Hotel Président, Yamassoukro, Ivory Coast

Last night on the way to Abidjan from Séguela, our my colleagues and I stayed at the Hotel Président in Ivory Coast's capital, Yamoussoukro. It was awesome.

The hotel was built by the government of the Felix Houphouët-Boigny, the first president of the Ivory Coast in the 1970s, presumably to cater to politicians and diplomats. When you walk through its front doors it feels as though you are stepping back in time. Everything is perfectly preserved. Eero Saarinen tables abound, as do those spectacular dome vanity lights.  The bathrooms are lined with orange and brown tiles and have Lucite cigarette holders next to the bidets.