Jojein Hotel and Resort, Akure: Best conference centre in South-West?
- Written by Wale Ojo-Lanre and Remi Oladoye
- Wednesday, 26 June 2013 Jojein Hotel and Resorts : Best in South West ? (6 photos)
Jojein Hotel and Resort, Akure: Best conference centre in South-West? Written by Wale Ojo-Lanre Wednesday, 26 June 2013 00:00 font size Print Email Rate this item 1 2 3 4 5 (0 votes) раскрутка сайтов IT surely must be. Hospitality buyers who have travelled round the South – West states of Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti and Osun even up to Kwara have concluded that judging from all parameters; this hotel seems to be the best. To them, it is not a matter of being careless with words or being flippant or exaggerating, but a reality of what they have seen and experienced in the hotel which they could not find elsewhere in the South–West. They raised some posers to support and authenticate their argument on this! Can you point out a hotel in the whole of the South West states in Nigeria, which apart from the rooms could boast, of a football pitch, lawn tennis court, volleyball, hand ball and squash courts with an Olympic size double swimming pool together with a zoological garden, horse stable? Can you also fish out a hotel which harbors the above rare facilities with a 74-bed accommodation of different categories, a hall which can conveniently sit 1000 guests, with enough parking space and other two halls which can accommodate 500 and 250 guests respectively? Also, the same hotel parades a first class gymnastic centre with all necessary equipment, a sauna with the latest facilities for bath, a beauty parlor, a massage centre with automatic machines and a first grade unisex hairdressing centre. You cannot find this brand of extreme hospitality colony in Ekiti, which is the armoury of intellectual minds in the South West nor in Ogun State which prides itself as the “ Gateway to civilisation” neither has such a first class hotel been planted in Osun, the Home of Virtue and not even in Oyo with its history of having the lucky of hosting most of the first ever monuments in Nigeria! This is a fact. Interestingly, this paragon of hospitality empire christened Jojein Hotel Resort and Conference Centre is located in Akure, Ondo State. The sprawling edifice is not hidden in a remote enclave that may be difficult for buyers of hospitality to locate rather; the owner secured about 15 hectares of land on which the dream resort is planted along Oba – Ile Road, a few metres to Fiwasaye Grammar School, Akure. Either during the day or night time, one’s eyes cannot miss feeding itself with the array of beautiful garden light poles, which run to a hundred and fitted on the parking lot in front of the hotel building with some having the solar panels fixed on the top looking like Vietnamese with their traditional hat at day time which turns colourful at night. Bearing in mind that the availability of a sprawling edifice and sophisticated facilities cannot bring the desired service, the management of the hotel carefully recruited the right crop of staff vast in the act handling of guests noticeable right from the gate of the hotel being manned by private and regular armed personnel. Parking space The well spaced out parking lot beautified with horticultural effect on the space bar, will endear the hotel to a first time guest as it has more parking space than required bearing in mind the possibility of having its three halls occupied simultaneously. Except the staff at the door offers compliments and welcome you in, no one needs to fight , or pull or push the entrance door which automatically swings open prompting to the reception. The Reception There is no way a guest would not be overwhelmed with the luxurious setting of the reception. It is not the kiosk-like welcome port commonly found in most hotels in Nigeria. It is well structured, designed, portioned and swashed with exquisite fixtures and fitting which are out of this world, the likes of which you can find in any Intercontinental 5 – star furnished to taste. The owner definitely must have a robust sense of history and art as this reflected in his generous fitting of expensive art works and historical memorabilia at different parts of the hotel. The first expression of an undying love for those who have contributed to the development of the society through their callings are the pictures of nationalists hung on the left hand wall while entering the reception. They include Nelson Mandela, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Ken Saro Wiwa, Christopher Okigbo, Mariam Makeba, Professor Wole Soyinka, Albert Einstein, Steve Wonders, Mahatma Ghandi and Chief Obafemi Awolowo among others. A tour of the reception exposed the dynamism injected into the construction of Jojein Hotel having in mind the need to satisfy the dying quest of the patrons. Thus, for seamless interaction of guests and staff in relation pristine service and excellence, the reception is divided into functional cubicles of waiting lounge, front office, managers corner, restaurant, bar, meeting place, daily needs shop, beauty parlor, salon all stocked with befitting furniture and facilities needed for the required services. Within the reception, one can have almost all the services; it is a matter of moving from one lofty cubicle to the other. Wi- Fi facility Jojein Hotel specifically targets the business and development interest of the patrons in mind ab initio. Hence, it is making available business and conference enhancing facilities and fittings. This is probably the only hotel where a guest does not need to beg any staff or manager for the password if in need of a wifi services. One is automatically connected provided one’s Bluetooth device is active free of charge. Outdoor facilities One may think that the beauty of Jojein