SOFITEL HOTEL IVOIRE

An emblematic establishment of the "Manhattan of Africa" and the Ivorian miracle of the 1970s, but also of the darkest hours of the crisis, the Hotel Ivoire (sorry: the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire) has experienced many vicissitudes before returning to its former glory. This iconic monument of Abidjan deserves a visit for its symbolic interest, its modernist architecture and its offer of activities. A real city within the city. And then on the cornice overlooking the lagoon, the Hotel Ivoire offers a breathtaking panorama facing the skyline of the Plateau. Even the most jaded of travelers will be amazed.

History. Visiting Liberia in 1960, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, impressed by the prestigious Ducor Hotel, asked his architect to design a hotel complex surpassing the Liberian building. This is how the Israeli-Romanian architect Moshe Mayer built the Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan. Originally, it was part of a vast development project of the "African Riviera". The central building was inaugurated in 1963, the tower in 1969. Hotel Ivoire took its final configuration with the construction of the Palais des Congrès, a polygon shaped like a snail shell. The complex, standing on the bay of Cocody, became one of the most prestigious modernist buildings on the African continent. A true "Ivory Village" extending over 15 hectares. It was then the witness and the scene of the crises the country went through, in particular the shooting of November 9 perpetrated by the French army on a crowd of unarmed Ivorian civilians. Its complete and lengthy renovation, entrusted to Pierre Fakhoury, allows its reopening in 2011-2015 under the Sofitel group, launching a new hotel era.

Visit. The complex consists of the 14-story building and the 25-story tower, with a capacity of 635 rooms. A 70-meter long art gallery links the two buildings to the Convention Center. As soon as you enter the lobby, you feel as if you have been drawn into another universe: monumentalism and dizzying heights under the ceilings, a stylish decor mixing contemporary and angular lines with the colorful warmth and exuberance of African art. The hotel has 4 restaurants, 2 bars, a café, a cinema, 13 conference rooms, a casino, a sports complex with tennis courts, an old skating rink, two swimming pools and a bowling alley and the 5 Worlds Spa, in its decor of water and vegetation that combines cocoa, African art and French-style beauty treatments.

Restaurants and bars. Le Toit d'Abidjan on the 23rd floor of the Tower, a high-flying culinary stopover - literally and figuratively - a hushed and refined atmosphere; Le Jardin which revisits the classics of African and Ivorian cuisine; La Brasserie : french-style dishes in a trendy atmosphere; La Gourmandise, right on the water with its gourmet buffets and Sunday brunches; The Oasis Pool Bar by the pool, where it's so good to laze around on Sundays; The chiquissime Link Bar with its bay window overlooking the immense turquoise pool; and last but not least, the Cacao Lounge, perched above the pool, with its high designer bar stools on the left and small rattan lounges on the right, offering freshly ground coffee. It serves homemade cocktails and iced teas depending on the time of day, and many DJ nights are organized there.