New Radisson hotel set to open in Lagos

A new 125 room hotel in Lagos’ busy port precinct of Apapa is set to open its doors in the first quarter of 2013.

An artist's impression of the new Apapa hotel.

An artist's impression of the new Apapa hotel.

The property will be operated by the Rezidor Hotel Group and fall under its Park Inn by Radisson brand. Facilities will include a fitness centre, 330m² meeting space, outdoor swimming pool, and a restaurant and bar area.

This is the second Park Inn by Radisson in Lagos following the hotel under development in Ikeja. Rezidor has also established Park Inn by Radissons in Abuja and Abeokuta in Nigeria.

Andrew McLachlan, Rezidor’s vice president of business development for Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, told How we made it in Africa in an earlier interview that the company currently has six projects under development in Nigeria.

“We look at Nigeria as almost a continent within a continent,” McLachlan said.

Although Rezidor is currently focused on city hotels in Nigeria, McLachlan says that over time there will be opportunities to build resort hotels. “At the moment a lot of your Nigerian leisure is actually going to Accra in Ghana . . . which is unnecessary. You can do something 45 minutes down the coast from Lagos, for instance, and attract a lot of the expatriate community and the wealthier Nigerian who wants to get out of the hustle and bustle of Lagos.”

He also sees potential in golf resorts. “At the moment there are only three golf courses of quality in Nigeria and there are 150 million people . . . we believe there is space to get into that market.”