The Hôtel Yatcheinin is in Cocody, a central and affluent suburb of the Côte d’Ivoire’s capital, Abidjan. On arrival, there was a lot of ongoing renovation on the street and outside the hotel, and our guide had to phone the hotel for instructions on how to pass a road block.
Check in was straightforward and we were soon up a flight of steps (help was provided with our bags) to room 107, one of only 15. It was sleek and modern with a huge, but hard, king size bed with two pillows each. Despite the heat, it was not the first Ivorian hotel to provide a thick duvet but no sheet, and again, we had to leave the air conditioning on overnight. There were bedside tables, lights and charging points, a wardrobe, tea and coffee making facilities for one person (another Ivorian quirk), water, a TV, long shelf, desk and chair.
The large bathroom had a shower with water which took a long time to get hot, and although it had a huge shower head, we could only get the water to come from a jet in the middle. As it was a wet room by design, the loo got soaked and had to be mopped down.
Our room overlooked the small outdoor swimming pool, with four sun loungers in the shallow water, and there was a small gym next door to our room.
We enjoyed a chilled beer sat by the pool, and then as the two girls on the bar spoke only French, we took advantage of a helpful young man at the bar who spoke good English, and preordered dinner and asked for a bottle of white wine to be chilled.
We went down for an aperitif, and in the absence of a G&T, my husband showed one of the bemused young girls, how to make a vodka and Fanta. We had ordered gambas sauté a ail (garlic prawns) and gambas au pesto (prawns with pesto). The huge, shelled prawns made a tasty and light dinner when served with attiéké (an Ivorian dish made from fermented, grated cassava) and four sauces including a deliciously spicy one. Ice cream was unavailable, and so I settled for an exceptional chocolate mousse which was small, firm and slightly minty. We also enjoyed our wine, served professionally with an ice bucket, in peace and tranquility as there was only one other diner.
Before going to bed, we were presented with a paper breakfast menu in French and asked to order. Although we could have got by, the young girl insisted on getting one printed in English. We ordered juice, fruit, yoghurt, omelette and tea. In the morning we were a little surprised to find a buffet, with a single cheese omelette being served to table which we shared, and just as we had finished, a jambon omelette arrived. Whilst the ordered fruit didn’t appear, there were three pots of very chilled vanilla yoghurt on the table – pure nectar as the first, and only, yoghurt on a month-long trip.
This was a fleeting stay, but it proved to be one of the better hotels on our tour.
