UAE's Cove Beach to open a new resort in West Africa's Benin

The brand's first international outpost will be a full-service hotel, which will come with its own beach club

Cove Beach Hotel and Resort in Cotonou will be the brand's first full-service hospitality offering. Courtesy Cove Beach

Home-grown UAE brand Cove Beach is setting up its first international outpost, with a new resort in Benin, Africa.

Cove Beach Hotel and Resort in Cotonou, located on the Gulf of Guinea on the West African coast, will be its first full-service hospitality offering, following the recent opening of the beach club's second venue at Makers District in Abu Dhabi.

The new five-storey hotel is scheduled to open in 2022 and will be managed by Dubai company Livit Hospitality Management. It will be home to bungalows and three-bedroom private villas, as well as a beach club and nightclub. A bar, business lounge, tea room, Japanese restaurant and steakhouse are also in development.

The beach club will house an al fresco restaurant and lounge, plus two pools, the nightclub, a gym, retail space, barber shop, hair salon, spa and ballroom with capacity for up to 700 people.

“In launching Cove Beach Benin, we set out to bring Dubai’s exuberance to residents and visitors of Cotonou, delicately balancing the very best in excitement and relaxation to elevate the city’s hospitality offering and put it on the map as a must-visit destination in West Africa,” said Charlie Weaving, managing partner at Livit.

"It not only marks a significant milestone as Cove Beach's first permanent international venue, but it is also the brand's first venue into a 360-degree, full-service hospitality offering."

Benin is a French-speaking West African nation that shares borders with Niger, Nigeria, Togo and Burkina Faso. It has a rich and vibrant history and culture, home to protected wildlife, beautiful beaches and a range of tourist attractions, including Se's artisan market, Ganvie stilt village and myriad museums.

The construction of the new resort is already under way, according to a statement, and a line-up of other resorts and beach clubs from the brand to open across Africa and Asia are also set to be announced.

"We have no doubt that the all-new destination will be a drawcard for many, particularly for those only a short direct flight away from Europe and surrounding countries,” says Weaving.

“Conveniently located just an hour and a half from [Nigeria's] capital Lagos, Cotonou, with its coastal beauty and safe environment, has already become the party and entertainment hub for Nigeria’s elite crowd.

“In a country that set out to increase its tourism GDP to 10 per cent by 2027, Covid has undoubtedly slowed down plans to develop the tourism industry; however, the opening of the new resort demonstrates confidence in the sector and the brand’s commitment to supporting Benin’s tourism plans. We’re hoping to alleviate the impact on the nascent industry by bringing fresh concepts and offering training and employment opportunities, stimulating intrigue and growth in the sector.”

It's not the first time Cove Beach, which first opened in Dubai in 2015, has ventured abroad. In 2019, the brand took over the Venus Pool + Lounge at Caesars Palace's Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis in Las Vegas for the summer.

In the UAE, the flagship beach club moved from Jumeirah Beach Hotel to Caesars Palace Dubai in 2018, where it is now located. There’s also a new branch that opened late last year at the capital’s Al Reem Island, in the Makers District.