We keep afloat by reacting positively to guests’ expectations- Noel

In January 2018, the Nigerian hospitality market welcomed Radisson Blu Hotel Ikeja, Lagos, a new entrant, whose entry boosted the hospitality market with quality offerings.

As at then, the hotel opening increased the Nigerian portfolio of Radisson Hotel Group, a global hotel chain, to three properties, with two in Lagos and one at Abeokuta.

As expected, the management of the new hotel gave strong assurances on quality service, world class facilities, maintenance and innovative deliveries.

About four years later, Christophe Noel, the general manager of the hotel, is excited that those assurances made were kept, in most cases, the guests’ expectations were surpassed.

“We have reacted positively to our guest expectations”, the general manager said in a recent interview.

He noted that with the commitment of his team of culinary experts, sustained support by the management and owners of the hotel, Radisson Blu Hotel Ikeja, Lagos, has been notable for its premium offerings in the hospitality business in Nigeria.

But the reason for visiting the hotel abounds, especially because of its world class facilities and offerings. Reeling out the offerings, the general manager said, “Ours is a contemporary hotel situated in the heart of Lagos mainland with world class amenities suitable for every guest including proximity to the local and international airports.

“We have 155 rooms and they are over 45 square meters. So, it is up to the normal standard for a five-star hotel. Other amenities include: Iyeru Okin, our well-known all-day dining restaurant; Choco-Latte, our in-house coffee lounge; Cut Specialty Steakhouse; our fine dining restaurant; Amani Spa, a relaxation spa; the R Bar for after work hours and weekend hangouts, a well-equipped fitness centre; an outdoor pool area and unbeatable meeting and event facilities”.

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The hotel also has an array of cuisines starting from African specialties to continental cuisines. Its selling point is the impeccable service offerings that leave every guest satisfied and many returning visits.

But that feat has been possible because of the quality and commitment of the staff members.

“At our hotel, our people are our biggest asset, and we ensure their continuous development across all areas”, he said.

“We offer continuous learning opportunities for our team through our Radisson Academy with customised training programmes, from induction to leadership, right from day one.

“Through the training, our teams are equipped with specific programmes to offer personalised services to our guests”.

Yet, the achievements in the four years the hotel has been operating under the Radisson Blu brand are the least as the management aims for higher goals amid competition in the market, which it noted to be healthy.

“Competition is healthy. It keeps you on your toes and makes you maintain a high level standard. For me, it is really healthy and I have no issue with competition. Our occupancy rate is still excellent. So, we make sure that we do not lose customers to any competitor”, he said.

The commitment to quality service delivery at all times has also enabled the hotel to withstand the harsh economic situation in the country, emerging unhurt in the midst of troubles that sank others.

“So far, I cannot tell you that we have been badly affected. We have good occupancy”, he confessed.

It is also interesting how the hotel survived when the hospitality industry was hard-hit by the pandemic with impact still being felt today.

“At first, it was challenging but we immediately faced the issues head on. The restrictions placed on travel and stay-at-home orders by the authorities led to a sharp decline in our hotel occupancy and revenues.

“It created a labour crisis as we had to have reduced working hours for staff to stay afloat. It also created difficulty in our sector as the majority of our staff are in operational roles, making working from home and remotely challenging. We had to make substantial changes to our operations as regards our business environment to ensure maximum safety for our employees and customers.

“Whilst the hospitality industry is slowly recovering, the pandemic highlighted to us the importance of communications with every guest, team member and partner. We have learned to become more flexible in our approach, ensuring that we adapt, respond, and implement measures swiftly as we move forward”, he explained.

Again, the hotel, according to him, was fortunate that Radisson Hotel Group went through a complete diagnostic of the company worldwide in 2017, and put together a 5-year plan with concrete initiatives, which included taking on significant investments, new brand architecture, new IT systems, new revenue management systems, and a new loyalty programme.

“These helped us to stay focused and afloat, especially during the heat of the pandemic in 2020”, he noted.

Going forward and despite the challenges the economy will throw at the hospitality industry, the general manager assured that Radisson Blu Hotel Ikeja will remain optimistic and positive as it continues to put its customers first. “We will continue to be flexible and make quick decisions as we look ahead to the future of the hospitality industry, which will become stronger than ever”, he concluded.