Hotel Dolce Vita Resort

10/10

Exceptional

13 May 2025

Stellah

Highly recommend
Good customer care from the airport to the hotel
Staff is Highly trained

8/10

Excellent

07 Mar 2025

arlene

Although the hotel offeted a shuttle to the airport and meals, it was all at an additional cost. it was better to book a more
expensive hotel which includes those amenities in the tariff.

4/10

Poor

04 Oct 2024

Fariani

I had a very disappointing stay at this hotel. The staff was unprofessional and unhelpful throughout my visit. There were no taxis available, making transportation a hassle. To make matters worse, the food prices were in dollars, clearly aimed at overcharging guests compared to local rates.

The hotel seemed severely understaffed, with only one person responsible for cleaning, which led to delayed and inconsistent housekeeping. There was no water in the fridge, and the TV never worked during my entire stay.

Overall, this hotel did not meet even the most basic standards, and I would not recommend it.

Self

2/10

Poor

14 Sep 2024

Moses

As someone who has been in 58 different counties on different continents I rate their service 1/10. There un professional

Leisure

2/10

Poor

25 Jun 2024

Rasha

AC was not working, the mosquito net was not closing and I couldn’t open the windows. There were already too many mosquitos in the room. I paid for deluxe room and received a standard room.

Breakfast was less than basic.

Really not worth the cost.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Feb 2023

Eddie

great hotel

Excellent stay and the food was great

Business

2/10

Poor

30 Mar 2021

Jakub

Scam. Don't book it.

Although the booking had been confirmed, when we arrived at the hotel we were not let in, the receptionist came to the gate and informed us that they have no rooms avilable and that they were trying to communicate the problem to hotels.com, we were not provided with any alternative and had to arrange an alternative accommodation ourselves. Although we were not allowed to check in the hotel charged us in full and communicated to hotels.com that we were provided with an alternative rooms on the expense of the hotel, which is simply a lie.

Business

6/10

Pleasant

28 Jul 2019

Lord Senti

The facility is Good, kept clean with good hospitable staff.
Their problem is water and electricity. While it might be endemic to the city and country, getting water to wash was a challenge. Low pressure in the taps when there is a moment of flowing water.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Feb 2017

Mary

Charming,small hotel on quiet side street

The staff is great, helpful and welcoming, my room was lovely and comfortable, the bathroom large with a good shower. I loved sitting by the small but attractive pool in the well kept garden. I highly recommend this charming hotel.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Feb 2017

Bart

Happy to recommend the Dolce Vita

If you're looking for the Ritz Carlton, this likely isn't your cup of tea (and good luck finding it in Buja). But this place was an oasis considering the first night I stayed at the Hotel Beausejour Iramya (where one star is too much).

Burundi is going through a tough time these days, and it appeared as though I was the only guest for a prolonged period. The staff here were wonderfully accommodating, kind, and resourceful - the speak very good English (rare in Buja), they repaired a pair of shoes I had lost the sole on for less than a dollar, and mended a shirt I managed to put a hole in at the aforementioned awful hotel, making sure the repair was symmetrical on the other side. Amazing. Another reviewer commented on sunbathing - unsure why you'd come here to tan - go to the Club du Lac if you want that. I never used the pool but it looked clean and well kept, especially given surrounding foliage. The surrounding greenery is beautiful, internet was fast enough, AC gloriously cold, mosqui nets high-end top notch wall connected versions, and housekeeping well managed. Safes in all rooms for the security conscious, and decent nightly rates. The food was really excellent - I saw their kitchen and what they can do in there is nothing short of a miracle. Real coffee and croissants in the morning - lovely. It is almost adjacent to the US embassy, but hires only one unarmed guard if that is a concern.

In short - a lovely stay, would stay again, would recommend to anyone.

10/10

Exceptional

01 Dec 2016

Jagannathan

Nice neighbourhood

Airport pick up & drop off free. Beautiful gardens and pleasantly decorated room in a bungalow style hotel. I forgot my jacket in the car & the driver got it back to me.

8/10

Excellent

30 Oct 2015

Verified traveler

IT IS AFRICA

ARRIVED LATE AT NIGHT IN RAIN AND MUD. HOTEL WAS AS SHOWN.

