Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island is the flagship hotel of the Radisson brand in Nigeria, situated in the heart of the business district of Lagos. Built along the beautiful Lagos Five Cowrie Creek part of the Lagoon, Radisson Anchorage is tastefully designed with the business and leisure traveller in mind, providing an experience by creating memorable moments for guests.
The hotel provides a scenic view of the ever busy waterfront for guests to relish. Speaking to Travellers Magazine as Part of the Lagos Top 10 Hotel project the General Manager, Radisson Blu Anchorage, Ahmed Raza, said the location of the hotel is a pivotal point and a major strength it has explored over time.
He added that the hotel gives the feel of a corporate hotel, but at the same time, it is a destination where people can come and relax and feel at home. Excerpt:
Radisson Anchorage is the major Radisson in Nigeria. What do you think stands out among other hotels in Lagos?
Well, as you rightly mentioned, we are the flagship hotel for Radisson and I think we were the first to be the pioneers of the market. What really stands out for us is the fact that we have ownership that understands the business. They are very much inclined into hospitality. They understand how it operates. They have been very supportive. And I think without their support, we will not really have gotten to where we are today. And it has been a very healthy blend between Radisson Group and the ownership of Radisson Blu Anchorage.
That has really made the relationship grow from pillar to pillar. And I think as you are here, you can see that the location is a pivotal point of this hotel. It is a major strength and the fact that it is very tastefully done, and well spread out. We have great locations within the hotel. It gives the feel of a corporate hotel, but at the same time, it’s a destination where people can come and relax. So it is not purely a business hotel, it is also a hotel where you can come in for leisure. So it provides pretty much everything for everyone. So that has been one of its unique selling points.
Compared with the other hotels in your neighbourhood in Lagos?
Well, like I said, the location is unmatched. Again, like I mentioned the architecture of the hotel, the way the rooms are done, the way the F and B was planned, it’s unique in its own way. And the new renovation journey that we began two years ago has also taken the product to a different level. In terms of positioning, I think I am confident to say that we are amongst the top hotels in Lagos. One thing is to be on the top, but I think the real test starts when you have to maintain that position. And now it is more or less about consistency, making sure that we as a management company are investing in our people, because the more we take care of our people, they will automatically be taking care of our guests. So that is the philosophy that we are working with.
If I am a guest and I come to Radisson Blu, what are my expectations minimum?
Well, post COVID, I think the most important expectation of a guest is of a safe and secure environment, that we guaranteed. Because we have collaborations with most renowned agencies like SGS, Safe Hotels. We have certifications with them. We have a certain set of standards that we have to follow in order to win their certification. So that is one thing that we guarantee, a very safe and a secure environment. We guarantee a certain level of five star services because that is what we promise. We have a brand promise and we also work very responsibly. And when we say responsibly, I think we have a team that is dedicated to efforts that turn into responsible business. For example, thinking green, and how we are going be supporting local communities, making sure that we are also developing local talent and making sure that little cottage industries are also supported because of our business. So, from a guest perspective, yes. To recap what I just said, it’s a safe and secure place. It’s always consistent. And it is always going be a place where you can find a little bit of everything for everyone.
You talked about the renovation, two years ago. Can we have details?
We embarked on this journey during COVID. Because obviously during COVID we took it as a time when we could really embark on this journey because of the fact that occupancy levels were not up to the 2019 levels. So we did a complete renovation of 158 standard rooms, tasteful decor, made sure that all technological innovations were in place in those rooms. we had gone for a complete new look and feel in gymnasium, completely revamped the swimming pool, the guest room corridors, the business lounge and it doesn’t stop there. We are now venturing into the public areas and by next year, we have a plan that we are following by which we will cover the lobby, the restaurant, the bar. And I think the idea is by 2023, or by the end of 2023, we will have a completely new look at the hotel.
Before I talk about the challenges that are in the business, I want to ask question about the competition in Lagos and the environment. Is the business accommodative of competition or how is your hotel responding to that? Do you think it’s a problem?
Well, I don’t see it as a problem because I believe that still the market is very raw and it has appetite for more inventory, if I must say. And I think the best example is a market like Ikeja. Where I think before the opening of Marriot, some people were skeptical on how the market share is going work like. But Marriot is also enjoying a decent market share, all the other hotels are also functioning well, there’s enough business. I think for the island also, I see it in the same way. Like I said, we are enjoying the benefits of the rebound, the way things are recovering. And I can say for the other hotels also. So I really don’t see that as a challenge, the more hotels open it’s better for the market. And as soon as we can start seeing it from that perspective, is better for us.
What challenges are you facing in Lagos?