Hotel and Resort Centre starts and ends at the enclosed super reception, this could be a wrong assumption going by the outdoor facilities located at the back of the hotel being a resort centre. Indeed, resort and conference buyers cannot have another avenue best suited for their programmes and events other than Jojein. At the back of the magnificent edifice lays mufti-fun arena decked with three different bars all stocked with exotic drinks and liquors, five stress banishing comers, a zoological garden with different animals and birds like ostriches, baboons, squirrels, water hog, pigeons, ducks, and others. Complimenting this is the horse stable where about six horses grazed gracefully. There also are the football pitch, long tennis court, hand ball, squash, volley ball and a large recreation arena fully equipped for the kids. Not yet done, the back of the hotel also harbours a twin Olympic-size swimming pool with all the paraphernalia for those who want to have fun as well train for intercontinental competitions. This swimming arcade is also blessed with a pool bar. Beside the swimming pool is an exotic Intercontinental African bar fitted with all ornamental and discotheque facilities designed to banish stress and boredom. The setting of the bar is perfectly handled to take care of over 200 guests at a time with each one leaving fully satisfied. Connecting to the bar that also links the swimming pool is the bodybuilding and flesh managing gym, which parades best equipment and items one can think of and made available for guests use. The Rooms Having taken care of the relaxation centre indoors and outdoors, Jojein Hotel accommodation faculties can be described as the forte of utmost comfort. The owner displays and translates his penchant for posh, cozy, luxuries, splendour, standard, quality and the need to make available that rare thing that could make a buyer forget his home inside the rooms. Just think of it, is it the keyless infrared opening doors. Is it the glistering furniture and the golden fittings? Is it the cubicle bath of exceptional design or the Jacuzzi, which are planted in some of the rooms? Alternatively, should one talk about the in – room bar, safe, five towels, slippers and abundant toiletries which include toothpaste and brush? Should one talk about the therapeutic beds, linen beddings, soft pillows, duvet, electronics, Plasma TV, lamps, and the sofa All the rooms are configured with one thing in mind- absolute comfort and satisfaction and it was achieved. The ambassadorial and the presidential suites are packed full and fitted only for those who are not only ambassadorial in taste and choice, but those who want to experience the presidential treatment. While the presidential suite comes with extra three rooms, the ambassadorial has two, each with kitchenette that befits the status. Food matters Realising that having all these facilities without getting the best culinary services is vain, Jojein recruited four chefs who are not only experts in intercontinental dishes, but gurus in the art of dishing various local menus. These experts are always eager to display their mastery of preparing any menu to the delight of patrons and buyers. Conference and Events Centre Gani Fawehinmi, Akpabio meeting halls Having successfully fashioned out comfort zones for lodgers, sport and fun loving guests, Jojein carefully created another avenue for conferences and events sellers and buyers with the construction of three distinctive halls named after late Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Governor of Akwa Ibom, Chief Godswill Akpabio. While Chief Fawehinmi Hall can sit 1000 guests in any social setting, Governor Akpabio’s Hall can pave room for 700 while the third hall will take 250. In addition, for those having events for smaller number of people, all the halls are constructed with hall divider option, thus, collapsed to fit any capacity of small group meetings. Security Apart from the security personnel on ground, the hotel is covered with scientific security recorders, which are not made known to guests, as the management believes that extra security should be secretive. However, the hotel is manned by staff who are not only trained to be honest, enthusiastic, pleasant and sincere but have proved to be honest going by a testimony of Mr Adebiyi Aderibigbe, CEO, Image Perfect Consulting, Port Harcourt who sent a note of gratitude to the management of the hotel. “Having a bunch of staff who displayed rare honesty when I forgot my Samsung Galaxy (mini) in the room where I slept when I came on a business visit to Akure. “I was surprised when I called to just inquire a week later only to be told after asking for information to prove the ownership of the set from me that the said phone has been deposited with the manager of the hotel. And I was happy when I came here and picked up my phone.” According to the Manager, Jojein Hotel, Babatunde Oguntonade, “ We are happy vending the best services here in Akure to those wonderful buyers who desire the best of hospitality services. “We have not only the best of the facilities and environment, but we parade the best staff in the sector who knows what hospitality vending means and entails and we are here to serve you.” The tale of Jojein Hotel cannot be succinctly scribbled here perfectly as it may appear that one is conjuring what is not but a curious mind just need to step out and feel the breeze of one of the best tourism resorts ever planted in Nigeria and located in Akure. It is one hotel specially constructed, designed and where almost all facilities of comfort are made available wrapping it with excellent and prompt service which one might have never experienced in any part of the South-West states. It is real and beyond marketing strategy Jojein Hotel and Resort Haven, Akure Is It!
