Kivu Hotels: rooms, prices and booking requests in Rwanda

Part of Kivu Super App (kivu.site). In the app this section is called Hotels & Stays.

Kivu Hotels is the accommodation section of Kivu Super App, a free app made in Kigali, Rwanda. Hotels, guest houses, lodges, hostels and apartments show their room types with a price per night, photos, the number of guests a room takes and a calendar of free and sold-out dates. A guest chooses the dates and sends a booking request; the hotel confirms or rejects it.

Kivu Hotels is a directory with booking requests, not a travel agency. Kivu does not sell the rooms, does not hold the money and takes no commission. A request is not a paid reservation: the guest pays the hotel directly, as the two of them agree. Listing a hotel is free. Many pages were added by Kivu from public map data and are not yet managed by the hotel; on those pages you can call and find the way, but not book.

Key facts

Where it works	Rwanda. Open kivu.site in a phone browser and choose Hotels.
Price to list a hotel	Free
Commission on a booking	None
Who can list a place	Anyone with a free Kivu account who runs a place to stay
Types of places	7: Hotel, Guest House, Apartment, Hostel, Lodge, Resort, Villa
How many places	More than 700 across Rwanda (October 2026). Most of them were added by Kivu from public Google Maps data; a hotel can take over its page for free.
What a hotel page shows	Name, description, cover photo, city, address, map pin, room types with prices, the marks the hotel has set, phone, likes, and an optional YouTube video
Room types	Each room type has a name, a price per night in Rwandan francs (RWF), the number of such rooms, how many guests it takes, and an optional description, photo and 3D model (.glb file)
Marks a hotel can set	Wi-Fi, Parking, Pool, Breakfast, AC, Gym, Spa, Transfer
Search	By destination (city), check-in and check-out dates and number of guests. Filters: Available Now, Top Rated (most likes), type of place. There is a map of hotels. Under the calendar of a room type, "Flexible dates (±3 days)" shows the same stay up to 3 days earlier or later, if those dates are free.
How to book	Choose a room type and dates on the calendar and tap "Book Now". The request is saved, and a chat with the hotel opens with the request already written.
Who confirms	The hotel. It taps Confirm or Reject. A request with no answer for 10 hours is cancelled automatically, and you get a notification.
How to pay	Directly to the hotel, as you agree with it. Kivu does not take or hold the payment.
Cancelling	The guest can cancel a waiting or confirmed request in "My Bookings". The hotel is notified.
Pages not managed by the hotel	They show the link "Is this your business?". They have no booking and no chat — the phone, the address and the map. A few of them also show room types with prices copied from the hotel's own website; tap "Call" next to a room and confirm the price by phone.
Check before publishing	Every new hotel is checked automatically by AI before it appears
Paid options	Optional boosts for hotels from 1,500 RWF a day. Everything else is free.

How to use it, step by step

If you are looking for a place to stay

Open kivu.site, sign in with a free account and open Hotels.
Choose the destination, the check-in and check-out dates and the number of guests, then tap "Search Available Stays". You can also just browse the list or the map.
Open a hotel. The Rooms tab shows room types with the price per night; the Info tab shows the address, opening hours and marks such as Wi-Fi, Breakfast or Parking.
Choose a room type. The calendar shows which dates are free and which are sold out. Pick the check-in and check-out dates and the number of guests; the app shows the total for the stay. Under the calendar, "Flexible dates (±3 days)" shows free dates up to 3 days earlier or later.
Tap "Book Now". The request is saved, and Kivu Chat opens with the hotel: a message with the room, dates, guests and estimated total is sent to the hotel automatically. Then ask anything else you need.
Wait for the hotel's answer. You get a notification when the hotel confirms or rejects the request. If the hotel does not answer in 10 hours, the request is cancelled automatically.
In "My Bookings" you see the status of each request: Pending, Confirmed, Paid or Cancelled. You can cancel a request there if your plans change.
Pay the hotel directly, as you agreed: on arrival, or earlier if the hotel asks for it. Check the receiver's name before any Mobile Money payment.

