Lagos Hotel - Which one/recommend

[leelea]

Hi, can anyone advise the best hotel for crews to stay whilst in Lagos?

We have crew there for 3 nights.

Many Thanks

[Klogic]

Sheraton Hotel Ikeja or Protea Hotel Ikeja are good places with adequate security and close to the airport.

[unstable load]

Ditto the above. I've not stayed at the Protea, but the Sheraton is/was great in '05.
You need a good pacemaker though if I recall as they charge like wounded buffaloes.

[leelea]

Thanks everyone, Sheraton it is then. Can't believe the price though!!! could have a week on that back here!!!!

thanks again.

[Rani]

Tell me about it. When considering the poor facilities, I think Nigerian hotels are among the most expensive in the world. Granted, it's expensive to run a generator. But when you realize how few international-class hotels there are in Lagos at the moment, it's no wonder Sheraton, Protea and the rest of them are colluding...

[Need to Know Basis]

You obviously have never stayed in Juba. Its like a Youth Hostel but worst and all for $200 per night.

Sheraton is best for LOS. Pricey but at least its a fun place.

[Hussar 54]

Our guys speak quite highly of the Federal Palace which is downtown Lagos....According to them ( they're here for 2 /3 weeks at a time, it's good security, choice of restaurants nearby, spotlessly clean and on the waterfront, so not the same claustraphobic feeleing as up at the Sheraton

[Koll]

They don't give Starwood points in the Sheraton in Lagos!! But it's close to the airport and secure.

[arf1410]

I'm sure someone else (or the website) can confirm, but I believe they started giving starwood points (again) a few months ago. They gave them for a couple years around 1999-2000ish, but then stopped. When I spoke with the GM (european) back then, he said he could not convince the local nigerian ownership to spend the roughly $400,000 USD per year to provide starwood points, when the hotel is (or at least was) full 350 nights a year. Interestingly enough, you have always had the option to spend your starwood points on a free night there.

Though expensive (spent over $100 on a dinner at the "surf and turf" BBQ night by the pool), I've always found the food at all the restaurants within quite good, though they did fire the swiss chef last year. Some advice he learned a bit late - don't drink too much then start saying racially inappropriate things in a Nigerian bar. It won't do good things for your employment - or health!

[superspotter]

When you are at the Sheraton, you MUST try the Nigerian Pepper soup:ok::ok:

If you are fed up of living that is:uhoh::uhoh:

The bowl looked like a car crash:sad:

[unstable load]

Tastiest car crash I've seen in a while though.:} Put the bogroll in the freezer though, you will need it tomorrow.:eek:

[answer=42]

I stayed at the Federal Palace hotel some years ago and found it safe, which is of course the main thing. The room was also clean.

The food was not good. I ate in the Nigerian restaurant on the principle that the more clients there are, the fresher the food is likely to be.

Contrary to Hussar 54, I didn't find any close restaurants. One night my driver took me to a restaurant via the beach road; I asked him to turn around when I realised there were suddenly no other cars around.

Check your hotel bill before paying.

I think things change fast in Lagos. All this might be out of date.

[unstable load]

I think things change fast in Lagos. All this might be out of date.


Almost certainly!

[Rani]

The Federal Palace has since received a MAJOR facelift and is being run by a South African company (Sun International).

The renovations are quite impressive, and the rates equally astonishing (500 USD for a standard room).

Very soon a new SAS Radisson will open in Victoria Island...

[surely not]

How many crew are you looking to get rooms for? Is it a wide body pax a/c with oodles of cabin crew, or a smaller freighter crew?

There are a couple of 'Boutique' hotels on VI that can look after smaller numbers. Only drawback with VI is the probable need for MOPOL if travelling in evening or night time.

I didn't rate the Sheraton food when I was there in 2005, but there is a Chinese restaurant just next door which is good, and Londoners in Ikeja GRA which is close by.

[arf1410]

Chinese food next to sheraton is very good, but also one of most expensive chinese restaurants I have eaten at. My understanding is they have a two tiered pricing system - lower prices for locals, and the "public" menu prices for white guys...

The Sheraton is unusual in that about 50% of the rooms are permanently reserved for flight crews, and that the crew rates are actually MORE expensive than what the general public pays. The hotel knows it is a captive market. Things may be changing a bit now, but historically all the flight crews stayed there, except Air France which stayed at the Le Meridien in city center. By the early 2000s, the guest room conditions were so bad (same carpets and bedspreads as original construction in 1984), that some of the flight crews were threatening to leave and go into private compounds, that caused the hotel to finally refurbish the rooms. The hotel's own GM referred to the rooms as a "dump" in about 2000.

