The month of August was eventful for us at The Lagos Weekender HQ. As usual, we had our group hangouts & activities, but our debut trip to Ibadan was the highlight of the month. The Weekend Cruise was in collaboration with Lagos-based tour company, Yellowlyfe Tours, with an interesting itinerary for the travel group. We stayed at the notable International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) after a 2-hour train ride from Mobolaji Johnson Train Station, Yaba, Lagos to Moniya Train Station in Ibadan.
Our experience at IITA was a combination of fun and adventure, however, there was information that I was not privy to before we embarked on the trip. I will elucidate some lessons learnt in pros and cons.
Pros
Scenery
The lush greenery in the environment is very calming. You will appreciate the beauty of nature during your stay here. The landscaping is well maintained and don’t be surprised if you see butterflies in your apartment. The greenery makes for really pleasant pictures too.
Activities
There are lots of activities on campus for you to enjoy- tennis, swimming, swing, ping pong, cycling, forest tours, bird watching, lake, golfing, and more. Trust me, you can never get bored.
Pricing
If all these features don’t convince you, I’m sure the pricing will. The hotel is very affordable, you should budget about N25,000-N35,000 depending on your choice of room. They also sell food & drinks at friendly prices at the hotel restaurant, in fact, you can enjoy a decent meal for less than N3,000.
Service
The service is commendable. The hotel staff are nice, courteous and friendly, especially the front desk officials. On our first day, the porter assigned to us ensured we were all settled in and did not ask for a tip at any point.
Cons
While I understand a lot has changed in the hospitality sector because of the pandemic, I have added some recommendations that may help improve the customer experience at IITA.
Dated Rooms
The rooms are quite antiquated. This is not surprising since the resort was built in the 50s.
Weekender Recommends: It won’t hurt to refurbish some blocks. Some guests may be willing to part with a little more than the average room fee for their comfort.
Booking Process
If you have the intention to go to IITA make sure you book early and we mean at least two months before your arrival date. Booking is only done via their website and sometimes response is extremely slow. The cost of the rooms is also not on their website.
Weekender Recommends: Have a varied means of booking both online and offline. You could also partner with hospitality platforms that will give prospective guests more information for booking.
Customer Service
The hotel is a highly patronized destination, so their booking lines get clogged daily, which makes customer service slow in response.
Weekender Recommends: We would advise that they properly digitise their process or employ more customer service staff.
Protocols
While this may also be a pro, it could exasperate and may discourage a lot of guests. For instance, if you are staying at the hotel, ensure your guest registers. Walk-ins are not allowed except you’re a guest.
Weekender Recommends: Have different entrances for the resort and the research centre/staff
If you’ve ever stayed at IITA, did you have a similar or different experience? Let us know in the comments. We are gearing up for our next trip, be sure you follow our social media pages to be the first to know.
1 comment