In one of the most stunning new hotel openings for West Africa, the Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel & Spa debuted in the fall of 2024 to great acclaim. It caught the attention of top-tier magazines like Travel+Leisure almost from the start. The hotel, which participates in the Accor Live Limitless loyalty program, quickly catapulted its way to the top hotel in the capital of Benin. It is now the hub for high-end business and leisure travelers as well as a social mecca for local events. These are the top five reasons why this resort will wow arrivals to the region.
The attention to detail
Kudos to the designers of this hotel who focused heavily on regional influenced and timeless, modern style. Guests enter past the guarded gates into a driveway complete with reflection fountains and a beautiful lobby with enormous ceilings, dramatic light, conversation seating and the art, statues and design pieces for which Benin is most famous.
In fact, there are around 150 artworks curated by the Agency for the Development of Contemporary Art on display around the hotel, making it a museum in its own right. This is surely something that the high number of business and diplomatic guests of the hotel appreciate if they are crunched for time. There are several interesting tourist sights and museums in the area, too, which the leisure clientele enjoy.
A boutique in the lobby sells many locally made crafts, fashion and art pieces. You can’t wander far without discovering something new and colorful. Even the guest room hallways are packed with different pieces of Beninese painting, sculpture and pottery.
The signature fragrance is lovely and pumped into the public spaces, including guest room hallways. I also noticed staff polishing every surface with great care, which demonstrates their pride in working at this luxury hotel. Meeting space is also plentiful here as this is a popular hotel for conferences and business groups.
The service
This hotel fits perfectly into the Sofitel brand, which is working hard to reposition its global list of hotels in the same tier of top-notch hotels as the likes of Park Hyatt or JW Marriott around the world.
This is noticed most effectively in the service standards here. I noticed a standard of service that is a clear sign of educating the staff on what true luxury means. For instance, when someone comes to your door to deliver something, the knock is a calculated and soft three, slow knocks. Not a rapid, brusque knock that is so common elsewhere; it is something that really impressed.
Being a French brand (and a French-speaking country), staffers greet guests with a friendly bonjour or bonsoir. And you won’t pass a single person who works here without them smiling or acknowledging you.
In the rooms, housekeepers fold strewn laundry, organize your belongings with care and keep hallway noise to a minimum. And a free airport shuttle runs back and forth to make the quick five-minute drive. These are all small details that make a big impression.
The resort amenities
The modern architecture of this resort is visible from afar, even when landing at the nearby airport. Sofitel is a beachfront property, but it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a grassy area (the hotel is within a 29-hectare natural park). Most guests spend their time lounging in the enormous swimming pool that runs along the front of the resort.
Cushioned lounge chairs sit in the shade of enormous white fabric umbrellas. Sunken soaking chairs sit in the shallow nooks of the pool allowing guests to refresh in the near-constant heat. Separate cabanas are available to reserve, complete with more privacy and enormous fans. Staffers roam around the pool serving food and drinks from the nearby restaurant.
That’s not all, there is another indoor pool at the spa for those that prefer to avoid the sunlight. An air-conditioned fitness center features natural light and plenty of modern cardio and weightlifting equipment. The spa is the most impressive in the country with a wide range of massage and beauty treatments available in five treatment rooms that attract local and guest business.
The rooms
Modern with a few Beninese touches in the art and fabrics, they are quire spacious. All have a furnished balcony facing the swimming pool and ocean or the city center. Both angles are equally entertaining although most guests pay an upgrade for rooms facing the water.
There are 174 guest rooms and two dozen suites with a handful of them serving as duplex models with separate living and sleeping areas. There is plentiful closet space, a wide desk with beautiful craftmanship and easy-access power outlets, and a small conversation seating area with velvet-covered armchairs.
The Sofitel MyBed is a signature of every hotel in the portfolio and features duck feather-stuffed mattresses with enormous pillows and duvets. It was the perfect antidote after a long flight. Modern USB ports of every type and power outlets were everywhere you wanted them to be.
The minibar held a small selection of complimentary non-alcoholic refreshments. Bathrooms feature wide closet areas and double vanities with separate water closet and enormous glass shower stall. Diptyque toiletries are stocked in large pump bottles and are joined with other perks like dental kids, plush slippers and large robes.
The dining
This resort has numerous choices for dining including one restaurant under the helm of a Michelin-awarded chef Georgiana Viou. L’Ami is a French brasserie concept that incorporates several Beninese influences into otherwise traditional dishes. It is a menu that is unlike anything else around the world, but only open for dinner.
The main dining room serving three meals a day is Vivo. This is where the breakfast buffet with live cooking stations for things like omelets and crepes starts the day. I was truly impressed with the array of fresh fruits, pastries and high-quality French bread on offer. There are also local juices and dishes to try, which is always an important way to understand a culture.
Later in the day, the menu shifts to a more global array of options with meat, fish, chicken and vegetarian dishes all on offer. Weekend brunch is a popular event here with DJs and indoor and outdoor buffets providing plenty of entertainment. The lobby lounge also has a light menu of sandwiches and craft cocktails to enjoy.
By the pool, Mediterranean flavors dominate the menu at Corniche, which has al fresco and climate-controlled seating areas. This is an especially popular spot for locals after work or to catch the sunset.
Having visited nearly every country in Africa, I must say that this hotel stands out as one of the most impressive, especially in West Africa. As Benin continues to grow as a tourist destination, let’s hope this resort serves as a model for what a new-build, luxury hotel can achieve in the region. I believe that it can fuel additional demand, which helps the community as a whole.
