One&Only Gorillas Nest

CEDARBERG RATING

Luxury

Overview
  • Glamorous main facilities and spa
  • Very close to the Park Headquarters in Kinigi
  • Modern contemporary rooms and suites

Gorillas Nest has been taken over by One&Only & has re-opened after an extensive refurbishment. It's located  in a quiet forest of eucalyptus trees, only a couple of kilometres from the Park Headquarters in Kinigi. The top of the nearby Sabyinyo volcano marks the border between Rwanda, the DRC and Uganda. The Virunga Mountains straddle all three countries, and something like half the world's population of around 800 are found in this region.

On arrival you have the rather glamorous reception, bar and lounge area. Golf carts are available to take you to your suite or to one of the two separate, equally stylish main areas. One is the restaurant which also has some private dining options for small groups. The other is a large spa building with heated pool, sauna, steam pool, gym, relaxation room and pool bar.

There are no major mountain views but there is a very strong tranquil forest ambience with the sound of bird call all around. There are extensively tropical gardens throughout the property with pops of colour.

Accommodation

There are 21 rooms, comprising 10 king rooms, 5 forest lodges which are two-bedroom villas, 5 suites and the Silverback (presidential) suite. The style is modern, sophisticated with neutral soft grey tones.

 

At A Glance

  • Off the beaten track
  • Mountain biking
  • Birding hotspot
  • Good Food & Wine
  • Garden
  • Swimming pool
  • Rural location
  • Spa
  • walking
  • Walking Safari
  • Wifi on premises

One&Only Gorillas Nest on the map

Rooms

Forest King

The Forest King rooms have a bedroom, dressing area and decent sized bathroom. Outside was a generous terrace with seating and funky swing chair.

Two Bedroom Forest Suites

The Forest lodge suites each have two bedrooms and are ideal for families. The second room is a children's bedroom with an en suite toilet & basin. There is one main bathroom.

Virunga Suites

The five Suites are much larger with a sitting room with dining area, larger bedroom and an outside bath on the deck. They also face away from the other rooms so have a greater sense of privacy. They are typically on the edge of the property. the Silverback (presidential) suite has its own pool.

One & Only Gorillas Nest – staff review

One&Only Gorillas Nest is ideal for someone who loves a more glamorous and decadent hotel experience. It feels slightly at odds with its surroundings which is jarring for me. But it does deliver a supremely comfortable and serene forest ambience.

There are 21 self-contained rooms - large for a Volcanoes property - which are well-spaced apart. So well-spaced that you have to use a golf buggy to get around.

The room style is modern and sophisticated but quite masculine with lots of black, grey and angular lines. So a complete contrast to the lovely organic design of Bisate Lodge! For me, it didn’t seem to be at all in keeping with moody romance of the Volcanoes region. But I would say that it is loyal to the One and Only brand style.

What I loved was the sense of tranquility with the mature bamboo forest surrounding you and the sound of bird life. There are no views but it did feel very serene.

The gardens were new and immaculate with bright (too bright for me) pops of vivid red flowers. I can see that the gardens will be magnificent in a way. But it was all a little too manicured and contrived for my taste.

There are pristine off -white paths for the golf buggy as the suites are spread out over a large area. Jarring! (From the outside the estate almost looks like a prison camp with dark green fencing all around. But it was much nicer once inside! )

It was all very glamorous and decadent in feel. There was a large spa building with heated outdoor pool, sauna, steam pool, gym, relaxation room and pool bar. Curiously the two massage rooms were elsewhere which was slightly odd. But they may be moved to the same area in future. There is also a separate restaurant building which was massive.

I liked the King rooms in terms of size though it was too austere and masculine for my personal taste. The Forest Lodge Suites have two bedrooms and are good for families. The second room is smaller with only an en suite toilet and basin. There was one main bathroom which was also on the small side. So I wish they had made these suites a little larger! They felt almost cramped.

Cedarberg : Kate Bergh