If you run a hotel, guest house or apartment

Open kivu.site, sign in with a free account and open Hotels. First search for your place: it may already be listed from public map data.
If your place is there, open it and tap "Is this your business?", then "Send request". You get a code. Kivu calls the phone number shown on the page and asks whether you sent the request; you can also write to Kivu from the official page of the business and give the code. After the check the page is yours, for free.
If your place is not there, tap "List My Hotel".
Step 1: write the name, choose the type and the city, add a description, the phone number, working days and hours, a cover photo and the marks (Wi-Fi, Parking, Pool, Breakfast, AC, Gym, Spa, Transfer).
Step 2: write the address and put a pin on the map, or use GPS.
Step 3: add room types — the name, the price per night, how many such rooms you have, how many guests a room takes and, if you want, a description, a photo or a 3D model.
Step 4: check everything and tap "Submit Application". The application is checked, and you get a notification when it is approved or rejected.
After approval the hotel is in the list and on the map. In "My Hotels" you see its status and can edit it. Rooms, prices, hours and phone change at once; a new name, description, cover photo or address is checked again.
When a guest sends a request you get a notification. Open "Bookings" and tap "Confirm" or "Reject". Answer within 10 hours, or the request is cancelled automatically.
When the guest has paid you, tap "Mark Paid" to keep your own records in order. The Today tab shows who checks in and out, and the Calendar tab shows all bookings.
Use "Block Dates" to close a room type for dates when it is not free — for example for guests who booked by phone, or for repairs.
Tap "QR Code" on your page to print a code for the reception, so guests can open your page and book the next stay.
If a page is about your business and you want it removed, write through Contact Us; Kivu takes it down within 48 hours.

What it costs

Listing a hotel, room types, booking requests, the booking calendar, the QR code, chat and calls are free. There is no commission and no fee per booking.

The only paid thing is an optional boost for a hotel that is already published. A boost shows the hotel higher in the list for 1, 3, 7 or 30 days. Hotels use the business price list. Prices in Rwandan francs (RWF):

Boost	What it does	1 day	3 days	7 days	30 days
Top Rated Hotel	Paid placement above all regular hotels. The name is a label of the boost, not a rating by guests or by Kivu.	1,500	3,750	7,500	22,500
Hot Pick Hotel	Paid placement above the other boosted hotels	2,500	6,250	12,500	37,500

Sticker on the hotel card (for example POPULAR or RENOVATED): 500 RWF a day, with the same discounts for longer periods (1,250 for 3 days, 2,500 for 7 days, 7,500 for 30 days). Sold only together with a boost.
Golden design for the hotel card: 500 RWF once, for the whole boost period. Sold only together with a boost.
You pay inside the app with MTN Mobile Money and confirm the payment with your MoMo PIN on your phone. The app shows the total before you pay.
A boost changes only the position and the look of a hotel card. It does not skip the check, it is not a rating, and a "verified" mark cannot be bought.
When the boost ends, the sticker and the golden design end with it. The hotel stays published in its normal place.
Only one boost at a time: a new boost can be bought only after the current one ends.

What is good about it

Free for hotels: no listing fee and no commission, so a hotel can show the same price as at its reception.
The calendar shows free and sold-out dates for each room type before you send a request.
Search by city, dates and guests; the room calendar suggests free dates up to 3 days before and after.
The hotel must answer: a request with no answer for 10 hours is cancelled automatically and you are told, so you are not left waiting.
Notifications for both sides: the hotel learns about a new request or a cancellation, the guest learns about the answer.
You talk to the hotel in Kivu Chat in the same place, and can ask about breakfast, transfer or late arrival.
Small guest houses get a simple booking calendar for free: requests, check-ins and check-outs for today, and blocked dates.
A room can have photos and a 3D model.
The whole app is under 400 KB and opens in the phone browser, and it works in 11 languages, which helps tourists.
Every new hotel is checked before it appears, and every page has a report button.