8/10

Excellent

08 Jun 2015

Verified traveler

Safe, secure, good breakfast - good option

This hotel is safe and secure.
Not really located in the center, but there is not much to see in the center either.
If you are mostly coming to relax, I would recommend staying at a hotel on the lake and take a taxi once or twice to the center, rather than take a taxi each day to the lake as a I did.
That being said, the hotel was nice, the staff were friendly and helpful, wifi worked, a/c worked, and breakfast was very good. Very spacious bathroom, They provide you with a robe and slippers.
I had room with a patio - but the patio opened onto the public walkway by the stairs - not exactly enticing to sit there.
Hotel also had a small pool.

6/10

Pleasant

03 Mar 2015

James

Disappointing for a Tripadvisor 4.5 star hotel

The Dolce Vita is a very pleasant place to stay.
What's good.
1. The service is great and very friendly
2. The location is very peaceful and presumably quite secure (near US embassy)
3. The facilities are OK

What's not so good.
1. The location, although peaceful, is quite a distance from the town centre, so you will need vehicle transport to get there.
2. Linked to 1. above, there are no obvious places to go out and get food or drinks close to the hotel
3. The rooms have a stale smell
4. The power supply was slightly problematic, although there is a back-up generator
5. The room I was in had a huge bathroom, but tiny shower, with barely enough space to wash comfortably in.

Overall, I was disappointed that a hotel with a 4.5 Tripadvisor rating was not better than this. In my view, it's closer to a 3 star rating. They can do much better, with a bit of effort.

8/10

Excellent

24 Jan 2015

Verified traveler

Nice hotel in a quiet and secure area

Excellent friendly staff, very good breakfast, good kitchen. The only minus was the lack of hot water in the room during most of the day.

8/10

Excellent

20 Jan 2015

DAVID

Burundi Trip 2015

Group of three, all had good rooms, hotel staff friendly and helpful. Food was excellent. Breakfast a bit basic but fine. Highly recommended.

8/10

Excellent

15 Jan 2015

Michael

Nice place, out of town in a good suburb

Nice little hotel. The staff were wonderful and helped with booking bus travel, taxis, excursions.

8/10

Excellent

22 Dec 2014

Emmanuel

Good hotel

very good

8/10

Excellent

14 Dec 2014

Carola

Lovely place, great food

Lovely hotel in a quiet area. Nice rooms and great food in the restaurant. I recommend this Hotel to everyone going to Bujumbura.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Dec 2014

Verified traveler

Extremely friendly and helpful staff. Nice breakfast.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Oct 2014

Robert

Hotel Dolce Vita Resort Was Great!

The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful.

Communication was a little difficult at times, as we do not speak French and only a few of the staff spoke English but that was expected before arrival, since English is not generally taught in the schools.

The hotel has a backup generator system, so power was quickly re-established when the expected daily/nightly power outages occurred.

Our suite & balcony overlooked the garden/pool area and was quite lovely.

Although WIFI was furnished at no cost, it proved difficult at times to get a connection and I had to request a router re-boot to continue working.

The restaurant & bar had a good selection and the food was quite tasty. Everything was fresh & flavorful.

The daily complimentary bottled waters came in handy on our treks into the city.

8/10

Excellent

02 Oct 2014

Benjamin

Great location and value!

The hotel was very clean and the service was excellent. the hotel is well situated and there is good food and a great bar on the rooftop!

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jul 2014

Carol

friendly abd helpful staff

I want to thank Noelle, Odiline, and Jacques especially for making me feel at home. They were understanding of my terrible French, tried to speak English themselves, and couldn't do enough for me. What friendly, professional, and intelligent staff.

8/10

Excellent

16 Jul 2014

A

Small Hotel with Pool and Conference Room

Small, secure, quiet hotel 10 minutes from Bujumbura Centre and close to the US Embassy with good WIFI. The staff were delightful and could not be more helpful. Their breakfast chef had not heard of poached eggs but was very happy to watch me cook my own. The next day he produced perfect poached eggs! We ate in the hotel restaurant every night because the food was so good. It sits on the top floor with a great view out over the rooftops and the setting sun. Comfortable bed with mosquito netting.We booked the hotel largely because of the picture of the swimming pool. Since the picture was taken, the pool has become overgrown with trees and bushes. As a result, the pool is always in shade and there is nowhere in the hotel to sit in the sun. So if you want to sunbathe, this is not for you. I explained this to the manager and she promised to cut the trees down...

8/10

Excellent

23 Apr 2014

Manuel

Excellent

Excellent staff and hotel. Clean, comfortable, everybody is very kind. The location is good.

