CityBlue Hotels: Africa’s fastest-growing hotel chain
It is amazing to think that CityBlue Hotels has only been around since the start of 2013, given the impact the chain has had in the past 18 months across East Africa. Three hotels in Rwanda and one in Uganda have opened in barely a year and a half, and there are plans to set up many more across the entire African continent. The brand is so well recognized now that in Kigali, just ask anyone about CityBlue and they will reply by saying: “Which one? There are three.”
And yet, the idea behind CityBlue Hotels was simply born out of the founder’s frustration at finding a decent hotel to stay, anywhere in East Africa, at a fair price. After doing planning and preparation work for several years, the style-conscious CityBlue Hotels were born, with a focus on providing comfortable, technology-driven bedrooms at reasonable prices- or as their motto says, “5-star locations, 3-star prices”.
CityBlue Hotels represents the new age of hospitality, suited for the modern-day traveler whose key comforts are free WI-FI (and CityBlue plans to be the first regional hotel group to upgrade its already world-class internet to 4G), flat-screen TVs, brilliant beds, excellent food and drink offerings and wonderfully hospitable staff.
While most of CityBlue’s clients tend to be business people, there is an eclectic mix of holiday-makers, gorilla-trekkers, corporates, NGO staff, and traders also. The sign of CityBlue’s successful formula can be seen in its excellent rankings of hotels on TripAdvisor as well as its website, created with the tech-savvy traveler in mind. Bookings can be made directly onwww.citybluehotels.com, even using smartphones! No wonder the group has a full-time Chief Technology Officer!
CityBlue Hotels has three genres of hotel: Urban by CityBlue, the premium quality hotel; Express by CityBlue, the limited-service hotel with great comfort; and the generic CityBlue Hotel. All three are represented in Rwanda.
Urban by CityBlue, Kigali – located on Rue des Parcs, Kiyovu
Urban by CityBlue in Kigali has become well known for its marvelous restaurant, The Bistro, on the rooftop with the most outstanding view of Kigali, sumptuous food, and a distinctly high-end ambiance. This boutique hotel also has a selection of executive and standard bedrooms on par with any 5-star offering in the region, a 30-person conference room, and a new bar called SKY LOUNGE which has recently taken Kigali by storm. Visit the hotel at any time and you will enjoy its soothing feeling on entry, its buzzing atmosphere on the roof, and its incredible view. Enjoy a glass of champagne while the sun sets and know that you are also at Rwanda’s only hotel nominated for the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2014.
Express by CityBlue, Kigali – located next to the Residence of the Ambassador of Tanzania
Express by CityBlue in Kigali has become well known for its comfort, service, subtle beauty, and incredible mattresses that promise a perfect night’s sleep! This boutique hotel also has a wonderfully cute restaurant known as Café Bleu, which offers a selection of dishes from every continent. Every room has been meticulously designed to provide wardrobe space, ironing facilities, tea and coffee makers, and all the amenities. The key with Express is the price: at a fraction of the cost of a night at Urban, clients receive the same warm welcome and an equally comfortable bedroom. What more could one ask for?
CityBlue Hotel, Embassy Row, Kigali – located on Boulevard de L’Umuganda
This CityBlue Hotel in Kigali is located on what’s arguably the city’s most important street, with all the major embassies starting with the American Embassy at one end and ending with the UK High Commission on the other. Everyone knows this CityBlue: it has a magnificent garden, a superb restaurant called Harry’s known for its famous weekday buffet, its selections of wines and beers and its flat-screen TVs showing all the sports channels. Again, this CityBlue Hotel appeals to all types: the business people, the diplomats, the NGO crowd, the travelers, the sports enthusiasts, and the beer garden junkies!
For reservations at any of CityBlue hotels, please call +250 78 78 11111 or +250 78 78 22222 or email reservations.rw@citybluehotels.com.
