InterContinental Lagos Review
You can book the InterContinental Lagos here
The InterContinental Lagos is located about 35 miles from Lagos Airport, right in one of the best neighborhoods of Lagos on Victoria Island (or VI as the locals refer to it). The immediate area is rather decrepit though and the building is surrounded by random buildings and bunch of car dealerships.
The building is huge, especially compared with the low rises that dominate the area. The lobby inside and outside has some serious architecture.
Check-in was very friendly and quick and I was then on my way to my room on the 12th floor. The room was in good shape - very much what you would like from a modern InterContinental. The beige colors and the many wooden elements gave off a warm feel.
The AC worked very well; since the building itself uses central air conditioning, it barely needs to be on to have a 70-degree temperature most of the time. Plus if it is on, it's barely audible.
The TV had a huge number of satellite channels and the internet was easy to connect to. It was very stable, but just 1 Mbit - I would have hoped for more but, well, this is Nigeria!
The room and bathroom were very modern and the bed was the right amount of soft and hard.
The views towards the harbor from my room were very picturesque, especially at sunset.
On my first day, warm water in the room was not available in the morning (it was only lukewarm) and the bathroom sink taps would only spit out blackish water. This would all work on day two, but I'm sure the hotel has to provide its own water filtration and lots of power backup just to have operations going.
The hotel has a few cafes and bars spread around the lobby, the second floor and the pool area. They aren't the cleanest, but given Nigerian standards they are excellent.
Both the outdoor pool area and the gym were in great shape and were both spacious and airy.
Security is a major concern here and the InterContinental scores rather well. It has dedicated security who control the two entry and exit gates. However, the gates are not blast-proof (nor truck-proof). The lobby area has no further (visible) armed personnel - just a simple metal detector and security staff manning the elevators. Since the hotel is so sleek and tall it has a small footprint and is a compound that's easy to defend, but that still means there is just one (small) exit. Security is excellent regarding theft and robberies, but the hotel would not withstand a terrorist attack well. Both are concerns in the area.
I did have food and coffee at the property and it was reasonably priced and the quality was OK; nothing great, but OK. There are various breakfast options including a continental breakfast for $16 or just coffee and croissants for $7.
The immediate area has a number of good places where you can eat and drink, though walking has its dangers (and not all of them are crime-related) and you can't go outside past nightfall. Luckily, Uber drivers are aplenty and will happily drive you wherever you like at night.
In sum, this is a good hotel for anywhere in the world, but given the rough standards of Nigeria, this is a great hotel and a real oasis!
Cash rates were around $290 for the time of my stay.
You can book the InterContinental Lagos here