Marcelo Beach Club

Marcelo is decent choice for those wishing to spend a few days on Togo's coast. I have mixed feelings about this area on the edge of Lome. The shoreline is either fancy hotels or slums and serious poverty. Reception staff were friendly and welcoming. My two floor suite felt luxurious to me, who doesn't normally stay in places like this. The wooden floor wasn't perfect. Sharp to stand on in places where it was uneven. Fixtures in the bathroom not that well maintained. Despite being seemingly nearly empty, they placed me in a suite which faced outwards, outside of the hotel grounds. I would have preferred to face inwards but once I was there, I couldn't be bothered to ask to move. The swimming pool is massive and was wonderful to have access to in the heat as it was. Would have been nice if they'd placed a few tables there too, instead of just sunbeds. The umbrellas weren't well maintained and were beginning to fall apart in places. The included breakfast in the restaurant was great. Very varied buffet, options to suit many tastes, good coffee. The rest of the food served in the restaurant certainly did not live up to the prices, which are astronomical for Togo. Unfortunately, any meal in this area is a battle between you and the flies. I found this very uncomfortable. A few flies are to be expected in a hot country, but this was like a plague. It was nowhere near this bad anywhere else I've visited Benin, Togo and Ghana. I can only guess that it is this way due to the squalid living conditions in the area around. One day I had a pizza and I was basically stuffing it into my mouth with one hand whilst constantly waving my hand over the remainder. All drinks have to be covered with coasters. The little cove they've created for swimming is a nice idea. The sewage (or whatever it was floating in the cove at hightide did not make it tempting to swim. So, if you want a hotel of reasonable quality in this area then you could do worse than Marcelo. But I would suggest that there are many better places for a beach holiday.

Really enjoyed our stay at Marcelo. The property was next to the water, but not sure if there are any ocean view rooms due to the layout. The space we had was on 2 floors with 2 bathrooms, a kitchenette and balcony. Very spacious. The bed was extremely comfortable, large bathroom on the 2nd floor, comfortable a/c and sitting area. We also appreciated all of the outlets to plug in devices. The only thing missing was an in room safe. Property was well maintained with a large pool and areas to sit by the water. The restaurant served a buffet breakfast where you could also order an omelet. Really enjoyed the live music they had on a few nights of our stay. What we also appreciated was the amazing staff from Leonce, Amy-Fa and Api-Fanny (restaurant manager). Very kind and always willing to help. Would recommend and would return.

Marcelo beach did one major thing that I did not like: the rooms were advertised as sea view when in fact they are not. I was always late for breakfast so perhaps that's why I was less than excited about their remaining offerings. The lunch and dinner food was also average. The redeeming factors for me were 1st their incredibly expansive, clean beach with interesting features such as the wave breaker. 2. The service was also lovely, the ladies especially Leonce, made me feel so at home. She spoke to gozem drivers, helped me arrange activities and items that I needed. I stayed in another hotel while in Lomé and while I loved the luxury there, I truly missed the home feel the service provided.