I have had the ‘pleasure’ of staying at this establishment on two occasions; so I am not biased and certainly not mistaken in my conclusions. Metro Hotel is approximately 15 minutes away from Bodija market, 25 minutes away from the prestigious University of Ibadan and 20 minutes away from the cinema, shops and arcade at the Ventura Mall in Samonda.
This budget hotel in Bodija is situated at number 75 Ondo Street, Off Osuntokun Avenue in the ancient city of Ibadan. I really don’t know how many rooms there are but they are inexplicably fully booked on most weekends.
The Metro Hotel building was built in front of a rock formation that can only be scaled by trained climbers. There is no restaurant, bar, gym or lounge. The kitchen will make you whatever you ask for with a service charge and ample notice. If there is no power during the day the little generator comes on but only if a certain number of guests are in the premises. The larger generator that powers the AC units doesn’t come on till 11pm.
The rooms I have stayed in had a flat screen TV with one cable station controlled by whoever is at the reception, an armchair, half a mirror, threadbare linens and towels, poorly constructed wardrobes, AC units without remotes and lumpy pillows. The bathroom is cold water only and in the case of my friend there was no toilet seat and the water in the shower drained slowly. There was a time I stepped out of the shower and water had seeped into the room. The welcome pack is a brand new toothbrush, cheap toilet paper, a sachet of toothpaste and a strong antibacterial soap.
I have reviewed and stayed at a lot of hotels and believe it or not this isn’t the worst I have experienced. You get what you pay for; if you are lucky the package’s quality remains intact. Metro Hotel was located in the middle of where I needed to be at the time and fit my budget. If you are cash strapped and need a secure environment in Old Bodija to lay your head, then by all means click here.
