New Telegraph

Hospitality business resumes in FCT as terror attack fear fizzles out

Despite the terror alarm and caution travel advisories issued by select foreign nations to their citizens resident in the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), major hotels in Abuja metropolis are experiencing cash out boom and high patronage. Findings by New Telegraph showed that the three major flagship hotels in the metropolis – Transcorp Hilton Hotel, NICON Luxury and Frasier Suite – were still a beehive of activities.

The fourth hotel – Sheraton & Towers acquired recently by 22 Hospitality Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NIPCO Plc – is shut down for major renovation and repairs. Abuja, the seat of power and its adjunct satellite towns had been enveloped by tension, triggered by fear of impending terrorists’ attacks, supposedly an intelligence information shared to foreign citizens by their respective countries. Among the countries that issued travel advisories to their citizens resident in Nigeria to leave for fear of terrorists’ attack include UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Denmark, Bulgaria, India and Germany.

At prestigious Transcorp Hilton Plc, the hotel was steaming with usual activities – functions, checking in were ongoing with stricter security surveillance enforcement. One of the security personnel among the set manning main entrance gate to the mega facility told this medium that the security alert had an initial slowdown effect on business. He said that normal uptick in lodging functions resumed mid-last week. “We are back to full swing activities. At the initial time when the US and her allies issued the security advisory notice, people hurriedly checked out. But later, activities resumed in full swing. You know, Sheraton Hotel is currently on lockdown for maintenance and renovation.

The lockdown pushes more clients and activities to Hilton. As I speak with you, UNESCO is currently having an engagement at Hilton Hotels, which Minister of information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, is attending. “The management is doubling security checks here. You can notice heavy detachment of military personnel within the hotel for security purposes. The staff entrance gate has been shut down, leaving the main gate the only gate open to use to everyone. The main gate is half-closed with close monitoring both by our in-house security and military personnel.

The space provided is for one vehicle to go in and come out at a time,” he told New Telegraph. At NICON luxury hotels located at Central Business District, a lady reception who spoke to New Telegraph confirmed: “Our hotel is fully booked for activities. The shutting down of Sheraton for renovations has become NICON Luxury’s gain. Events that were billed for Sheraton now come to us, including lodging. Before now, our monthly revenue was in the region of N50 million to N60 million.

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