6/10

Pleasant

02 Mar 2014

Preeyesh Shah

Quiet location

Although the staff were extremely friendly and helpful, our room was not very clean. The floor was dusty, the cupboard doors did not close properly and had dust on the shelves. The air conditioning did not work and windows could not be opened due to mosquitoes. The food was good and the upstairs bar was excellent. All in all, if the air con had been working, I would have rated the place a bit better, as dust is present all over Africa, anyway. We did not get a chance to have a dip in the pool, which looked quite inviting

8/10

Excellent

19 Jan 2014

tobes

lovely rooms in a quiet setting

the room had plenty of wardrobe space, tea making facilities, a TV with plenty of channels, soft robes, slippers and free toiletries. fresh fruit is delivered daily to the room - such a welcome treat.A commission free exchange bureau is offered - which is incredibly useful.
The rooms are large and very well cleaned. the dinner menu is massive and very reasonable ( apart from the pizza - bit of a disaster). The staff are very helpful and attentive. The only downside, the AC units aren't very effective and we got very hot! , the choice for breakfast is limited. Be careful of taking a taxi directly from the hotel as prices were very overpriced, much haggling needed.

In summary, the quiet peaceful setting, the swimming pool and the friendliness of staff means I would highly recommend and would definitely stay again - thank you.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Dec 2013

Verified traveler

Great place to stay

I enjoyed my stay here, as the rooms were comfortable and clean. The hotel staff were professional and very friendly. Service was prompt. The food was exquisite - fresh fruit, juice, dinners and the omelettes were delicious! I would definitely stay here again if I have need.

10/10

Exceptional

17 Nov 2013

martin

very good experience

dolce vita means sweet life. and yes, it was really a very nice experience to be a guest there. a safe place, a very friendly service, very nice and clean rooms (spacious bathroom), a good and not expensive restaurant offering kind of tradiational french style - burundi influenced - food. in found cold beer, a nice wine list and a small up stairs bar. the air contion might be a little too noisy. but in general - its really a very very good place to stay.

8/10

Excellent

23 Oct 2013

Chrystina

Weekend Getaway

Our room was really comfortable, the bathroom was huge, and we had hot water all of the time (sometimes an issue in Africa--wasn't the case here). The AC was always working, and when the power went out, there was a generator. Dolce Vita is cute and feels personal. Our favorite part was the breakfast--the croissants, meal, and coffee were fast, fresh, and tasty. The hotel is located by the US Embassy, a little far away from the beaches/center of town, but they were willing to help us with a shuttle when it was available (when it wasn't available for us to get out for our departure, they paid for our cab). However, please note that you need to let them know you need the shuttle an hour in advance. In other cases we took a cab--they called us cabs but then we were charged for the cab to make it's way to the hotel plus our fare. I'd recommend calling your own cab to have a fairer price. (We randomly met one that was super fair and didn't charge us foreigner rates, his name was Eddie #79 580 697--or just find your own in town and exchange numbers!). Overall, liked the place, found the staff to be professional and helpful with all of our needs. Would stay again!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Sep 2013

Verified traveler

Hotel staff was very attentive and friendly. The hotel is well located if you will be conducting business at the US Embassy which is a five minute walk away, but somewhat distant from the center of the city. The hotel provides free car service to (but not from) locations in the city and car was available on occasions that I needed to go downtown. They also picked me up at airport at no extra cost. Return pick up from locations in the city can be arranged for a cost only slightly more than cost of a taxi and drivers are definitely more careful than many cab drivers in the city. Breakfast each morning was tasty and quickly prepared. If I need to return to Bujumbura in the future, I definitely would stay here again.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Nov 2012

Graham

A small step from the new US Embasy

Great staff, very personal feel and looked after me well. I was very late back from business one night and they reopened the kitchen and made sure I had a good meal. Restaurant has good options and very tasty and generous no-nonsense food. Can recommend the steak and fresh fish options. Room was adequate and comfortable but if you are intending to use a laptop check out travel adaptors before you get there. Located in the suburbs with the last street unpaved, about 10 minutes to the centre by taxi. New US Embasy is almost right next door, can be seen from the back of the hotel.

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2015

Verified traveler

Perfect Service

I stayed here for one night. Nice rooms, good food in the restaurant. Very kindly and helpful staff. All standarts are on Europe level, not like normally in Africa.

10/10

Exceptional

09 Nov 2014

Tanya

Great place to stay!

We stayed 6 nights at Hotel Dolce Vita and it was superb! The staff is so helpfull and friendly. We don't speak french so when ever we needed to organize something in town one of the staff went with us to translate. I have never stayed at a more welcoming hotel. If you are going to Bujumbura you would be stupid not to stay at Hotel Dolce Vita!

