Protea Hotel Victoria Island is a 4 Star luxury hotel strategically situated in one of Lagos' exclusive and affluent neighbourhood in Victoria Island. The 4 Star hotel which is strategically located close to the Eko Hotel Roundabout boasts many facilities. In this exclusive interview, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, spoke with the Marketing Manager of Protea Hotel VI, Rita Opiah, where she told us about her hospitality trends in 2018, challenges of the Nigerian hospitality industry and much more. Excerpts

What are the top 3 challenges faced by hotels in the Nigerian hospitality industry in 2017?

Some of the challenges we encountered in 2017 are pricing (Competitive Rates), location (proximity of guest's businesses) and poor power supply.

What are your predictions on the trends to expect in 2018 for the hospitality business?

The influence of social media as an effecting marketing tool to create leads, increased partnership with online travelling travel agents, competitive rates and good customer experience would be prioritized as an effective strategy to retain guests.

From your own personal experience, how would you describe the ideal customer service experience in the Nigerian hospitality industry?

Customer service experience needs to be more prioritized in Nigeria hospitality industry. There is the need for hospitality firms to increase awareness to their Staff by consistently reiterating the need for the customer to have quality experiences. The market is gradually tilting towards retaining guests from total experience marketing (TEM) to total quality marketing (TQM). It has been observed that the way a guest feels resonates better than the quality of your facility. Hence the reason guest’s experience should be prioritized.

In an ascending order, what hotel amenities are important to lodgers?

Good bed, television, swimming pool, air-Conditioner, Gym, quality food, and Internet connectivity.

We are in the festive season and guests expect some kind of offers/deals. What are some of the Christmas or festive packages you have for them?

We have a discounted rate for our Superior and Classic Rooms (N35,000 inclusive of breakfast for one, taxes, and arrival gifts for kids)

For those looking to work in the hospitality sector in Nigeria, what will be your advice to them?

Let your passion for hospitality precede your career pursuit.

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