No good budget hotels in Lagos. Who told you so?!?

Lonely Planet guide book of course.

In West Africa 2006 edition LP writes that there are only bad value budget hotels which work mostly per hour bases and no mid-range hotels at all. In the 2009 edition this claim is repeated again. This is not true, only lousy research.

In December 2009 I stayed in very nice budget hotels in Lagos. Totally I spent two weeks in the city and now I can say: Lagos is the most exciting, most fun and friendliest city in Africa. It would be pity that travellers skipped the city only because LP fails to give decent travel information in the city.

The problem with LP's Lagos section is that it covers only two island of the biggest city on the continent. Lagos island is exciting place to visit but not that fun for staying. Victoria island - that gets most of the attention in LP - then again is very boring and has nothing to do with the real Lagosian soul.

To me Lagos is Surulere in mainland Lagos. This is where Lagosians live and where budget and mid-range hotels are found.

In Ijesha, Surulere, there are three budget hotels close to each other on Old Nepa bus station: City Center hotel (3000 naira), De Signal (3500 naira) and Image Hotel (3500 naira). ( 1 USD = 150 naira) City Center and Signal have similar rooms which come with double bed, minisofa, AC, television and bucket system bathrooms. Image has more basic rooms but then again it is quiet and has some how mellow ambiance. All these hotels rent rooms per hour but in Nigeria "rest", as it is called, is mainly used by unmarried couples not by prostitutes. This part, Western Ijesha, is practical when coming from Benin. It is only 10 minute bus ride from Mile2 car park on the High way. To get to Lagos island from here count minimum 30 minutes by bus.

Farther towards east on Ijesha Road (Ogunlana bus stop) is Jack Andella Hotel. This is the cheapest hotel I found that has 24 hour electricity. Forget the cheapest rooms (4000) - they are next to the generator. Other rooms vary in prices from 4500 - 6000. Rooms are quite gloom and noicy unfortunately. The good thing is that the check-in the possible after mid night unlike in the hotels above. I stayed here for one week simply because the streets behind Jack Andella are the heart of Ijesha. Very lively in the evenings. The are is though within walking distance from other Old Nepa bus stop hotels and even from Garden Rose in Aguda.

Garden Rose in Aguda is a very comfortable mid range hotel. The prices vary starting from 5700 niara. I would have got a discount to 5000. Rooms are very quiet as is the area and the location is practical to get to the islands. The hotel has a restaurant and actually the price includes a continental breakfast.

In Yaba I was able to find only one nice hotel. It is called Stephen Hotels and it is the residential area of Yaba, south of the Yaba Market. Nice and quiet area and short bus ride to the islands. Unfortunately the hotel was full once I visited it but by the reception you can easily tell that it is a real hotel: it is very popular so you better arrive early. The prices range from 2500 - 6000 niaras.

In Yaba market I found also the cheapest bed in in the city. Majestic Hotel has obviously been majestic but that was long time ago. The doubles for 2000 niaras are huge in size and quite nice but unfortunately in the afternoons disturbed by the generator noice. (Sometimes the city is off the electricy also at nights.) Singles on the quieter size are even cheaper (1500) but don't have running water. Water is brought in bugets though. Have to add that I don't like this part of Yaba but the hotel itself looked safe and the receptionist was very nice and professional.

And finally - on Lagos island there is a new mid-range hotel which is excellent in value. Memo Hotel is in a 17 floor building in the middle of the Lagos Market on Breadfruit street. The hotel itself is located in floors seven to 12. The price is 10 000 niara but I would have got a room for 7000 niara. (LP also fails to tell that in Nigeria the hotels above 3000 in the provincial cities and 5000 in Lagos give discounts - you just have ask for it.) The rooms are luxuriously carpeted with thick over-all carpets, are massive in size and polished all over. The windows give great views over the busy market streets.

Well, this is what I learned on accommodation in Lagos. For conclusion I want to courage every one to go to Lagos. For its size it is surprisingly laid-back. Markets on Lagos island are busy but so they are everywhere. The traffic is not that bad either: Accra is way more worse when it comes to traffic jams. The residential areas are mostly pedestrian areas. There is no polution problems either. Dirty Lagos is but it didn't disturbe me enjoying it. I didn't have any security concerns at all - but then again I stayed away from Victoria Island where all the whites stay. (During two weeks in Lagos I managed to see only four whites.) I found Lagosians very friendly especially in the residential areas and I made more friends than any where in the world.

I was also lucky to spend my Christmas and New Year in Lagos when every night there was a carnival on some part of Ijesha. Dancing the nights out on the street carnivals are my best souveniers of Africa ever!