Background
The Regent is owned and managed by Anuwe Investment Ltd and was opened in October 2011. Anuwe set out to “challenge every traditional convention of luxury” hospitality in Nigeria and they are selling their hotel experience as a high-end experience, complete with luxury furnishings, comfortable accommodation and good food.
Where is it?
At the crossroads of the Governmental Residential Area (GRA) and Maryland in Ikeja, the state capital of Lagos. The surrounding area has great night life, filled with restaurants, bars and plenty of shops. The drive to Murtala Muhammed International airport is just 15 minutes.
What’s it Like?
Modern and contemporary, which is reflected in the design and architecture. Much of the décor is pretty ostentatious, as the developers clearly went for that modern and upmarket feel.
Rooms
The Regent Hotel is small enough to qualify as a ‘boutique’ hotel, with a total of just 27 rooms, made up of 15 Standard Suites, three Standard Double Suites, eight Deluxe Suites and a Presidential Suite. A feature of all the rooms is the extremely high ceilings, yet my Deluxe Suite was warm and spacious. Among the other features – ample wardrobe space with lighting on both sides of the walkway leading to the room itself and a king size bed with plush pillows and monogrammed linen. The room was elegantly furnished with a seating area suitable for three guests. All the rooms have 24-hour room service, individual air-conditioning, digital safe, a 32-inch LCD TV with selected satellite channels and a DVD player. Significantly, for the business traveller, all rooms have 24-hour complimentary Wi-Fi and a comfortable work station. What I also liked was the iron I found in the wardrobe, along with an ironing board, which I thought was incredibly useful for the business traveller who needs to iron his or her clothes. Another pleasing feature was the bathroom, which featured a basin embedded into a marble top, small and large mirrors, a large bath tub and a separate power shower.
Meeting & Business Facilities
The hotel has a fully-equipped business centre with secretarial services available. There is a banquet hall that can accommodate 250 people, and a conference hall that can accommodate 70 delegates. Both meeting facilities come with complimentary interactive screen, multimedia equipment, writing material and table water.
Leisure Facilities
The Regent’s leisure facilities include a rim-flow medium-sized swimming pool, surrounded by sun loungers, and a moderately-equipped gym to the side of the pool. Both these facilities are located at the extreme end of the hotel.
Restaurant & Bar
There’s a restaurant which is open from 06h00 until midnight and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also has a large and inviting bar joined to the restaurant. It services not only the restaurant, but also the VIP lounge area and pool area. The lounge is made up of 2-6 seater settees and chairs suitable for client meetings or casual socialising. The restaurant serves a wide array of continental and local cuisine. I went for the pounded yam and egusi soup and although it took some time to arrive, it was definitely worth the wait. Delicious!
Verdict
I was pleasantly surprised and particularly liked the use of lighting and space, with the hotel’s high ceilings and various spaces throughout the property. I found the accommodation quite luxurious and comfortable, whilst the food was good, the service a little slow, and the pool area a rather inviting place in which to relax and get away from work.
Contact
Address: 25 Joel Ogunnaike Street, GRA, Ikeja, +234 1 741 9161, theregentlagos.com
Morisola Obisesan