Top 7 Things to Know Before Booking a Hotel in Lagos

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Lagos is the commercial nerve-centre of Nigeria, and it boasts a population of nearly 20 million people. It used to be the capital of Nigeria during the military era, but Abuja later became the capital. Lagos State has the most industries and companies in the country and over 500,000 people flock into the state to earn a living, set up a family, or attend a university.

The Muritala Muhammed International Airport is in Lagos State, and thousands of foreigners and citizens enter the country everyday through the airport, half of them lodging in hotels around or far from the airport. Thousands of other visitors from around the country lodge in hotels in Lagos, because the rising population of the state makes accommodation highly difficult for newcomers.

As a foreigner or visitor to Lagos State, what are those things you must know before you book a hotel in the state? The top 10 are listed under –

1. Affordability and lodging rates
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The rising population and limited geography of Lagos State makes the state overpopulated, with resources getting scarce and very expensive. To book a hotel, you must consider affordability when shopping for lodging rates among several hotels. There are several cheap and affordable hotels in Lagos, but affordability must not be at the expense of quality. So affordability and quality must be the determining factor when scouting for a hotel to stay in Lagos.

2. Hotel amenities and facilities
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You must already know what you want before looking to book a hotel in Lagos. Apart from sleeping in a single room, double room, or executive suite, you must also consider if your prospective hotel has a swimming pool, conference hall, fitness and gym centre, car park, local cuisines, and beauty salons among others.

3. Nearness to airports, train stations
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Location matters when choosing a hotel in Lagos State. Nearness to main roads and other major landmarks matters when picking a hotel to lodge into. The nearness of the hotel to your destination is a factor to consider when scouting for a hotel to book in any part of Lagos State. You must also factor in the fact that nearness to the airport of your departure, railway terminal, wharf, or bus station is important so that you arrive the hotel without being caught up in traffic or held back by traffic on checking out from the hotel.

4. Reviews and history of hotel
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Do not book a hotel without learning something about its history. Some hotels are notorious for burglary, deaths, bed bugs, rude staff, and others; so you must do your due diligence before booking any hotel in Lagos and anywhere within or outside the country. Talk to people to seek their first-hand opinion about any known hotel, and read online reviews about hotels you looked up before booking for your accommodation; this will save you a lot of headaches and pain later on.

5. Staff courtesy and friendliness
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How courteous are the staffs and employees of the hotel? How resourceful are they in handling issues and how prompt are they at carrying out customers’ requests? Are they willing to go out of their way to satisfy a customer? Neatness, courteousness, friendliness, smiles, and promptness are some of the things to look for before booking a hotel in Lagos or anywhere else.

6. Book online using debit cards
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You may not have known this, but booking for a hotel in Lagos State tend to be cheaper, easier, and much faster. You can do it from the comfort of your room, and you only need your ATM debit card to make booking payment. In a case where the population of the state suddenly rises because of a political event or sporting activity, booking a hotel in advance is best done online and this enables you to save back some money. You can use Jovago.com or Hotels.ng to book your hotels online.

7. Be security conscious
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You must be very security conscious when booking a hotel in Lagos State – or anywhere for that matter. Do not leave valuables such as digital camera, cash, expensive jewelries, debit cards and chequebooks, and other important documents in your hotel room when going out. Remember the hotel management also has a spare key to your hotel room, and this may have been duplicated by unfaithful staff to access your room behind you. And be careful where you park your car. Remember there are security cameras everywhere too.
 
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