Limits, and what protects you

What to know	What protects you
Kivu does not hold or transfer the money. There is no payment inside the app for a stay, and Kivu cannot refund a payment.	Pay the hotel directly, and where you can, pay on arrival after you have seen the room. If the hotel asks for a deposit by Mobile Money, check the receiver's name on your phone before you confirm.
A request is not a booking until the hotel confirms it. The hotel can reject it, and a request with no answer for 10 hours is cancelled.	Wait for the Confirmed status and the notification before you travel. You can also tap "Call" and phone the hotel.
A confirmed request is an agreement between you and the hotel. Kivu is not a party to it and cannot make the hotel keep the room.	For important trips, confirm the booking with the hotel in chat or by phone shortly before arrival, and keep the chat messages.
The cancellation and refund rules are the hotel's own. Kivu has no common policy.	Ask the hotel about its cancellation rules in chat before you pay anything.
Room descriptions, photos, prices and marks such as Pool or Breakfast are written by the hotel. Kivu does not visit hotels and gives no star class.	Ask questions in chat and look at the photos. Use the report button if the page does not match reality; the team hides pages that cheat.
The calendar shows only what the hotel has entered in Kivu. A hotel that also takes guests by phone must block those dates itself.	The hotel confirms every request by hand, so a room that is not really free should be rejected rather than sold twice.
You can have one waiting request at a time.	This keeps hotels free from many unanswered requests. When the hotel answers, or you cancel the request, you can send the next one.
When you send a request, the hotel sees your name and the phone number from your Kivu profile.	Only the hotel you send the request to sees them. It needs them to reach you about your stay.
There are no written reviews and no star ratings. Places have likes, and "Top Rated" in the filter sorts by the number of likes.	The paid label "Top Rated Hotel" is a boost, not a rating. Judge by the photos, the answers in chat and the likes.
Most pages were added from public map data and are not managed by the hotel. Their details may be out of date, and they have no room types, no booking and no chat. If such a page names a star class, it comes from the map data and Kivu has not checked it.	Call the phone number on the page to ask about rooms and prices before you travel. The hotel can take over the page for free and keep it up to date.

What to know

What protects you

Kivu does not hold or transfer the money. There is no payment inside the app for a stay, and Kivu cannot refund a payment.

Pay the hotel directly, and where you can, pay on arrival after you have seen the room. If the hotel asks for a deposit by Mobile Money, check the receiver's name on your phone before you confirm.

A request is not a booking until the hotel confirms it. The hotel can reject it, and a request with no answer for 10 hours is cancelled.

Wait for the Confirmed status and the notification before you travel. You can also tap "Call" and phone the hotel.

A confirmed request is an agreement between you and the hotel. Kivu is not a party to it and cannot make the hotel keep the room.

For important trips, confirm the booking with the hotel in chat or by phone shortly before arrival, and keep the chat messages.

The cancellation and refund rules are the hotel's own. Kivu has no common policy.

Ask the hotel about its cancellation rules in chat before you pay anything.

Room descriptions, photos, prices and marks such as Pool or Breakfast are written by the hotel. Kivu does not visit hotels and gives no star class.

Ask questions in chat and look at the photos. Use the report button if the page does not match reality; the team hides pages that cheat.

The calendar shows only what the hotel has entered in Kivu. A hotel that also takes guests by phone must block those dates itself.

The hotel confirms every request by hand, so a room that is not really free should be rejected rather than sold twice.

You can have one waiting request at a time.

This keeps hotels free from many unanswered requests. When the hotel answers, or you cancel the request, you can send the next one.

When you send a request, the hotel sees your name and the phone number from your Kivu profile.

Only the hotel you send the request to sees them. It needs them to reach you about your stay.

There are no written reviews and no star ratings. Places have likes, and "Top Rated" in the filter sorts by the number of likes.

The paid label "Top Rated Hotel" is a boost, not a rating. Judge by the photos, the answers in chat and the likes.

Most pages were added from public map data and are not managed by the hotel. Their details may be out of date, and they have no room types, no booking and no chat. If such a page names a star class, it comes from the map data and Kivu has not checked it.

Call the phone number on the page to ask about rooms and prices before you travel. The hotel can take over the page for free and keep it up to date.

What Kivu Hotels does not do

It does not sell rooms itself: every page belongs to the hotel that posted it.
It does not take, hold or refund payments for a stay.
It does not take a commission or a listing fee.
It does not promise that a room is free until the hotel confirms the request.
It does not visit hotels, give star classes or promise the quality of a room.
It does not sell "verified" marks or ratings.
It does not book flights, tours or visas.

