The Retreat and Heaven

The Retreat is an American, family-run, 20-room luxury boutique hotel, designed by Italian architects, and brought to life by an extraordinary team of Rwandan builders and craftspeople.

It was a great honour to host Their Royal Highnesses Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at The Retreat & Heaven in June 2022

Our 8 brand new luxury pool villas at The Retreat in Kigali - the ultimate accommodations in the city - are finally open! Each villa features its own private, salt water, heated swimming pool, indoor and outdoor solar heated rain showers, bath tubs, organic amenities, custom handmade furniture, 120 square meter suites with comfortable living areas, 65 inch TVs with Netflix, organic mattresses, elegant Rwandan decor, and the most private and exclusive accommodation in Kigali.

n its effort to further brand Rwanda as a destination and increase tourism to Kigali, The Retreat has launched several new curated tours to promote off-the-beaten track cultural experiences in and around Kigali.   Kigali and Rwanda are about far more than the gorillas, and these new experiences prove it.  Our most popular experience is our culinary tour which includes insights into Rwandan culture (go behind the closed curtains of a traditional Rwandan milk bar!), a market shopping expedition, and private cooking class at our top-rated restaurant, Fusion.

For ten years, the founders of Kigali's top restaurant, Heaven, have dreamed of opening a fine dining restaurant which merges culinary traditions from around the world with Rwandan ingredients. Fusion - the new restaurant at The Retreat - takes culinary traditions from Italy, Mauritius, Morocco and elsewhere and blends them into a single harmonious offer. Perched beside The Retreat's glorious saltwater pool, rock gardens and native plantings, Fusion is the most elegant spot in Kigali to explore new flavours and experience first-class hospitality.

A decade ago, Alissa and Josh Ruxin pioneered the foodie-boutique hotel experience in Kigali with Heaven Restaurant and Boutique Hotel.  With Rwanda’s incoming tide of luxury gorilla accommodations, they wanted to give high-end travelers more reasons to spend time in the clean and safe city they call home.