The Hôtel Source du Nil is a state-owned hotel in Bujumbura, Burundi.
Location
The hotel is located on the west side of the Avenue du Stade in downtown Bujumbura. It backs onto the Golf de Bujumbura golf course to its west.
Early days
The hotel was opened in July 1979 as the Hotel Méridien Source du Nil. As of 1981 the hotel was part of the Méridien chain, which also owned the Umubano Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. It was the best hotel in Bujumbura. It was not busy, and most of the guests were businessmen, politicians and African diplomats. Prices were very reasonable.
The hotel was a long white building with a rather characterless facade owned by local investors. It was set in a tropical park, with a magnificent view of Lake Tanganyika from the terrace. There was a nine-hole golf course, a riding club, a nautical club, a private beach and swimming pool and several tennis courts.
The interior had opulent decoration of African inspiration. It had a laundry, a large conference room with 350 seats, five meeting rooms, a shopping arcade with a hairdressing salon, a 150-seat "grande carte" restaurant, a snack bar and a night club. The 160 rooms were "four-star luxury". They all had a balcony, a modern bathroom, a telephone, a radio, mini-bar and air-conditioning.