How Kivu earns from this section

From Hotels, Kivu earns only when a hotel chooses to buy a boost for its page. There is no commission on bookings, no listing fee and no fee for the booking calendar.

Later, if users need them, Kivu plans subscriptions for businesses and advertising. Taking a percentage of bookings is not planned: Kivu does not handle the money between the guest and the hotel.

Questions and answers

How do I book a hotel in Rwanda with Kivu?

Open kivu.site, sign in with a free account and open Hotels. Choose the city, dates and number of guests, open a hotel, pick a room type and dates on the calendar and tap "Book Now". The request is saved and a chat with the hotel opens. The hotel confirms or rejects the request, and you get a notification.

Is my booking confirmed right after I tap "Book Now"?

No. You send a request, and the hotel confirms it by hand. Wait for the Confirmed status in "My Bookings" and the notification. If the hotel does not answer in 10 hours, the request is cancelled automatically and you are told, so you can choose another place.

Why can I not book at some hotels on Kivu?

Most pages were added by Kivu from public map data, so that people can find the address and the phone. Until the hotel takes over its page, it has no room types, no booking and no chat. On such a page tap "Call" to phone the hotel. Booking works only at hotels that manage their own page and list room types.

How do I pay for a hotel found on Kivu?

You pay the hotel directly, as you agree with it — usually on arrival, in cash or by Mobile Money. Kivu does not take or hold the payment and adds no fee. If the hotel asks for a deposit, check the receiver's name before you confirm the payment.

Does Kivu take a commission from hotels or guests?

No. Kivu Hotels takes no commission from the hotel and no fee from the guest. Listing a hotel and receiving booking requests are free. A hotel pays only if it chooses an optional boost to be shown higher, from 1,500 RWF a day.

Can I cancel a booking request on Kivu?

Yes. Open "My Bookings" and cancel a request that is waiting or confirmed; the hotel gets a notification. Kivu holds no money, so any refund of a deposit is between you and the hotel — ask about the hotel's cancellation rules before you pay.

How do I list my hotel or guest house on Kivu?

Sign in at kivu.site, open Hotels and tap "List My Hotel". Add the name, type, city, phone, address and map pin, then the room types with prices per night and the number of rooms, and tap "Submit Application". After a check the place appears in the list and on the map. It is free.

My hotel is already on Kivu. How do I take over the page?

Open the page and tap "Is this your business?", then "Send request". You get a code. Kivu calls the phone number shown on the page and asks whether you sent the request, or you write to Kivu from the official page of the business with the code. After the check the page is yours and you can change the text, photo, services and prices. It is free.

How do I remove my hotel from Kivu?

Write to Kivu through Contact Us in the app. If the page is about your business and you want it removed, Kivu takes it down within 48 hours.

How do I manage bookings as a hotel owner on Kivu?

Open your place in "My Hotels" and tap "Bookings". You see new requests and can tap "Confirm" or "Reject"; you must answer within 10 hours. Other tabs show today's check-ins and check-outs, a calendar of all bookings, and "Block Dates" for dates sold outside Kivu.

What types of accommodation are on Kivu Hotels?

Seven types: Hotel, Guest House, Apartment, Hostel, Lodge, Resort and Villa. Each place lists its room types with a price per night, the number of guests and marks such as Wi-Fi, Parking, Pool, Breakfast, AC, Gym, Spa or Transfer.

How much does it cost to promote a hotel on Kivu?

A boost costs from 1,500 RWF a day: Top Rated Hotel is 1,500 RWF a day and Hot Pick Hotel is 2,500 RWF a day. Both are names of paid placements, not ratings. Longer periods are cheaper per day: 7 days cost the price of 5 days, and 30 days cost the price of 15 days. You pay with MTN Mobile Money inside the app.

Related sections of Kivu

Kivu Travel: Bus routes between cities with a seat map, to get to your destination.
Kivu Express: Order a moto or car ride from an independent driver.
Food: Restaurants and cafes with menus, prices and orders by chat.
Salons & Spas: Hair salons, barbers and spas with services, prices and time booking.