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Wednesday, October 18, 2017

INTERCONTINENTAL WHAT? WE EXPECTED FAR MUCH MORE!

Intercontinental Hotel Victoria Island

Lobby & Reception Area

Just at the weekend we were invited for a meeting at this humongous and intimidating hotel which we believe would have been a self rated 4 or 5 stars hotel, but by our experience is more of a 2 Stars rated hotel. 
The name "Intercontinental" normally evokes in the mind a top standard internationally acclaimed hotel chain brand, known for providing near first class experience for their guests and visitors. So everything about them is supposed to be top notch, be it the structure, the ambience, the staff members, the food, interaction and what have you. 

Many of the markers noted above are some of the things you enjoy as you come into the Intercontinental Hotel Victoria Island Lagos, except some little which counts a lot for an international standard hotel. 

As we entered the front part of the imposing hotel, it was littered with monster cars, we counted at least 2 Ferraris, one an intimidating Tomato Red Ferrari and the 2nd just next to the door, a white 2017 Ferrari Spider 488, amongst several other imposing cars the Range Rovers etc. 

Next was the awesome looking lobby, where first you have to go through the security check, those here were nice and courteous and welcomes you well. Right across in front is the reception area, staffs were obviously well trained and know their onions, a slight left deviation sees you facing the restaurant area, which is also well packaged and presented, their food is good if we may add and not far from the restaurant is where the elevators are leading upstairs to the upper echelon of the hotel. Directly opposite the elevators is the imposing stairs leading to the immediate upper floor area of the hotel, all of these areas were well managed, the staff members you encounter were all cool and willing to help. 

If we are totally correct, the standard all over the world is that the higher you go in an hotel, by that we mean, the higher the floor of the rooms or suites of an hotel, the more exclusive the rooms or suites would be! 

So our meeting was on the topmost floor, at one of the suites there, specifically room 2317 on the top floor of the "Intercontinental Hotel Victoria Island Lagos". 

We were expecting to be ushered into a lush and super well appointed suite of 5 star class, that would 'trip' us and make us dream like we were somewhere else. A room with a view to die for and more. But we were totally and thoroughly and completely disappointed! It was very bland and just there and right in front of us, not too far from the door, just above our head was a leakage? Water was dripping from something, somewhere above us! And it was slippery! And opportunity for accident and for one to claim good damages! You could even see some cracks on the ceilings too! 

We would have thought and expected that you don't give out a room that has problem(s) or issues to your guests, no matter what! People's experience of what you offer and your services are what you would be judged by and that experience they would relate to others! 

Imagine that we were "Hotel Critics" or even "Star ratings award panel" or even some form of investigators? That experience alone in a supposed suite was already a major disappointment and downer! 

So imagine now our shock again, when complaints was made and the staff just brought about 2 large bedsheets to lay on the floor, just to soak the water!!!

So Intercontinental Hotel Victoria Island Lagos, it's not just about the facade alone, it's also about the underbelly. For your kind of brand, everything counts, reason being that just the name of your brand alone, brings people to you. 

So your score is above average, but you could have done far better. Or is it that we expected far too much???

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

After looting public funds, sending common peasants to early grave! What do you expect? You do not build with tears of the poor and expect solid foundation!

Anonymous said...

Gbamest!

Fan said...

A bad maintenance culture. I’ve said it time and time again that there are no 5 star hotels in Nigeria. Maybe for the Nigerian standard, it’s 5 star but on a world rating there are no 5 star hotels. What happened here can’t even happen in a 2 star hotel in Cyprus, Malta or Turkey.

The meeting conveners should have asked for another room. That’s a health and safety issue, among which is dampness; bad for breathing.