room service is available.

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • 24-hour roundtrip airport shuttle on request for a surcharge
  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • A bar/lounge
  • A poolside bar
  • A restaurant

Restaurants on site

  • The Lake Restaurant
  • Ziwani Cafe

Things to do

  • Full-service spa
  • Gym
  • Outdoor pool

Family friendly

  • Babysitting (surcharge)
  • In-room crib
  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Porter/bellhop

Business services

  • 24-hour business center
  • Conference space
  • Meeting rooms

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • On the beach
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • No elevator
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)

More

  • 1 building
  • 2 floors
  • Banquet hall
  • Designated smoking areas

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided
  • Free crib

Bathroom

  • Bathtub or shower
  • Hair dryer
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • LCD TV with premium satellite channels

Food and drink

  • 24-hour room service
  • Free bottled water

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Phone
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3 PM; Check-in end time: midnight
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before noon
Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply); guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Free cribs are available on request at the property

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Airport shuttle fee: USD 120 per person (one-way)
  • Airport shuttle fee per child: USD 60 (from 4 to 12 years old)

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, and a first aid kit
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
Property Registration Number A505/06

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property

Property is also known as

Kivu Serena
Kivu Serena Hotel
Lake Kivu Hotel
Lake Kivu Serena
Lake Kivu Serena Gisenyi
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel Gisenyi
Serena Hotel Kivu
Serena Hotel Lake Kivu
Serena Kivu
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel Hotel
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel Gisenyi
Lake Kivu Serena Hotel Hotel Gisenyi

Lake Kivu Serena Hotel Reviews

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 52 out of 92 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 28 out of 92 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 7 out of 92 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 4 out of 92 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 92 reviews

9.0/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Arun, Dubai

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
A lake shore property, near a small sandy beach. Amazing view of lake and boats. Selection of fruits and juice in breakfast is amazing. Rooms and toilets and furniture are dated and can be improved a lot.
Hotel Building
View from Restaurant
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kenny

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

GATERA

Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful hotel and staff.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Calvin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Beauty meets fantastic service

Beautiful setting and view. The comfort and cleaniness of the rooms were amazing. The restuarant and bar services were fantastic
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Martin

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful propertyz beautiful town
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Matthew

Traveled with group, Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I did NOT want to leave…. Thats all I’ll say.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Ryan

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely hotel. Very relaxing and ina nice neighborhood.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Timothy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Catriona, Newar

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Serena Hotel in Lake Kivu was lovely. We had a great room with a lake view. Since we traveled with a guide we did not use any of the extra guest services but we did take a boat ride out to the Nyamyumbo hot springs which was quite an experience. The opposite of a hotel spa! Staff were very pleasant and accommodating. I would recommend this hotel!
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

6/10 Okay

YOUKYOUNG, New Orleans

Traveled with group
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Disliked: Cleanliness
Great lake view, beautiful landscape and relaxing place. It was a nice stop after hiking Volcano National Park. The property is a bit outdated. Carpet and chairs in our room had lots of stains. Bathroom door was dusty, but shower (hot water & pressure) was good.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Murithi

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Enjoyed the stay on the serene , quiet and scenic environment. The service and hotel dining is great
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Georgia

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The staff are really good. They provide high level customer care.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Adeola

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Would recommend
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Michal

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Hotel is run down with most in-room amenities in bad shape. Food was decent
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Rosemarie Jeanne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Everything was as expected from a 4 to 5 star hotel.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2022

8/10 Good

Aderemi

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice and comfortable
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Always love the Serena, especially for the pool + beachfront and excellent breakfast. Rooms are a bit dated (small, older TVs and AC units) but they recently updated to new mattresses and all rooms have balconies. Also the grounds are beautiful!
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2021

10/10 Excellent

Alexander

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with group, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff were courteous, very solicitous, and helpful at every turn. Perched on the lake, the location of the property is superb.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

2/10 Terrible

Raz, Goma

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
There is nothing in the rooms listen in the booking list. Even not a hairdryer or a toothbrush available in the bathrooms.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff very helpful and supportive. Special the receptionist called Love she was magnificent and very supportive. Breakfast was excellent variety of different types of food and excellent taste. All the staff were excellent and excellent location with private beach. The hotel required to be upgraded to modern style
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Staff & service
It was loud the two days I was there . Music blaring from 730 am until 830 pm. It’s not a place to go if you need down time like I did
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019