There is a beautiful offering in town. It is an offering so new and enticing that both business and leisure travelers cannot afford to ignore.
The stylish Lilygate Hotel has finally arrived. Its arrival has further decorated Lekki Phase 1 environ with value for money hospitality offering for guests who appreciate quality, serenity and relaxation without necessarily watching their back.
On offer in the hotel are; 74 rooms and suites, a restaurant, lounge-bar, swimming pool and gym. It also parades world-class facilities that aid global connectivity for guests and fast tracking of business or official work from the comfort of the bedroom.
Propelled by the need to close the gap in the lack of quality service and facility delivery in the Nigerian hospitality industry, starting with Lekki Lagos, the owners of the hotel have engaged Redefine BDL, a UK-based professional hotel management company to deliver on this mandate.
With commitment to providing an array of unique services, world-class facilities, and well-motivated and professional staff, the hotel is set to offer guests something truly different.
Its highbrow location is amazing. But despite the location, The Lillygate is opening to guests who value quality at competitive price. Yet, a special treat, tight security and return visits are going to be commonplace at the hotel because of the professionalism the Redefine BDL led team is bringing to table.
Of course, the ever-smiling Ronald Stilting is handy. He is almost everywhere, making sure guests are happy, and wooing them for return visits. Yet, it takes close observation to discover that Stilting is the general manager of the hotel.
While in Nigeria, the general manager who comes with over 30 years experience in hotel management is home in Africa.
“It is our clear mission to amaze our guests with a really special ambiance and excellent services. We have chosen only the best materials, equipment and staff without any short-cuts as seen in many other hotels. No compromises means that guest will get the best in our rooms, restaurant, bars, gym, banquet and conference facilities”, Stilting says.
Besides having a strong tie with and passion for Africa, he has also developed a special philosophy on how to achieve good service which benefits both guests, staff and also the owners. The general manager started by going through an extensive recruitment procedure to find the right people with strong focus on mentality and communication skills. “Subsequently we have started a comprehensive training programme with technical training but a strong focus on soft-skills, such as communication, team-building and problem-solving. We have to overcome cultural barriers and habits since the business and service industry have their roots in a different cultural background. Many colleagues and hotel owners may call me crazy but, despite taking a risk, training and empowering people, as well as, to make them understand how to deliver service is the only way to establish a truly good service. But it will only be sustainable through continuous training and on-the-job coaching on all levels”, Stilting says.
However, The Lillygate is not just opening, but setting pace in the industry with some innovations. “We are also very proud that we will be the first hotel in Nigeria that will have Samsung Smart Hotel TV’s. Our guests can stream their own music and videos on the TV’s or use the TV’s to go online; thus we are meeting the needs of the modern business traveler″, he explains.
Explaining further on the rationale for the Samsung Smart Hotel TV, the general manager says today’s international business travelers want to be connected with the world to work and also want to stay in touch with their family and friends and relax after work. “Apart from offering free WiFi throughout the hotel and over 20 international TV-channels we wanted to take guests’ entertainment to the next level. Samsun Smart TV’s do not only give our guests the opportunity to go on the internet and watch clips on a 42-inch TV-screen, guests can also stream their own media; movies or music from laptop, smartphone or tablet to the TV. It takes a few seconds, is really easy and works on Android, Windows and Apple platform.”
However, credit goes to Julius Ama Orji, the owner, for his amazing, uncompromising vision and insistence on professionalism, especially in the choice of management of the hotel. “In many cases the job of operating a hotel is highly underestimated and inexperienced entrepreneurs open hotels without proper knowledge, which soon reflects in the quality of services”, he notes.
With the already support of a willing owner, the general manager insists that with his team of professionals, The Lilygate will show that with the right know-how and attitude non-branded hotels can also be successful in the Nigerian market and worldwide as long as the operator and owner have a true and long-term commitment to create the best possible product.
The general manager beckons on you to pay a visit today to experience the difference.
OBINNA EMELIKE
