Caravela

The location is excellent, and the small room was fine for a short stay at this price. If you’re visiting in winter, ask for a heater or it gets really cold.

I had a quiet room facing the inner courtyard and never ran into trouble with the shared bathroom. I love this place. It’s an old-school pension with very clean rooms and an excellent price, so I find it funny when people judge it by the standards of a five-star hotel. For the same money, you could enjoy a bed in an eight-bed dormitory. Just don’t expect everything to be perfect. Stay as you are!

The biggest problem at Carvela is the condition of the place. It seems like a few improvements have been made, such as the nice bedroom floors, but so much else is in poor shape. There was mould on the walls and fabrics, along with damp patches. I became ill during my stay, and the mould and damp felt like a health risk. The local authorities should investigate. For that alone, I’d give the lowest possible rating. It gives the impression that the owners don’t care. They could make major improvements without spending a fortune on renovations. With proper work, this could be a charming guest house in central Lagos, even one charging premium prices. It needs new owners with a vision for the changes. The low price sets expectations, and the question is whether it’s worth the money. It’s in the center of Lagos old town, though Lagos is small and most places to stay are well located. Rooms are private, with a sink inside, but bathrooms are shared and there’s little soundproofing, so bring earplugs. Towels are provided and the bed linen was clean, but there’s no soap or shower gel in the room. There’s no heating, fan, or air conditioning. I was very cold in the off-season, and I imagine it could feel like a sauna in summer. The Wi-Fi was unreliable, ranging from not connecting at all to being fast. My shared bathroom had strong pressure and plenty of hot water, but no wall mount for the shower head, so you had to hold it. The communal “kitchen” is a joke and feels like a health hazard. It wouldn’t take much effort to improve it. At this low nightly price, many of these issues might otherwise be acceptable.

If you need quiet at night, ask for a room without a street-facing window. The restaurants and terraces outside get noisy. I did find ants in my room, but otherwise enjoyed the stay. There’s a nice rooftop where you can have coffee, a decent kitchen, and daily cleaning. It’s very close to the beaches, and honestly, it’s a good hostel.