Family

8/10

Excellent

23 Oct 2014

Jean-Michel

A recommander!

Très bon rapport qualité/prix pour ce petit hôtel à dimension familiale. Quartier un peu excentré mais calme et sûr. Le personnel est particulièrement accueillant et disponible. Cuisine simple mais de qualité.

8/10

Excellent

20 Sep 2014

LALOUETTE

cONVIVIAL

PERSONNEL DEVOUE ET HOTEL DE BONNE TENUE

8/10

Excellent

14 Jul 2014

karier marc

ausgezeichneter service

sehr ruhig gute betten guter Service sauber was will man mehr ?preiswert

6/10

Pleasant

29 Jun 2014

Eric

Good service in old building

The bottlers are well trained and the marketing manager has good service mind. Just note that it is little bit away from down town. The taxi is available near by though. Meal & safty is OK. On the whole it is worth trying Dolce Vita.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jun 2014

Colin

A friendly oasis in Bujumbura

An all round excellent experience. Rooms large, clean, comfortable. Wifi worked well in my room on the ground floor although i heard this wasn't the case in all rooms. Restaurant excellent. Nice pool. Best thing of all though is the friendliness and efficiency of the staff. Just need to be aware this is not in the centre of town but there is a taxi rank just outside. Very good value hotel. Would definitely go back.

10/10

Exceptional

04 May 2014

Geri K.

Very lovely stay in Bujumbura

Das Hotel ist in jeder Hinsicht genial!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2014

PAYEN-RADONDE

service efficace d'une très grande gentillesse

ce petit hotel dans un lieu très calme de Bujumbura doit être recommandé tant pour des séjours professionnels que de tourisme. le personnel est d'une extrême gentillesse et met tout en oeuvre pour satisfaire le client toujours avec le sourire. Merci à tout le personnel. je reviendrai au Dolce vita resort à mon prochain séjour à Bujumbura

10/10

Exceptional

07 Apr 2014

Consultant

Pour le prix, c'est très bien !

Excellente impression sur un hotel à prix raisonnable et assez bien placé. Service et accueil agréable. Ma chambre était bien pour travailler avec internet.

8/10

Excellent

01 Mar 2014

Ch

Hotel confortable et personnel attentif

Hotel agréable et très propre. Le restaurant est bon. Très bon accueil et très bonne connexion internet. On se sent chez soi. J'y suis restée trois nuits.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Dec 2013

Verified traveler

Mysigt hotell vid amerikanska ambassaden

Vi stannade där i åtta nätter och har inget negativt att säga om vår vistelse. Personalen var väldigt serviceminded och uppfyllde nästintill alla våra önskningar. Frukosten som ingick var god och höll vad den lovade. Rummen städades dagligen och fylldes på med vatten. Ett bonus var en eftermiddagssnack som alla gäster fick. Vi kommer definitvt att välja detta hotell vid vår nästa resa till Bujumbura.

8/10

Excellent

15 Nov 2013

Anders

Pleasant surprise

This small and personal hotel was a pleasant surprise for me. Nice garden and terrass. Staff friendly and helpful. Good size of room and bathroom. All in all good value for money.

8/10

Excellent

07 Oct 2013

ff

servico muy bueno

buena onda, muy, del servicio, buena comida, buen ambiente en general

8/10

Excellent

05 Sep 2013

Pieter

De manager en het personeel vriendelijk.

Met gratis airport shuttle!!
Wij waren erg tevreden met de goede service!!

8/10

Excellent

21 Jun 2013

marc tijhuis

The hotel staff is really trying to offer added value, free shuttle service, one way shuttle to town centre and on demand services like hiring a car and travel around with one of the staff members. Rooms are value for money, restaurant is definitely OK, with little extra's like warm towel before eating and good quality food. In direct neighbourhood hotel nothing to do really, for business good starting point. As competion is high they have to but they do a really good job.

8/10

Excellent

02 Apr 2013

Thrainn Fridriksson

Very nice little hotel

I was very happy with my stay at the Dolce Vita Resort. This is a small hotel with very dedicated staff. Many of them spoke very good English and all of them did their best to make me feel at home. The food was great. There were some issues with the internet connection but as there were plenty of routers there was very little down time. You can not ask for more in Burundi today. The location was a little bit off center but Bujumbura is so small and the traffic so easy that it made no difference. I higly recommend this hotel.