Marriott International signed an agreement with SHRL-Benin SA to manage an upscale, 200-room, full-service Marriott Hotels & Resorts-branded hotel in Cotonou, Benin, that is scheduled to open in 2013. It will be the third Marriott International-branded property in sub-Saharan Africa.

Located on a prime beachfront site adjacent to Cotonou’s convention center, close to the Presidential Palace in the diplomatic and government quarter of the city and within a five-minute drive from the international airport and sea port, the Cotonou Marriott will provide recreational amenities including a private beach, outdoor swimming pool, a health and leisure club and tennis courts. Other features will include five restaurants from which guest can choose from a casual, all-day dining experience, a specialty restaurant, a pool grille, a sports bar serving light snacks and a lobby lounge that will be part of a versatile, multi-purpose space that will serve as a social center for guests and local residents.

Other amenities will include a state-of-the-art business center, 24-hour room service, in room mini bar and safe, retail space for sundries, wide-screen television, Internet services and airport shuttle transfers. A special lounge will be available for airline crews. For conferences and social events, the Cotonou Marriott will have 800 square meters of flexible function space consisting of a 400-square-meter ballroom that will be divisible into four sections and will feature natural light, a boardroom, and 360 meters of space consisting of a five individual, interconnecting rooms. For more information, visit www.marriott.com.