From 1962, when Rwanda got its
independence, to this day, Hotel Faucon
has been owned and run by Rwandan
nationals.
Royal Chambers: The entrance to the suite at Hotel Faucon
where King Rudahigwa slept on his visits to the area.
hotel building, the king and his men
were stopped in their tracks by the
bold words, printed in French, on the
signpost right at the hotel’s entrance:
“ENTRY FORBIDDEN TO BLACKS
AND TO DOGS”.
The King was furious! In a rage, he
stormed into the hotel, leaving the
startled gateman paralysed with fear.
In the shade at the hotel’s entrance,
the few patrons who sat sipping their
refreshments for the day looked up
from their drinks and cigars to find
themselves face to face with the royal
rage.
For, it is said, King Rudahigwa ordered
his men to beat up all the white people
at the hotel who had dared to compare
his people to dogs in their own country.
He then demanded that the hotel
open its doors to any black people
who wanted, and could afford to use
its services, thus effectively removing
the race barrier that management had
erected at the hotel.
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The King’s Chambers
To put a symbolic, royal stamp on the
historic upheaval that he had caused
in this colonial outpost of privilege,
King Rudahigwa moved to ensure a
permanent black presence at the hotel.
The King commandeered what we
would now call “the Presidential Suite”
of the hotel for his own use whenever
he was in the area.
The King’s chambers stand separate
from the rest of the hotel. On entering,
one is welcomed by a preserved setting
of the living room as it used to be when
it was in use by the king. In the centre
of the room is a set of two chairs with a
small table (said to be the original used
by the King) in the middle. The Suite
also contains a sizeable bathroom, and
two bedrooms, a smaller one for one
of the King’s guests, and a larger room
where the monarch slept. The royal bed
is still intact.
Sleep like Royalty
Today, it is possible not only to visit
The King’s Chambers at Hotel Faucon,
but also to rent the actual King’s suite
for the night and live, if only briefly, in
the same space that was transformed
by this revolutionary King.
Sadly, this historic hotel, although
quite well preserved, is not in the
best shape and may not meet basic
international hotel standards. However,
it remains a place worth visiting if only
for its historic significance.