Accor has opened the Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel & Spa in Benin, west Africa, the latest proof of the group’s commitment to grow its portfolio across a continent where it has been present for many years.
The hotel is the sixteenth Sofitel to open on the continent, and again sets new standards for the luxury hotel brand. Located on Benin’s coast in the economic capital Cotonou, it combines local culture with French art and style, and is set within a 29ha parkland estate.
The property is the country’s first five star hotel, and features 198 guestrooms including several luxury suites with private pools. Over coming months, the hotel will be opening its full complement of restaurants, cafes and bistros, plus its pavilion, which features two cinemas. There is also the largest convention centre in Cotonou, with a capacity of up to 700 people, plus a major wellness centre for guests to enjoy.
Africa remains an exciting prospect for Accor and its peer hotel groups, as it undergoes a rapid transformation with growing populations, and the fastest rate of urbanisation in the world. By 2050, it is estimated the continent’s population will double to more than 2.5 billion people, meaning a young and dynamic demographic. As the African people benefit from developing and booming economies, so many more move into the middle classes, and can afford greater domestic and international travel.
At Accor, the confirmed pipeline of African hotels spans many of the group’s brands, including Movenpick, Novotel, Ibis, Pullman and Adagio. Notable brand launches on the continent include the upcoming Mama Shelter in Casablanca, and in Cape Town, and a Mantis branded lodge in the Masai Mara, ideal for guests who want to sleep under canvas yet in luxury, while experiencing the environment of an African game reserve.
The group is also pursuing new locations, as well as building in popular destinations in Morocco and Egypt. Next year will see a Movenpick hotel open in Kigali, Rwanda, while the brand is also due to launch in Addis Ababa.
The Sofitel brand itself is now represented by more than 120 hotels around the world. Aside from modern landmarks in global cities, the Sofitel Legend sub-brand offers hotels with a historic background and timeless elegance.
There are plenty more Sofitels to come. The pipeline includes hotels under construction in Algiers, Amman, Budapest, Cairo, Cebu City, Doha, Ko Samui, Riyadh and Tirana.
The brand is also growing rapidly in Greater China, and next year will see openings of the Sofitel Xi’an, a 280 room property with major conferencing and banquet facilities in the central Chinese city. In 2026, the Sofitel Shanghai South will open, on a site along the banks of the Huangpu River, and a Sofitel in Wuxi is expected to launch, also in a waterside location overlooking Yangshan Lake.
