The Best Hotels to Book in Benin City, Nigeria

When the South African Protea Hotels group opened this luxury hotel near Edo State’s governmental headquarters, it turned hospitality industry heads, and the 87-room property remains a popular landmark for Benin City motorists. While staying in the executive suite or one of the guest rooms – decked in classic creams and browns with polished wooden floors – you can be confident that this is the state capital’s finest accommodation. Whether at the stylish lobby bar, on-site international restaurant, outdoor pool or fitness centre, you’ll rub shoulders with a well-heeled crowd of Nigerian businessmen, politicians and international aid workers.

Beneath its pyramid roofs, PoshLux Hotel offers a great balance of Nigerian character and comfortable accommodation. Try traditional local dishes such as spicy jollof rice, goat meat and cow leg in the bar-restaurant, which also serves pizza and sandwiches. There’s a pool and a bar for unwinding after a hot day in Benin City, while the air-conditioned rooms and suites feature a cream-and-brown colour scheme and amenities including satellite TV and coffee machines. It’s in the hotel area south of Benin Airport, with ripe opportunities to mingle in nearby restaurants and bars.

The Mesorein is located in the affluent district of local government offices south of the airport, but it’s the friendly staff who really distinguish it from other hotels in Benin City. Whether they’re welcoming you to the lobby or serving you a cooked breakfast of yam and egg, the staff exemplify the hospitality for which Nigeria is famous. The spacious, wood-panelled bedrooms compare favourably with others in the area, while the bar and TV room are relaxing spaces for unwinding between trips into town.

There’s a youthful energy to this white-painted hotel among the palms on Ihama Road, the thoroughfare between Benin Airport and the A2 highway. You might see a Nigerian Instagram star showing off their box-fresh trainers on the pool terrace or posing on their room balcony. The bar, with its pool table and cool black palette accented with cheerful colours, only adds to the sense that this is a place to play as well as rest. The ensuite rooms have also been furnished to appeal to Nigerian millennials, with impressive tufted bedheads and black-and-white-tiled bathrooms.

While most hotels in Benin City are located around the airport, Govic-T offers a unique experience of the Edo State capital on the northwest side of town, where urban streets meet the Nigerian bush. The hotel is right on thoroughfare Siluko Road, providing easy access to the city centre while maintaining a rural feel, with smallholdings surrounding neighbourhood homes. The two-storey building is backed by lush greenery and brings plenty of amenities to its rustic setting, including air-conditioned rooms with TVs and zingy bedspreads.

This three-star hotel offers services for your every travel need, including a shuttle from the nearby airport, free parking and a restaurant serving international cuisine. In the double rooms, decorative frills are jettisoned in favour of essentials such as air conditioning, TVs and ensuite bathrooms, creating well-equipped launchpads for budget and mid-range travellers exploring Benin City. You can also rely on laundry, dry cleaning and luggage storage facilities, making Iyore a practical base.

This sprawling property distinguishes itself from the many hotels in Benin City through its spacious grounds, where you can go jogging in the morning before plunging into the swimming pool. The lawn is a great place to relax on a warm evening, scattered with garden furniture and gazebos between towering palms. At opposite ends of this green expanse are the restaurant, styled like a traditional Nigerian thatched hut, and the main building, where you’ll enjoy ample space in guest rooms with pastel-coloured walls and polished wooden headboards. Alternatively, try the presidential suite or three-bedroom executive apartment – the latter has an interesting lime-green-and-crimson colour scheme.