My colleagues and I stayed at the Hotel du Lac for 3 nights. The hotel is not the most modern in appearance but is very clean. The floors are spotless. The pool is huge and clean. (They strictly enforce a shower before entering rule.) There is hot water in the rooms and internet (with a cable). The restaurant sits on a lovely terrace overlooking the lake. What's not to like, right? Wrong.

First, this hotel is actually on the lake--literally. Out of my hotel window there were old flipflops, food wrappers, and canoes floating by. It's little strange to have fisherman floating by at eye level. This could be an interesting novelty if it weren't for the problem that this location causes. When the lake level is high, the plumbing backs up. So, during the night (mostly), I would hear very load noises in the bathroom. When I went in to check, I found my toilet shoot water all over the bathroom--even hitting the ceiling! Then there was the air conditioner. I'm not sure what happened, but one particularly wet night I came back to my room to find all the furniture soaked with water that either came from or entered through the air conditioner. I asked the hotel staff for towels. They obliged by bringing 3 or 4. However, when I woke up in the morning, virtually the whole room was covered in a pool of water. Fortunately I had moved all of my belongings to higher ground before going to bed.

One last note, both my colleague and I had our credit card numbers stolen while in Benin. This hotel was the last legitimate charge on our cards, and we did not use them anywhere else in the country. I hate to say it, but I would be careful.

Hotel du Lac is actually well located and it boasts of cordial service. It appears to be a great place to meet the locals cos of its air of friendliness! However, the meal options are so limited and non accommodative of foreign diners. The rooms are about good for the price.

We were booked into this hotel for two nights by our local agent at the last minute, so we did not know what to expect. The hotel, which looks quite modern, is by Lake Nokoue to the east of Cotonou. It has a good sized pool which appeared to be popular both with locals & expats. The hotel also seemed quite popular with pretty young Benin girls & their older, seedy European "partners."
We were first given room 19 which is on the ground floor, under the hotel terrace, looking out, through formidable iron bars, over the lake.The room is large, long & high, but narrow & gloomy. Its walls are beige pebbledash & we found it all rather unwelcoming.The noisy workmen in the corridor outside did not help. I asked at reception, therefore, if I could pay extra to upgrade our room but was told all rooms cost the same. We accepted a no charge move to room 207 in the main block. It was much smaller but had a balcony overlooking the pool & felt much cosier. It would probably be rated as 2* in the UK or USA but was perfectly adequate with effective A/C & an OK shower.(Looking at the hotel website on our return home I see that it does, in fact, have "12 luxurious studios & 4 suites.")
The hotel is Lebanese owned & the restaurant on the terrace overlooking the lake includes some mezze in its menu.On our first night the waiter was friendly & helpful (& I left a decent tip.) The next night we had a different waiter who was surly & slow & brought us completely the wrong order. When our mezze finally arrived he did not bring any plates to eat from & he ignored my request for some. My wife have travelled all over The Lebanon - they use plates!!!

I have been going to the hotel du lac twice a year for the past 5 years. I have taken teams of people with me and the hotel staff have always been very good. The service is very good. the rooms are basic but clean the room boys are trust worthy and up to date have never taken any thing.
The hotel over looks the lake, very close to the main city of cotonou. The trip on the lake to Ganvi is a must ,Joseph the boat man is a delight he gives you a guided tour and will take you into the shop at Ganvi and make sure you get what you want at the right price.
The Hotel is well run and they look after their guests very well.
Penny.