Background
Just three months ago, Tsogo Sun announced that it was acquiring a 75% stake in Ikoyi Hotels — the holding company of the Southern Sun Ikoyi. Tsogo Sun has managed the hotel for the original developers since it opened in 2009. Tsogo Sun operates hotels in six African countries outside of South Africa, namely Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria and the Seychelles. The overall offering, including its large South African footprint, includes hotels across all markets, covering Southern Sun, Garden Court, SunSquare, StayEasy and Formula 1 hotels.
Where Is It?
Ikoyi is a stone’s throw from the busy Victoria Island, a couple minutes away from the mainland and about 28 kilometres from Murtala Muhammed International Airport. That trip, however, can take several hours, depending on traffic. So, leave plenty of time to get to the airport.
Room Facilities
The 195 rooms are divided into 86 Standard and 97 Executive Rooms, four Standard, two Executive and five Junior Suites, and one room for physically disabled guests. All rooms have double beds, a 32-inch LCD TV (with selected DSTV satellite and local channels), safe, air-conditioning, tea/coffee-making facilities, shower (no bath), complimentary Wi-Fi and a spacious working area. According to the Tsogo Sun website, it offers 500MB free high-speed Wi-Fi per room per day, in the rooms of all Southern Sun hotels. There’s also a fully-stocked mini-bar and 24-hour room service. I quite liked the decor of my Standard room and enjoyed the view of the hotel precinct. For guests who have already checked out, there are two changing rooms available, if you need to freshen up before heading to the airport.
Restaurants & Bars
Walking into the hotel lobby, you can’t help but notice the large dining room on the left, which seats up to 80 people. Running 24 hours a day, the cocktail bar is a great place to socialise. With intercontinental and local dishes, the renowned Southern Sun Ikoyi buffet is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Alternatively, you can choose something from the a la carte menu. I was really impressed with the service and the food was amazing. I went for the Chinese rice with beef sauce and dessert (chocolate cake), whilst for breakfast I opted for the standard English breakfast (toast, bacon, sausages, eggs and beans). All delicious.
Business & Meeting Facilities
There are two private meeting rooms which seat six people each and are 14m2 in size, one mini-boardroom for 12 people (25m2) and three conference rooms. Well, actually two conference rooms of 60m2 each, which convert into one of 120m2. Individually, they can accommodate up to 50 delegates, and combined, 100 – both theatre style. There is a quiet private lounge on the first floor where guests can have meetings away from the distraction of the busy reception area and ground floor lounge. The hotel also provides conferencing equipment such as laptops, a video projector, DVD player, plasma TV, microphones, flip charts, white board etc, on request. The complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi extends throughout the hotel, so you’re always connected. The business centre is open until 23h00, and is available to assist with printing documents etc. It’s also important to note that the hotel offers complimentary parking, as well as 24-hour laundry and dry cleaning.
Leisure Facilities
There is a well-equipped fitness room located on the first floor, looking out onto the busy Ikoyi road. The room has basic cardio-vascular machines, weights and a sauna, whilst there’s also a swimming pool just outside the cocktail bar.
Verdict
A great business travel option, with the food, accommodation, service and overall offering boxes all ticked. My only criticism – the location of the swimming pool, which was a bit too close to the outdoor sitting area for my liking, and I had to pass through the dining area to get there.
Josephine Okulaja
Contact
Address: 47 Alfred Rewane Road, Ikoyi
Tel: +234 11 280 5200
Email: mark.loxley@tsogosun.com
Web: www.tsogosunhotels.com