An icon of Abidjan overlooking the lagoon from the top of its 100 metres, the Hôtel Ivoire was for a long time the emblem, operated by InterContinental, of the prosperous years of the African country with its many swimming pools, congress centre, cinema and ice rink. Then, during the last decade, it became the symbol of chaos, the scene of shootings by the French army and a home for young patriots loyal to President Laurent Gbagbo.
But those times of crisis are over. The renovation of the Tour Ivoire, launched in 2009, was completed in November 2011. And the takeover by Accor will give further impetus to the 209-room hotel. "After the reopening of Sofitel Jardin des Roses, its flagship North African hotel in Rabat, the brand will now have a new flagship in West Africa, aimed at business customers", explained Yann Caillère, Deputy CEO in charge of Worldwide Operations, following the agreement reached with the Ivorian authorities. The management contract will take effect on 1 January 2013. In the meantime, the entire hotel will be brought up to Sofitel standards.
