By Samson Echenim
Here’s not talking about a tourist developing symptoms of fever and having that buzz sound within his head. No, far from that! A tourist should enjoy utmost relaxation, having access to a city’s best places, its culture, arts, markets, music, rhythm and everything that makes the city’s heart beat. That is why we are taking some good time out to drop what we think will be a useful hint for tourists visiting Lagos and trying to make a choice between two Radisson hotels that found themselves right on same street inside Lagos’s capital city serene reservation neighbourhood.
A fair number of Lagosians themselves will admit that they have once hit the wrong hotel between the two when they have businesses doing in any of the two hotels.
The difference begins with knowing the hotels’ names and knowing them well. A little bit of the hotels’ history can be a great guide too.
On Isaac John Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos lie the Radisson Blu Hotel and Radisson Hotel. This guide, in addition to helping you hit your target home away, is intended to help you take some x-rays from a distance.
The hotels were not originally Radisson. Radisson Hotel began operation 12 years ago as Protea Hotel and ran with that name until about a year ago, when there was a change in ownership or franchise, while Radisson Blu, a much taller property, is a new hotel that opened as Renaissance Hotel before getting into the Radisson Blu chain. business a.m. can confirm that the two hotels share same ownership, Avalon Intercontinental Nigeria Limited.
Making your choice won’t be cheap, but if you are the bird type that wants to perch on the tallest tree with everything else below you, then you need a deluxe suite at the Blu and that is the only way you can easily make a choice.
Centrally located in Ikeja’s Government Reservation Area (GRA), both hotels offer a quiet oasis within easy reach of Nigeria’s largest city. As Lagos state’s capital city, Ikeja is a bustling commercial hub filled with government offices and corporations and just about eight kilometers away from Murtala Mohammed International Airport. You can visit the Kalakuta Museum to have a feel of Lagos club night, Ikeja City Mall for all your shopping needs, Lagos tech market, Computer Village, which is adjudged West Africa’s busiest info tech market. The Ikeja Golf Club is within a walking distance and several exotic bars scattered around the GRA are waiting to spoil you, just in case you get bored drinking from your hotel.
Radisson Blu
The taller hotel features an outdoor swimming pool, garden, a fitness centre and bar. It boasts first class conveniences to ensure the comfortability and productivity of leisure and business guests. The beauty of its huge structure complements the hugely detailed decorations and designs of the rooms and relaxation centres.
It has 155 rooms including 17 contemporary loft suites with exquisite amenities such as air-conditioning units, alarm clock, crib/play yard, electrical adapters, individual climate control, iron/ironing board, coffee making facility, rollaway bed, flat screen TV with satellite reception and an en-suite bathroom with a bathrobe, hairdryer, separate tub and shower. Some of these rooms have a sauna in the en-suite bathroom. These rooms are categorised into King Room, Superior Room and Suite.
Guests have free access to the outdoor swimming pool which has a view of the city and also the fully equipped gym to engage in workout sessions. Guests can also satisfy their cravings at the steakhouse or the all-day dining restaurant, sweetly named, Iyeru Okin, which serves a variety of local and continental delicacies.
Guests at the accommodation can enjoy a continental breakfast. This property also has one of the best-rated locations in Ikeja. Guests are happier about it compared to other properties in the area.
Radisson Blu Hotel Lagos also has a dedicated bar which is stocked with different kinds of exotic alcoholic and non-alcoholic wines and drink. All public areas of the hotel are non-smoking areas and are equipped with free Wi-Fi. Free self-parking, on-site and off-site, is also available on the hotel premises. Radisson Blu features eight meeting rooms to accommodate various social and business meetings.
The hotel also offers additional services such as concierge, foreign exchange, daily housekeeping, laundry/dry cleaning, shoeshine and airport shuttle. With terms and conditions, check in time is from 3pm, while check out time is pinned at 11am. Guests can pay at check-in with cash, visa and master cards. Pets are allowed on request. Rooms’ classification is from standard to deluxe suites.
Radisson Hotel
Radison Hotel, Ikeja the former Protea Hotel, is an elegant 4-Star hotel. It is the place to be for excellent customer service and a wonderful shopping experience. It is arranged over three floors, making it a visible structure around its surroundings.
Radisson Ikeja features 92 rooms that are exquisitely fitted with LCD TVs, high-speed internet connection, air conditioners, comfortable beds and sofas, en-suite bathrooms, minibars, worktables and chairs, refrigerators, in-room safes, and coffee making facilities. The rooms are classified into: Standard Room, Deluxe, Junior Suite, Presidential Suite and Executive Suite.
The hotel offers a variety of local, African, and continental dishes which are served at the restaurant, as well as a bar that houses an array of assorted alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. There is a common area where guests can have coffee or tea as well as a buffet service. It owns an outdoor pool where guests can relax with cocktails ordered from the poolside bar. Guests can also undergo fitness exercises at the fully equipped gymnasium, and get a nerve calming massage at the body spa. Four flexible event facilities with complimentary Wi-Fi are available for guests depending on the occasion, whether it is a business or a social gathering.
There are a number of special services available on request for guests. These services include: Free childcare and babysitting (free cribs and rollaway) for guests with kids, a 24-hour health club, airport shuffle, tour and ticket assistance, free onsite parking facilities, a 24/7 business centre, car hire, laundry, and dry-cleaning services. The front desk is accessible to guests on a round-the-clock basis.
A wide variety of continental and local dishes are served at the onsite restaurant. Onsite parking is free for guests only. Pets are not allowed at Radisson Hotel.
It has an hour earlier check-in time of 2pm and check-out is by 11am. Guests have no problems moving around as there are shuttle cars. So, which of the Lagos mainland Radissons catches your fancy?
