Stay Report: ibis Lagos Ikeja (Nigeria - April 2018)

Stay Report: ibis Lagos Ikeja
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I had an overnight layover in Lagos, Nigeria as I was connecting from my international to domestic flight.  My international flight arrived at 10p while my domestic flight was the next day at 11am, and sleeping at the airport was not an option so I looked for a hotel.  The closest Western-brand hotel to the airport is the ibis and a lot of passengers use the hotel as a transit hotel.  Ibis hotels are a part of Accorhotels and they are a mid to lower-priced brand.  The hotels generally provide basic amenities including a decent room, fast wifi, a restaurant (with complimentary breakfast, depending on which rate you book), and sometimes a gym and/or pool.  There are two ibis’ in Lagos – ibis Lagos Airport and ibis Lagos Ikeja.  I have usually stayed at the ibis Lagos Airport but switched to the ibis Ikeja for one reason; complimentary airport shuttle.  The ibis Lagos does not provide complimentary shuttle but rather arranges one for a fee; on the other hand, the ibis Ikeja does offer complimentary airport shuttle to both domestic and international.  While there is a price difference between the two hotels, with the ibis Ikeja being a bit higher, the comfort of knowing the shuttle is available is well worth the price difference for me.

It was very easy to book the hotel through the Accorhotels website or phone app.  After I had booked my stay, I contacted the hotel to book the airport shuttle.  The hotel got back to me quickly confirming that the shuttle was available and complimentary, and even provided me with the driver’s contact number (the only strange thing was that even though I had provided my flight details, the hotel kept sending emails inquiring about my flight details.)  I had booked the airport shuttle for 10p but due to flight delays I landed later than expected.  I called the driver’s number as soon as I landed and again at baggage claim, but there was a small delay due to shift change (I was the last pickup for the previous driver, but due to delays I got shifted to the next driver).  It was only a small delay and I was able to keep in contact with the driver, who eventually came and transported me to the hotel.

From the outside, the hotel does not have a lot of curb appeal.  The entrance to the hotel is very small and mostly filled with the parking lot, so not great picture from the outside.  The hotel is shaped like an L, with the front desk and entrance in the small part and the rooms in the long part.  As you enter into the lobby, the check-in desks are right in front of you while to the left are the elevators and to the right is the bar and restaurant.  Luggage carts were available in the door to help transport your luggage and right next to the door, on the left side, was a small waiting area plus the ‘business center’ which are two computers connected to the internet.  There is also another small waiting area in between the check-in desks and the bar, and this is where complimentary sheets are provided with the daily news.  The overall look of the hotel was updated and modern, and check-in was efficient so I quickly received my key and took the elevator up to my room. 

As I said, the hotel is shaped like a L with the rooms on the long part, so as you exit the elevator you go down a long corridor to access your room.  As I opened the door, I realized it was a standard ibis room – basic and compact (although it did have some room to maneuver).  As you opened the door, there was a wall on the left and a little entryway that led into the room.  As you go into the room, on the left was the door to the tiny bathroom.  The bathroom contained a shower, a toilet and a sink but it was compact and tiny – there was not a lot of room to move (also, ibis provides minimal amenities; this hotel only provided soap, shampoo, lotion and a towel).

The bed was in the middle of the room and on either side of the bed were small night stands.  The bed itself was a decent in both size and comfort.  The bed had a nice douvet and was generally comfortable; again not a great sleep but a decent sleep.  In front of the bed was the TV nook which had a TV on top and ibis menu and tv guide on the bottom.  Next to that was some space and then there was the open closet.  Ibis has open closets which basically amount to a line of shelves connected to an open area where you can hang your clothes.  It was a small space but decent enough to house your clothes.  The closet was connected to the desk which ran along the wall and looked out onto the window to the city.  At the end of the desk, underneath, was a sitting bench with plugs on the wall.  At the end of the desk was also where the small coffee pot and tea pot was located.  Overall, it was a small and compact room with a decent size bed that provided a comfortable night sleep.

The best amenity ibis provides is the free and fast wifi.  Their wifi speeds are very good and they generally do not limit the number of devices that can be logged on.  In addition to the wifi, other amenities included a restaurant that provided complimentary breakfast (based on which rate you booked) as well as lunch and dinner; a fitness center; and a pool.  My rate included complimentary breakfast so I did try that – there was a decent selection of fruit as well as hot items so it was a good and decent meal.  The breakfast area overlooked the pool and garden so it was a nice and tranquil setting for the breakfast.

Overall, it was a decent stay at the ibis Ikeja.  The rooms were decent, if not small, but they provided a nice and comfortable sleep.  The wifi was free and fast and the complimentary breakfast, if applicable, was decent.  Having stayed at both, there really was not much difference between the two ibis’s in Lagos except for the following: 1) ibis Ikeja provides complimentary airport shuttle; 2) the overlook at the ibis Ikeja seems more updated; and 3) the service at the ibis Ikeja was faster.  While those differences are small, for me they are enough for me to choose the ibis Lagos Ikeja in the future for my stays over the ibis Lagos Airport.