Sofitel Benin
Between the main access road to Cotonou and the Gulf of Guinea, Benin’s Ministry of Sustainable Development is building a luxury hotel and conference resort. It will become one of the largest meeting venues of the African continent, with the upcoming African Conference already planned. Ludo Grooteman of Moke Architecten designed the five-star hotel and event venue and oversaw the renovation of the existing conference centre.
Programme
200 Rooms, Restaurants, Meeting Rooms, and Spa
Surface
30.000 m² GFA
Architect
Ludo Grooteman
Team
Ahmed Dridi, Luis Garcia, Pascal Bemelmans, Koen van Hoof, Teresa Vacca, Ramdane Boumalal, Grey Soekijad, Maarten Kist
Status
Under construction
Year
2019 - now
Location
Cotonou, Benin
Client
Ministère du Cadre de Vie et du Développement Durable
Construction
Diocon
Landscape
Loos van Vliet (NL)
Interior design
Sundukovy Sisters (RU)
Contractor
SUMMA (TR)
Hotel
Like a scaled cobra the hotel is situated on the highest point of the resort. The curving shape, both in width and in height, refers to the relationship that low-lying Benin has with water. The hotel is surrounded by shade, water and greenery, which is a peculiarity on the African continent. The hotel is connected to the conference centre and event building via a covered foot path. The central position of the hotel on the terrain makes it an ideal place to work, lounge, enjoy a pleasant stay, practise sports, dine, and stay overnight.
Entrance to pause and reflect
The long, lavish driveway leading to the hotel ends in an entrance that will take your breath away. The 9-meter high lobby directly overlooks the swimming pools, the outdoor bar, and the greenery at the back of the hotel. In the same glance, the restaurants, shops, and bar present themselves. The lobby is a pleasant place to stay. From here, guests have access to the conference rooms, children’s villa, and hotel rooms.
From luxurious rooms to presidential suite
The luxuriously and locally decorated standard rooms are nearly twice as large as usual and all have a shaded balcony and a view over the lush resort. The 28 suites all feature a rooftop terrace.
Enjoyable stay under the African sun
A stay at the hotel is an experience with many facets. The hotel accommodates restaurants and bars, shops, and a shaded swimming pool. Sporty guests can make use of the fitness facilities, the golf course, and the tennis courts. Conference attendees can meet in the large ballroom and a number of smaller rooms, in addition to the nearby conference centre. Special guests take the lift directly to Club Millesime to do business, lounge, and dine in private. Night entertainment is provided at the casino, club, and cinema. Add to that the children’s villa, and even local guests looking for a day of relaxation will find their place here.