Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has announced that it has lifted the suspension on Château le Marara hotel, confirming that the facility is now authorized to resume hospitality services.
On July 22, 2025, operations at Château le Marara were halted after investigations revealed that the hotel had been operating without the required license.
In a statement issued on Friday, December 26, 2025, RDB said it was informing the public that Château le Marara has now been granted a tourism operating license and is authorized to provide services to the public.
RDB said the authorization followed an inspection conducted by relevant authorities, which confirmed that the hotel now meets all legal and regulatory requirements to operate.
Speaking to Umunota, the hotel’s managing director and owner, Dr Christian Marara, said the decision was well received.
He said the issue that had arisen was administrative in nature and has now been resolved.
Dr Marara added that the hotel had been given specific requirements to fulfill and that management is committed to complying with them.
Reliable sources told Umunota that Château le Marara has been granted a provisional operating period of three months. The authorization allows the hotel to operate from December 24, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
The hotel’s closure followed widespread discussion on social media after the wedding of Hajj Shadadi Musemakweri, managing director of Gorilla Motors Ltd and executive chairman of Gorilla FC, and Uwera Bonnette, which was held at the venue. The couple reportedly complained of poor service.
They accused the hotel of frequent power outages without a backup system, failure to address issues during their event, poor service delivery, arbitrary price changes after agreements had been made, inadequate hygiene standards, breach of contract, and services that did not match the hotel’s claimed standards.
In response, hotel management sought legal redress, alleging that the couple had threatened to tarnish the hotel’s image and use deceptive means to avoid settling outstanding payments.
However, Dr Marara said the hotel would not immediately pursue the case, opting instead to focus on service delivery.
He said that from Monday the hotel will resume normal operations and that people are free to visit and celebrate the New Year at the facility, with management committing to providing quality services.
