Questions about staying with The Black Key Collection

Choose a villa and send your dates through the booking form on its page, or message Nkeng on WhatsApp. Nkeng replies with availability and a quote, usually within a few hours. Your stay is confirmed once Nkeng confirms it to you in writing, with the rate and the payment and cancellation terms for your dates.

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No. Nkeng confirms availability and a quote first. No deposit is needed, and payment can be made on arrival.

No deposit is needed. Nkeng confirms the total in writing before you arrive, and payment can be made on arrival. Bank transfer, card and mobile money are accepted.

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No deposit is taken, so nothing is lost if your plans change. Just let Nkeng know as early as you can.

Each rate is for the whole villa, per night, not per person, and includes all taxes and fees. It depends on the villa, your dates, the length of your stay and any services you add. Rates start from $200 a night. Each villa's page shows its own rate, and Nkeng confirms the total in writing before you arrive.

Yes. An invoice in your company's name is available on request.

More: Business and event stays →

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Yes. The house, the garden and, where there is one, the pool are for your group alone. Nothing is shared with other guests.

Amahoro and Urugwiro each sleep up to 8, Irebero up to 7 and Ikaze up to 4. Each villa is booked to one group at a time, so the whole house is yours. For a larger group, several villas can be booked together, and Nkeng arranges it.

More: Family and group stays →

Amahoro, Urugwiro and Irebero each have a private pool. The pools suit children too; please keep an eye on young ones. Each villa's page shows its pool and gardens.

Yes. Every villa has Netflix ready on the TV, already signed in. You do not need your own account, a login or a subscription: just press play.

It depends on the villa:

• Amahoro: Yes, in the living room and the Red Room. The bedrooms have modern ceiling fans.
• Urugwiro: Yes, in the living rooms. Every bedroom has a fan.
• Irebero: Yes, in the principal suite and the second bedroom. The other rooms have modern ceiling fans.
• Ikaze: Yes, both bedrooms are air-conditioned.

Yes. Every villa has high-speed internet and a place to work, from a dedicated office to a workspace in every bedroom; each villa's page says which.

More: Business and event stays →

Each villa is gated, with security day and night and a house manager on site. Each villa's page describes its own arrangements under Good to know.

Yes. Housekeeping every day is part of every stay.

Each villa has its own rule:

• Amahoro: Yes, one pet is welcome. Mention it in your inquiry so the house is ready.
• Urugwiro, Irebero and Ikaze: Yes, pets are welcome. Mention it in your inquiry so the house is ready.

They differ by villa:

• Amahoro: Check-in is from 1:00 PM and check-out is by 10:00 AM.
• Urugwiro and Irebero: Check-in is from 3:00 PM and check-out is by 11:00 AM.
• Ikaze: Check-in is from 1:00 PM and check-out is by 11:00 AM.

Early check-in or late check-out can be arranged on request, to fit your flights.

Yes, at any hour your flight lands, for a fee, quoted before you confirm. At Amahoro and Urugwiro, airport pickup is included for stays of 3 nights or more (The Black Key Arrival).

Nkeng confirms your arrival details before you travel, and a house manager is on site throughout your stay. Share your flight times when you book, and the house will be ready.

Nkeng is your concierge: one person to talk to, on WhatsApp, from your first question to the day you leave. Nkeng replies personally, usually within a few hours, and arranges the details of your stay.

The concierge →

• Airport pickup
• Private chef
• Groceries before arrival
• Private driver
• Celebration set-up
• In-villa massage
• Tours & experiences

Apart from The Black Key Arrival, each service is for a fee, quoted before you confirm. Availability varies by residence. Each villa's booking form shows what it offers.

Yes, on request. Meals are cooked in the villa to everyone's tastes, and for a larger group a second or third chef joins. Please ask in advance; the chef's fee and the groceries are charged separately and quoted before you confirm.

Yes, on request. The private chef can cook halal meals, and the concierge can set out a prayer mat with the qibla direction, prepare the villa with no alcohol and tell you where the nearest mosques are. Each request is confirmed by the concierge before you arrive.

Yes, the villas are made for it: music, long dinners and celebrations are welcome, at a volume that respects the neighbours. Nkeng can arrange a birthday or celebration set-up and a dinner cooked in the villa, for a fee. Larger events with outside guests must be agreed in writing in advance.

Yes. A romantic set-up for a honeymoon, an anniversary or a proposal can be prepared at the villa, for a fee, quoted before you confirm. Mention the occasion in your inquiry.

More: Honeymoon in Kigali →

Each villa has a maximum number of guests, check-in and check-out times and its own house notes, shown on its page and in your confirmation. Please treat the house and its neighbours with care; guests are responsible for any damage beyond normal wear.

Terms of Stay →

Outdoors, yes: on the terraces and in the garden. Please don't smoke inside the house.

Usually not. For a larger group, a security deposit may be asked; if so, Nkeng tells you before you confirm, in writing with your terms.

Yes, children of every age are welcome. The villas have no extra beds or cots, so choose a villa with a bed for everyone; each villa's page lists its beds. Mention the children's ages in your inquiry so the house is ready, and Nkeng can look for a babysitter for you on request.

More: Family and group stays →

Yes, at Amahoro, Urugwiro and Irebero, which each have a bedroom without stairs. Ikaze's bedrooms are all upstairs. Mention it in your inquiry so the house is ready.

Yes. A private driver can be booked by the half day or the day, for your days in the city or a trip further out, for a fee, quoted before you confirm.

Yes. Tours and local experiences are arranged with licensed operators, around your stay, for a fee, quoted before you confirm. Tell Nkeng what you would like to see when you enquire.

More: Gorilla trekking from Kigali →

It depends on your trip: near the airport for a short stay, central for meetings and dinners, or quiet in the hills. Share your plans when you enquire, and Nkeng suggests the villa that fits.

More: Where to stay in Kigali →

Citizens of all countries can get a visa on arrival in Rwanda, and citizens of African Union, Commonwealth and Francophonie countries receive it free of charge for a visit of up to 30 days. You can also apply online before you travel. Check the current rules for your passport on the official immigration website before you fly.

Rwanda's immigration website →

The Rwandan franc (RWF), and US dollars are widely accepted. There are ATMs in Kigali and most large towns, and a growing number of places take cards, Visa more widely than Mastercard. For your stay, you can pay in US dollars or Rwandan francs; Nkeng confirms the total in writing.

Cash is also accepted on arrival at the villa, in US dollars or Rwandan francs, with a written receipt from the concierge.

All the ways to pay →

Mild all year: Rwanda has a tropical highland climate, and the average daily temperature in Kigali is about 21°C. There are two rainy seasons, from mid-February to May and from mid-September to mid-December; the dry season runs from June to mid-September.

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