Solace Guest House: Like coming home

Solace Ministries in Kacyiru is a counseling facility for widows and orphans of the 1994 genocide. In short, it is not the kind of place to go foraging for a bite. Or so I thought, until one late Thursday evening found me there in a brainstorming and fundraising session I had been invited to. Actually that is one other thing for which Solace Ministries has curved out a niche –conferences, meetings, seminars, and private outdoor functions. As you walk in, to your left is the large, newly completed 1,000-seater conference facility that not only hosts private events, it also doubles as a meditation center. The guest wing, which is the subject of this review, is the serene, four-storey Solace Guest House. Going in, one is first confronted by the communal guest area, which consists of a small, intimate dining room that also doubles as a meeting area. But if you want to suck in on the cool breeze wafting from the Golf Course, then the small patio at the entrance with its adjacent garden is the place to be. Quiet and immaculately clean, the communal guest area provides a modestly luxuriant feel with comfortable furniture for reading and watching television. Food for the average Joe in the Kacyiru area can mean to be a bit of a trick, and this is where Solace Guest House comes in. otherwise, the closest that the corporate workers in this prime area can expect to find a good and reasonably priced buffet is at Cozy Restaurant, on the other side of the road. Unless, of course, you can eat at Umubano. In all, the guest house provides that old, familiar “home away from home” family oriented atmosphere, with all the basic amenities necessary for your stay. Solace Guest House starts your day with a healthy breakfast of fresh fruit juice prepared from scratch, omelette, coffee, tea, and the usual pastries for the sweet-toothed. The food comes by way of three course lunches and dinners, which, truth be told, is not very cheap (meals range in price from $9 to $11). The food is simple, fresh and delicious. Outside catering for small and large gatherings is offered. The guest rooms, each equipped with its own private balcony, offer single and double bed options with hot shower and internet. If you hail from the old school that would rather work off a desk machine, they have one PC dedicated to just that. On request, they will fix your dirty laundry at a fee. The doubles go for $67 (breakfast included), and $49 (single).