Life as an On Air Personality can be very demanding, working non-stop weekdays to weekends and on public holidays is a definite downer. The good news is I loved my job and thankfully I got a month’s vacation every year which I split into two weeks stretches.
Instead of some exotic location I decided to treat myself locally, I googled discount hotel sites and of the dozen or so that popped up I visited the one that struck a chord. It was HotelNowNow the ‘Live It Up’ slogan fit me to a tee and they had the highest discounts.
While taking a tour of the site someone asked if they could be of assistance, she asked me what my budget was and used that to give me three perfect options. I decided to book a night’s stay at all three so I could share the experience via my new blog.
The first hotel on my list of three came with a swimming pool (I love hanging out poolside) it was called DANEST HOTEL AND SUITES in Bodija.
I had checked their room rates and picked the HotelNowNow discount that wouldn’t wreck my bank, after all I am a man on a budget. I asked to see the manager; an amiable young man whose name was Nosa, he patiently listened to my questions and explained a few things to me. He told me what sort of people they catered to and also told me that the hotel always had a steady supply of electricity from a standby silent-cabin generator or an inverter. This made me glad, based on the bad experiences I had at other hotels where management was forced to provide rotational power for their guests.
I was taken to my room which was a Deluxe Suite and was pretty impressed with what I saw, being the most affordable of all their room types. If this suite looked this good, then imagine my pain when I saw the Royal Suite. I went green with envy.
There were two bars; the Executive and the Bush Bar, both with big screen televisions for those important matches. The Executive bar had a plush modern décor while the Bush bar was more traditional with bamboo sticks and all. They also had a gym (under renovation), free Wi-Fi for all guests, plus a laundry and dry-cleaning service.
There was no restaurant but you could have your meals at the bar or in your room. I chose to have my dinner at the Bush bar but the menu wasn’t exactly filled with assorted choices. Nosa the manager explained that all guests could call the kitchen (open 24/7) in advance so what they craved could be prepared specially.
The swimming pool is next to the gym and while it’s not the deepest or biggest I’ve ever seen, the people I saw using it didn’t seem to mind. In fact I was told that non lodgers could have a swim for a flat rate of 500 naira. There was a little kiddie pool too and Nosa said they have always had a lifeguard on standby.
The next day I left an hour before the noon checkout time and I promised the manager I would return with friends to hangout by the pool. And I meant it; because even though it was a brief stay, each of the smiling staffers made me feel welcome. So far so good, HotelNowNow was keeping its promise to help me ‘Live It Up’. I had twelve days left from my leave I would be spending the next evening at the three hotels I had booked.
For a taste of the Danest Suite experience click here
