Hilton HHonors - Transcorp Abuja Hilton - Trip Report

Since there are very few trip reports of African Hilton properties, I figured it was time to start writing some.

I'm staying at the Transcorp Abuja Hilton in Nigeria, after moving from the Chelsea (a smaller cheaper, dingier hotel that only accepts cash - $150 a night. I forgot to get a larger travel advance and had to move to the Hilton so that I could use my card - Hilton AMEX, natch). The rate here is $400 a night, inclusive of taxes. It's a little pricey for what you get, but everything is expensive here in Nigeria - thanks largely to the poor infrastructure. At the Chelsea, the power cuts out about once an hour or so.

The Property:

This hotel is huge. I don't know the total number of rooms, but it must be one of the largest hotels in Africa. It's pretty nice inside, but it's got a sort of faded, late 80's vibe (not surprising, since Abuja was only constructed in the late 80's - it's a completely artificial city). The grounds are fairly nice, and there is a tennis court, several restaurants and two nice poolside bars. The suya pit (suya is the local version of grilled meat bits on a stick) is a nice touch and highly recommended. The hotel is a major meeting point for Nigerian elite and oil company execs. The lobby is always buzzing with activity - it can sometimes be a little annoying. There is a seperate HHonors checkin area

The Room:

They treated me very well as a diamond, but they did not have a room on the executive floor for me, so I can't comment on the lounge, unfortunately. They did give me three vouchers to the restaurant breakfast, which was perfectly serviceable, and someone brought a tray of free soft drinks and a bottle of South African merlot as an apology for not getting an executive room floor.

The room itself has kind of a weird art deco vibe going on, with one part of the room covered in a sort of electric blue enamel. The desk is the same color. It's a little odd, but not hideous. The furnishings are new, with a sort of noveau-African vibe.

All in all, probably the nicest hotel I have stayed in while in Nigeria, but that's not exactly a competitive race.

I'm in the Hilton Abuja now and can support these comments but add a few more. I've stayed here around 200 nights in the last 4 years so it is kind of 'home'.

Firstly, the room rate. If you negotiate hard then you can get much better rates. I'm on the executive floor now for N34,000/night which is about USD 283. This includes free breakfast in the lounge, free unlimited drinks and even a free dinner in the lounge if you want it. The lounge staff are excellent. My BA points always turn up on my statement.

Beware: they cancel your room if you're not there by 16.00. Not good if you're flying in from Lagos to find your room has gone. Some of us are working on this with Andre the Manager. They always find you a room if you start to change into your pyjamas in the Lounge.

The rooms on the Executive floor have much better decor - a kind of wood effect panelling. The aircon is fine. The broadband even works now.

The food in the hotel has improved massively in the last 12 months. They have a new chef from Germany and he knows his stuff. The Bukka buffet is excellent. The oriental restaurant is dull but OK. The poolside food is unpredictable but usually OK.

The hotel has an excellent gym, maybe the best equipped in Africa. The machines need some maintenance but they are getting there.

Generally the security is OK but can get very intrusive when there's a heavyweight conference in town. This doesn't stop the squadrons of 'nightfighters' patrolling the corridors on the lower floors but you are OK on 9 and 10.

Best Ferret.

I lived in Abuja 2006-2007. I never stayed at the hotel, but spent quite a bit of time there and had friends who stayed there. My wife and I always called it the SS Hilton or the Good Ship Hilton, because it always reminded us of the decor on the first cruise ship we were on. That one was built in the early 80's, and the hotel apparently hired the same decorator.

The hotel is owned by Transcorp, which is controlled by former President Obasanjo. Along with the Sheraton, it is one of only two vaguely Western hotels in town. The bars are fine, although the prostitutes can get kind of aggressive if you are not there with your wife. That happened to me on New Year's Day 2007 at the lunch buffet around the pool. Alas, I was just interested in finishing my meal.

This hotel has a drug store in it which is very good for addressing basic needs, and the bakery is a nice place to get a snack. I worked out in the gym, and they sell memberships to people who are not hotel guests. Parking is reasonably secure as they give you a ticket on your way in that you have to show to exit. I also enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the Bukka.

They usually have metal detectors out, but if you just keep walking past and look confident of your destination nobody much will try to slow you down.

Look, it is in Abuja. Something irregular will happen during your stay, and the word nice is always followed by the words "for Nigeria." However, I always felt safe there and did not manage to get sick when eating there. The food was usually pretty good, and the pool and the gym are nice recreational areas. Your mileage, of course, may vary.

The bars are fine, although the prostitutes can get kind of aggressive if you are not there with your wife.

That is a bit of an understatement. The Capital Bar is nothing but a meat market and the prostitutes are among the most aggressive I've encountered at a reputable African hotel.

Other than that, you can't really fault the hotel. It is definitely THE place to be in Abuja if you are doing business, so sometimes you have to suck it up even if it isn't perfect. And at the end of the day, at least it's a darn sight better than the Sheraton Lagos! :)

I don't usually find the nightfighters too aggressive in the Capital Bar but if there's a conference on they all flock in and can get out of hand. Best technique is to hire one of them for 10 bucks to act as anti-aircraft fire. That and a couple of Maltinas will have her fighting the others off and you get peace. If she does a good job, at the end of the night sign her into the Safari Club in the basement and leave her to it.

Best Ferret