Bottom line, unless some of those new hotels under construction in Ikeja are now open, and of high quality to provide real competition, I wouldn't expect the Sheraton to offer much of a crew discount for even A380 sized crews!

[fliion]

I regularly stay at the Sheraton and it is full of intl crews. The prices are still exhorbitant but the food is decent. The Chinese next door is still doing brisk business but there are some good spots downtown also.

If you go down to V.I., make sure you have security with you unless you are black. You are an immediate target of opportunity if you are white. If I leave the hotel its with a couple off duty 'mobiles'. Their rates are not that bad if you are with a group.

When we travel to the airport in uniform we are escorted with alt least four guards two of whom have AK's.

Good luck and in Africa - dont forget to bring your sense of humour.

f.

[unstable load]

arf1410,


My understanding is they have a two tiered pricing system - lower prices for locals, and the "public" menu prices for white guys...



That is not limited to Nigeria. I have worked in a few countries in Africa, SOuth America and South East Asia and that is the way it is.

[Bob Upndown]

I had a permanent room at the Ikeja Sheraton for about two years 2002-4. I was gutted when I discovered they didn't do Starwood points at the hotel :{

My vote would be stay away from VI if you can. The traffic is a disaster and just getting from the airport to VI can take 4 hours depending on time of day or if it's raining.

If you go to the Sheraton, you must go to a) Goodies and b) the nightclub - you'll be beating the local ladies off with a stick!!;) Happy days!!!

[bman0429]

Try the EKO suites. They've just renovated many off the rooms and they have good internet and few power outages than the Sheraton.

[K.Whyjelly]

but there is a Chinese restaurant just next door which is good, and Londoners in Ikeja GRA which is close by.

Isn't this the Chinese restaurant in which a UK crew were held up in and robbed a few years back (or is that another urban myth that gets told to spook first timers in LOS?)

Goody's bar is always full of crew.....BA KLM VS to name but a few, and a good night can be had. Careful with those BIGGGGG bottles of Star Beer, the nightfighters start to look more appealing the more you drink (or so I'm told!!!!!)

[Wangja]

I am SLF, but I remember some happy evenings 30 years ago in the Ikeja "Lagps Airport Hotel" with the BCal crews. Now they were fun people ....

But the hotel, then probably the only option, was a tip.

[leelea]

I've been advised a good time was had by all!!:ok:
Sheraton was fine/ok.
Like you said many crews were there and they enjoyed themselves. That's all i got?

Thanks for all your help.

[yambat]

Several years ago with DHL used to stay at Eko Meridien on Victoria island, crews there 24/7, was good fun, chinese restaurant nearby (walking distance), lekker parties for regulars once a week, a good gym and pool to try and negate the effects of too many Star's!! But, travel to and from airport could be ****e, especially in the rain, 4hours one way not uncommon. Lately with my other crowd, stayed at Sheraton, very much okay, Goodies very lekker, but check in a nighmare
Yambat

[nuclear weapon]

For quality I woiuld suggest you try protea i dont know what the rates are though not too far from sheraton.

[Leezyjet]

Isn't this the Chinese restaurant in which a UK crew were held up in and robbed a few years back (or is that another urban myth that gets told to spook first timers in LOS?)

Nope, 'tis true. They were unlucky enough to be walking in as the armed robbers were walking out !!. 2 mins later and they would have missed each other !!.

:eek:

[Hussar 54]

The restaurants our guys use are all on VI - obviously you don't walk there, you're driven, as you have to be everywhere in ' The Centre of Excellence '....

They are the Marco Polo ( Chinese ), the one we still call Bottles but has now changed its name and today none of us can think what its new name is ( TexMex ) and the two restauarants at the EKO which are much, much better than at the Federal Palace...

And if you can get an invite or a member to accompany you, the Royal Lagos Yacht Club is usually quite excellent....

All these are ( most times, but not always ) less than 5 minutes drive from the hotel....

[yanafrica]

there is a good place i can't recall the name but just next door to DHL office 25min from airport (in rain and heavy traffic)
own by a nigerian run by a french dude (cedric)
very good food ,safe ,far from the city ,close from airport
few rooms but an annexe with extra rooms across the street
very good for our african (white&black) aviator .nothing to do with Ikeja or sheraton but at least you don't spend 3hrs in traffic
enjoy