Village Ivoire

History During a 1960 visit to eastern neighbor Liberia, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, president of Côte d'Ivoire and mayor of Abidjan, was impressed with his accommodations at Monrovia's Ducor Palace Hotel. and a third batch of rooms was added to the main building in 1972, the final extension to the hotel itself. The Ivoire lost some of its luster as the country's economy slumped and political unrest intensified during the 1990s, leading to Inter-Continental's withdrawal in 2002. Gbagbo set up his personal surveillance unit —a detachment of the Israeli secret services— inside the hotel, when management was transferred to Ivorian-Lebanese developer Pierre Fakhoury for an extensive rebuild aimed at restoring its standing and attracting a new operator. In 2012, an agreement was signed with French multinational Accor to manage the hotel as part of its premium Sofitel brand. Most refurbishments were completed by 2015. and Ronaldinho. Hôtel Ivoire was the central location of the inaugural Rallye Côte d'Ivoire in 1969, hosting the pre-race draw, finish line and closing banquet. It remained one of the event's key locations in subsequent years. Amenities Rooms At its inception, the main building had 220 rooms. The tower's opening added a further 242 rooms. Restaurants The hotel proper —not counting the casino— has four restaurants. The best known is Le Toit d'Abidjan (English: 'The Top of Abidjan'), billed as "Abidjan's highest restaurant", which sits on the twenty-third floor of the hotel's tower. The renovated version is the first 3D projection theater in Côte d'Ivoire. Shopping gallery In addition to the trade center located east of the hotel , the main building has an eleven store shopping arcade. ==Other village facilities==

Lagoon pool A lagoon-style swimming pool that could once be navigated with motorized bumper boats. Casino '''L'Éléphant d’or''' (English: 'The Golden Elephant') casino was established by a December 1969 law. The same law attempted to prevent gambling-related risks by restricting access to gaming tables to foreign citizens (Ivorians could still play lower stake games like jackpot machines). Nonetheless, the casino was the village's last remaining moneymaker after the Civil War, only closing in 2008. It reopened in May 2017, now managed by Groupe Lucien Barrière. Barrière and the SPDC lobbied for the 1969 access restrictions to be repelled, which was granted in 2021. The building, shaped like a group of traditional African huts, Convention Center The Palais des Congrès Houphoüet-Boigny was added to the complex in 1973, and offered room for 1200 to 2100 guests depending on the configuration. mostly consisting of middle market shops. Envisioned to be completed as early as 2001, the project stalled before the terrain was sold for completion to Pierre Fakhoury in 2018. The SPDC attempted to block the sale, which it considered premature based on interest expressed by other investors, but was overruled by the Ivorian government, with whom Fakhoury has a long-standing relationship. Inaugurated in late 2021. It is slated to undergo a partial transformation to clay, which will make it the first international facility to receive the "Roland Garros" label, an infrastructure standard introduced by organizers of the French Tennis Open. Port Ivoire A private pier and helipad. ==Former facilities==

Nightclub During the village's heyday, a nightclub called Zippo was located on the premises. The bowling installation was not retained as part of Village Ivoire's renovation. Ice rink An ice rink opened in 1970, but fell into disrepair during the economic recession of the 1990s and was left off the village's renovation efforts. The building still stands, but is only used as a banquet hall. ==References==