Hardworking, young and single men always need a spot to unwind on Friday this is a hard fact. Since joining the rat race about seventeen years ago; every Friday like clockwork my colleagues and I would congregate somewhere far enough from work to be certain the boss never walks in. No matter the city the ritual is the same distance from work, security, affordable drinks and something spicy to chew and/or drink i.e. Nkwobi, Asun and Catfish peppersoup. On the off chance people couldn’t drive home, affordable rooms were a happy standby.
I moved back to Lagos in August and on the first Friday my colleague Peter took me to Ikoyi, I was skeptical at first. I didn’t think it was possible to meet all the Friday hangout criteria in Ikoyi of all places. Little did I know I was about to be Villa Angelia’s newest convert. Peter’s cousin who closed from work earlier was already waiting several bottles in.
I ordered something, kicked back and surveyed my surroundings with a practiced eye. We were in the annex’s garden/bush bar. Music blaring from different speakers (the staff were quite willing to turn it down whenever we asked), muted music video channels on the two big screen televisions and a football match was being projected on a blank wall. There were cane chairs and sofas, like the one I was sitting on scattered around the place and in the back I saw two people grilling chicken and fish. In our absence Peter’s cousin had ordered one platter of grilled fish and chips.
My drink was not as expensive as I had anticipated and when the fish arrived it was pretty darn good. Peter told me that the bush bar was part of a larger finer establishment called Villa Angelia Boutique hotel. Knowing my thing for hotels he got the manager to show me around. The main building had a nice lobby area where you can find the day’s newspapers waiting on different coffee tables.
Through the next double doors came the restaurant and bar from which you can make your way to the conference hall, the rooms or out into the pool area. There are four types of rooms and a two bed apartment fully furnished with the comforts of home. I got to see them all and in all fairness they were not found lacking.
I met a few of the guests on my mini tour of the hotel; some were long stay expatriates working for big name firms while others were the sort of businessmen who shuttle in and out of town a lot. I could see myself staying there too in spite of the gym being a little small for my taste. Who am I kidding how often would I use the gym?
Something else struck me; the quiet, the place is within spitting distance of one of the busiest roads in Lagos. And yet everything was as if the hotel was in a cocoon of silence. The second Friday, I liked the fact that the bartender remembered my order like I was a longtime customer. And when we had any complaints they apologized and rectified their mistake. I’ve been back there almost every Friday since. The rooms may seem pricey but they are totally worth it, still you can visit HotelNowNow.com for the deepest discounts they’ll offer.
Back in September they started the Friday Dinner Buffet and Barbecue; all you can eat for just N3, 000 a person. Not a bad offer at all and that’s just another benefit that makes Villa Angelia Boutique Hotel, Ikoyi… the perfect hangout.