Well, I think the increasing cost of energy is one of the challenges. Because I think for any business, it’s very important to see how profitable it is at the end of the day and how much you are carrying down to the bottom line. So yes, the rising cost of energy, the inflation, which is also impacting food and beverage prices. So that is one aspect and obviously, it comes with its challenges and we are trying to manage and balance it out. But at the same time, we are a market that is very hugely dependent on imports. And with those costs also increasing and the fact that with the Russia, Ukraine war going on, there are delays in shipments, the delays that we are facing with importations. So that also gives us an opportunity to look inwards on how to develop suppliers who can now stand up on their own and start producing locally, so that we reduce our dependency on importations. So that is something that we are working on. We have found success in some areas, but like I said, every threat brings an opportunity. Every challenge brings a new way of thinking. So yes, there are challenges but at the same time, we are looking beyond that and making sure that we have to find a solution for that.
Is quality of not a challenge in this neighbourhood?
It is, but at the same time, I also believe that once the staff is on board, it’s our responsibility to make sure that how effectively are we training them and making sure that they have the right tools and right knowledge to effectively carry out their tasks. And that is an ongoing program. And like I said, a brand like Radisson has its own onboarding program. It has its own orientation program. Every department have their specific ways of training. So like I said, we invest in people so that we secure their future and they make sure that they take care of our guests.
Are you expecting anyone of your management team to end up as GM somewhere?
Yes, absolutely. I always tell all my HODs and my team that they always have to see it like that they are the ones who are going to be more or less up for this role when it is time. And I think the best way to achieve that is the fact that you empower them enough, give them the confidence that they can make decisions. Yes, some decisions might backfire, but that is when you have to give them confidence that they will make mistakes. But yes, definitely.
And have you created any GMs?
Well, myself I am just a GM for the last two years. So yes, the journey continues, but yes, I can easily say that in my hotel, some positions that were expatriate oriented are now locally managed with Nigerian HODs. For example, my housekeeping manager, my revenue manager, my director of sales. So these are some positions that we have managed to grow inwards and make sure that we have local talent that is heading these departments.
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If I am a first timer in your hotel, where would you recommend I go to?
You are sitting in one of the places. That is the business lounge. And we have 171 tastefully decorated rooms in the hotel, out of it, eight are suites. In the suites we have different categories, like the presidential suite, terrace suite, diplomatic suites of different sizes and different nature. 158 standard rooms also have different levels of products. For example, our executive rooms, our standard rooms, our business classrooms, and from F and B perspective, we have two bars, one at the terrace and one is inside called the view bar.
We have the all-day dining restaurant, which is the voyager restaurant, which is a 24/7 restaurant serving Nigerian, continental, Lebanese, and Indian cuisine. Then we have our beautiful swimming pool, which is adjacent to the lagoon. And we have a very well equipped gymnasium and we have six meeting rooms. And we have one elaborate conference facility called IDERA. We can equip up to 200 people. We also have a marketplace in the basement, which has a lot to offer in terms of spa services salon. We have lifestyle stores over there, arts and craft, jewellery. So like I said, obviously across the hotel, you will see Hands and Renee, the ice cream bar. So like I said, it’s a very good accumulation of activities and it gives pretty much everyone an option to do whatever they want to do.
Independent hotels are doing very well, so if I building a hotel, why do I need a management group?
That is a very common argument these days. That if a hotel is doing a decent occupancy, how why go with a brand when I can master this occupancy? And I don’t have to get involved in all the fee structures that come with the management contract. Well, my answer to that is very simple. I think the visibility that you get through a brand is unparalleled because you see the booking platform that comes to you through the management company. The membership program is very key in driving business because if I am a Radisson rewards member, my first preference is to go into a Radisson. Because they know that I can accumulate my points and I can use those points elsewhere.
So like I said, these are just some elements. And obviously the fact that, you have a dedicated management that is making sure that your product is always up to the mark. There are no inconsistencies in the deliveries of service because there is a set brand guidelines that you need to follow in terms of service, in terms of product, in terms of upkeep, cleanliness and all that. We are a company that gets audited by a third party every year. So, that we can also understand where we are standing. It is a mystery audit, so it gives us a true reflection of how Radisson we are. And trust me when I say this, when corporates are signing up with hotels, brands is always a preference for corporates. So, the positives of going with a brand, is always going to outweigh that of not going with a brand. But obviously it also depends on your room size, on the facility, on the structure. If you are a small hotel, and if you more or less are operating in a market, which has a very decent occupancy trend then yes. But it gets a little trickier when your hotel size is a little big and that is where you really need the controls and the guidelines to keep you on track.
Do you believe in stars and hotel? What is your take on that?
Yes. It helps you. It definitely helps the consumer when he is making a choice of what hotel to choose. Because obviously we are very star driven when we make our choices, especially when we go to a platform like booking.com. We need to see what star is a hotel, what brand is it? So yes it is something that we cannot deny. It is something that really makes the consumer make his decision on which hotel to choose. But at the same time, I think hotel management companies should also make the efforts to make sure that whatever a five star requirement is, they need to make sure that those elements are present in the hotel. Because I am an hotelier, when I walk into some so-called five star hotels globally, I can see that they are clearly missing on a set number of guidelines. So yes, as long as it’s done in the proper way, I don’t see a problem with it.
