Lake Kivu Serena Hotel is Rwanda's only five-star hotel outside of Kigali — 66 rooms and suites on a private stretch of Lake Kivu lakeshore in Gisenyi, with a spectacular lakeside pool, private beach, full Elemis spa, watersports centre, and lakefront dining. Forty-five minutes from Volcanoes National Park and 2km from the DRC border, it is the most complete luxury base for the Lake Kivu and Virunga region.

Lake Kivu Serena Hotel is Rwanda's only five-star hotel outside of Kigali a tropically inspired lakeside resort set on a private stretch of palm-lined shore on the edge of Gisenyi, with the Virunga volcanoes rising dramatically above the horizon and the shimmering expanse of Lake Kivu stretching away to the DRC border just two kilometres to the west. Part of the Serena Hotels Group and consistently recognised as one of Rwanda's finest leisure properties, the hotel has been the address of choice for travellers combining Volcanoes National Park with a Lake Kivu retreat since its opening.

Sixty-six rooms and suites are arranged across three storeys in two wings one facing the gardens, one overlooking the pool and lake and all decorated in a warm Pan-African palette of local woodwork, Rwandan fabrics, and large windows that draw in the lake light throughout the day. The hotel's centrepiece is a spectacular swimming pool set directly above the lake, flanked by sun loungers and garden terraces that capture the best of the western Rwanda sunshine. A dedicated children's pool, private sandy beach exclusively for guests, and a full watersports centre offering catamarans, kayaks, and boat trips complete a leisure offering that rivals any lakeside resort in East Africa.

Dining at theLake Kivu Serena Hotel is anchored by Kiyaga Restaurant a lakefront venue serving fresh fish, international cuisine, and Rwandan specialities across breakfast, lunch, and dinner and Ziwani Café, a more casual beach café positioned below the pool for sundowners and light bites. The on-site Elemis spa, tennis courts, health club, and business centre make Lake Kivu Serena equally well suited for those combining relaxation with work, and the hotel's modern conference centre with ballroom, meeting rooms, and private boardroom makes it one of western Rwanda's premier event venues. At 45 minutes from Volcanoes National Park and two kilometres from the Goma border crossing, the hotel's position also makes it a natural base for gorilla trekking and cross-border day trips into the DRC.