InterContinental Hotel tower adds colour to Lagos brand

As Lagos State government endeavours to achieve its mega-city status, private sector is lending a helping hand as Milan Group commissions a N30 billion hotel tower that has added colour to the state’s dream.

Built on an elevated terrain, the 23-storey hotel sitting on Victoria Island with 352-rooms and fully owned by Milan Group is an edifice the Lagos government is proud of. Hear the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, beyond the empowerment and development of skilled professionals in the hospitality sector, said the five-star hotel complemented the Lagos mega-city vision, and urged more investors to take advantage of the friendly environment the state was offering them to expand their businesses.

Fashola described the hotel as a worthy investment that has further closed the gap in the deficit of world-class hospitality infrastructure in the state.

According to him, the unveiling of the hotel represents the increasing brands of hotels making Nigeria their choice destinations, as the tourism industry would be boosted by the new edifice.

“The tourism business is the major sector that creates jobs, but sadly, this sector faces lots of challenges across the continent. The Lagos State government is committed to providing the enabling environment,” he said.

The governor, who harped on collection of consumption tax, urged hotels and other in the hospitality business to help the government to collect the tax for developmental purposes, saying

“consumption taxes are not levied on hotels but on consumers. The role of hotel is to collect the tax and give it to us. It is by collecting this taxes that you empower us to provide schools, public utilities and others.”

Ramesh Valechha, chairman, Milan Group, said the luxurious hotel was a commitment and right investment made in the economy of Lagos State and Nigerian hospitality industry at large. To him,  it took lots of challenging moment in the design and conceptualisation of the project, saying he was happy that the designer group overcame the hurdles.

He said InterContinental Lagos was possible through a partnership funding by Skye Bank and Wema Bank that saw the need to assist in getting a five-star property for the growing high-profile guests that deserve nothing but quality accommodation in Nigeria’s commercial capital.

With 650 Nigerians and 24 expatriates as employees, the chairman noted that the hotel was poised to offer world-class hospitality offerings, professional training that will ensure new career paths in the hospitality industry and empowerment to Nigerians, among others, who do business with it.

Karl Hala, regional general manager, Africa, InterContinental Hotels Group, was glad that the hotel, the first of the group’s property in West Africa, whose partnership agreement started in 2000, was now a beautiful product for everyone to enjoy.