Amara Suites Bankole Oki

I really liked the restaurant’s view over the pool area, with all the flowers and greenery giving it an outdoor feel. My snail with grilled potatoes and vegetables was delicious, even though the snail wasn’t on the menu. I told the waiter the chef should add it because it was so well made. The menu itself looked good, but the fish I wanted wasn’t available. The restaurant was quiet and private, and there’s a walkway from reception to it that would work well for art exhibitions. The reception is beautifully decorated with lots of artwork. Outside, the hotel has a peaceful setting, good security and plenty of parking, and it’s easy to reach in Ikoyi. The staff looked neat and were friendly. Lovely hotel, I’ll visit again.

The room felt musty and dingy, and the toilet was dated. The towel was old and rough; we only got one for the whole stay, and the extra we asked for never arrived. After cleaning and mopping, we had to spray perfume because the mop smelled awful. There was no WiFi, room service or hot water. The location in Ikoyi is the only good thing about this hotel, and I wouldn’t recommend staying here. At 4.30am, some random people barged into our room and terrified us. We thought we were being robbed, then found out the receptionist had checked other guests into our room by mistake. There was only one employee in the entire hotel, handling the front desk, concierge, housekeeping and porter duties 24/7.

The staff and security were friendly, and the hotel was clean and well arranged. Parking is a little limited, but organized. The poolside was clean, with big trees around it that made the air feel fresh. They’re repairing the bar, so short drink orders were being handled in the restaurant. The reception felt a bit gloomy, though, and when I asked for the tariff, the staff didn’t give it to me.

The loyalty points are a nice idea. You build them up by staying more nights and get perks along the way, something other hotels could learn from. I spent 2 nights, and both the service and accommodation impressed me for what’s available in our environment. Breakfast is buffet style if you’ve paid for bed and breakfast. The first morning was great, but the next day had much less variety.