During a recent business visit I stayed at the Benin Marina, because of its good location near airport and at the beach. It started nice and smooth with an efficient check-in, including cold face-towel and welcome drink.The rooms are good and clean. Interesting discrepancy between old (design) and new (internet in the rooms/free and fairly fast free WLAN). Good leisure facilities, incl. big pool, nice beach and tennis courts. The golf course won’t really satisfy golf-addicts due to its limited number of holes, but it is great that there is a possibility to play anyway. Night entertainment is there with a nice bar and a discotheque in the weekend (which I did not visit). Food was OK, but breakfast was a bit too African,and I would have preferred somewhat more Contintal touch. The check-out was somewhat cumbersome with too many procedures, but the overall impression remains really positive

Previous reviews are pretty well in line with what was noticed in June 07. Good news is, if you are in town, there is a wireless internet connection in the hotel with a reasonable line, so you'll get more done in the way of emails while sipping a beer at the bar than anywhere else in town. Staff obviously 'owns' the place, speaking loudly and considering customers as an interference with the normal pace of their private lives...
The best thing to do is to get out of Cotonou A.S.A.P and head 85km West to Grand Popo beach where the Auberge de Grand Popo is a haven of bliss.

This is an oasis in the chaotic city of Cotonou. It was a Sheraton property. It has a feel of a well thought out design. But this hotel is nothing like any Sheraton hotels. The owner of it just hasn't invested any money in its upkeep. The setting is nice. But the amenities are deteriorating. The bathroom was not clean. The service was mediocre. If the city of Cotonou was not so messy, I wouldn't call it an oasis. But the reality is, this is already the best hotel in the city.

Since my last review about my stay in September 2006 I have stayed again at the Marina for 2 weeks in January 2007 and for 3 weeks spanning February and March 2007. What I stated in my original review still stands; my January stay was fine, however, my most recent stay was trying because the hot season has just begun (daytime temperatures between 35-40C) and the hotel's central aircon is not effective under those conditions; the director of the hotel explained to me that the system was 25 years old and that I was in a poolside bungalow at the "end of the line". The hotel provided me with a fan but nevertheless some nights were uncomfortably hot.
The phone service from the room broke down for about a week and wireless internet access suffered as well.
All signs that there is insufficent investment in renovation by the hotel's owner, i.e. the government of Benin (the hotel is run by a private hotel management firm - european I think - and the managing director does his best with what he's got)
To add to the experience, although this is outside of the hotel's control, Benin is experiencing severe shortages of electricity so that power cuts are frequent; the hotel's generator did its best to keep up but kept breaking down. To top it off water supply was cut a few times by the utility company because pumps could not be activated.
I might be returning to Cotonou next May or June and I think I will try the newly renovated Novotel next door and let you know in a review how that went.
Cheers,
Ian Davies