FIRST OF ALL, INTRODUCTION!
NAIJANOMADS: So my travel writer buddy, Demola Ojo, buzzed me last Friday around noon inviting me on an all expense paid trip to INAGBE GRAND RESORT alongside travel bloggers and journalists. The resort is launching a new product called “THE EXPLORE CARD” and we were scheduled to leave at 2.30pm and spend the night there. I was just like, “Dude, I have a husband and a day job, I really can’t up and leave for some resort on such short notice.” He kindly arranged another trip for the next day and I was to help him recruit travel and lifestyle bloggers. I bet when I sent Berry that message on Friday afternoon she must have thought “How last minute can Nigerians be???”
BERRY
DAKARA: Lastminute.com much?!?! When I got the message on Twitter on Friday
afternoon, I was like “YES! Woot woot, what’s the date so I can plan my
calendar for July?” Then the bomb drops: “The excursion is TOMORROW MORNING!”
Let me not lie, I almost did the GbogboBigz Girls act like, “Oh, so am I now a
desperado that doesn’t have things to do?” But my Saturday plans were for
evening, so I was 100% on board!
NAIJANOMADS:
On Saturday, we got to the jetty and waited for the boat to arrive (we waited
for 1.5 hours – miscommunication issues).
BERRY
DAKARA: That wait was no joke!!! Plus the random dog in the parking lot that
almost made me jump into the Lagoon. Thankfully the parking attendant tethered
the dog, and us girls got to know each other better and take selfies!
NAIJANOMADS:
When we got to resort, we forgot how long we had waited – GORGEOUS
PLACE! There was a mini press conference and the CEO, Mr.
Adeyeye Ogunwusi, addressed us on the product. Appaz, word around town is that
the resort only caters to the “upper echelon” and they are trying to correct
that notion by giving amazing discounts to their loyal customers. Sweet!
BERRY DAKARA: Girl, I’m about that Explore Card life!
NAIJANOMADS:
I was very excited to see that you can get as high as a 50% discount on services
at the resort depending on how much you put on the card.
BERRY
DAKARA: I was even more excited that the minimum value put on the card can get
you a roundtrip boat ride, resort stay (if you please), food/drinks – AND it’s still less than what most hotels on the island charge
just for their rooms!
NAIJANOMADS:
Mr. Adeyeye was so detailed with everything and answered all the questions
thrown at him. Berry you must have asked him like 500 questions right?? Hahahahaha.
BERRY DAKARA:
I’m very inquisitive, innit? Actually people always wonder why I never studied
law. I was quite impressed that no matter what question was thrown at the CEO,
he gave clear responses.
GETTING THERE
NAIJANOMADS:
The boat ride takes an exhilarating 15 minutes from the Lagos Regatta Venue at
Queens Drive, Ikoyi. It really didn’t feel like Lagos the moment we stepped out
of the boat. You will also be required to book a boat ride to the resort by
calling any of the numbers on their website. COST: N6,000-N8,000 roundtrip.
BERRY
DAKARA: Basically I can forgo buying a pair of shoes or new dress and instead whisk
myself away from the hustle and bustle of Lagos, which is very much needed
regularly. And it did feel like I was outside Lagos. I mean I could very well have
lied on Instagram and said I went to the Caribbean for the weekend! Some
friends on Whatsapp actually thought I had traveled out again.
ROOMS
NAIJANOMADS:
The resort has fair rates which can be viewed here.The
rooms were really cozy, decent and most importantly clean. And guess what? You
get a 10%-50% discount off these rates with your EXPLORE CARD.
BERRY
DAKARA: I appreciate that there’s a bracket for everybody. Looking for extreme
luxury, they gotchu. Just want to sleep on a comfortable bed in a nice room,
they gotchu too!
WHAT TO DO (ACTIVITIES)
NAIJANOMADS: We had to get to the beach via quad bikes, riding a horse or
taking a walk. I was so eager to get on the horses you would have thought I was
an equestrian of some sort. Berry on the other hand is allergic to fur so she
got on the quad bike instead.
BERRY DAKARA: Okay, maybe I lied about being allergic to fur. Yes, I’m prone to
allergies but the overriding issue is my ABJECT FEAR OF ANIMALS! Biko, bring
the quad bike!!! In fact, I could have walked. By the way, you forgot about the
other animals. I don’t like animals much but the peacocks were BEAUTIFUL to
look at. However, if animals aren’t your thing, you can always head to the
floating lounge/restaurant on the Lagoon-side and relax with cocktails and a
good book. OR take a leisurely swim in the swimming pool. OR wait till night
time and party on the pretty lit-up deck to the DJ or Live band.
NAIJANOMADS: Unfortunately we didn’t have the opportunity to get a
massage but everyone seemed to have good things to say about it. I don’t wanna
brag (or maybe I do) but I have had really good massages in my lifetime so I
wouldn’t give a verdict based on other peoples experiences. When I get one, I
will let you guys know how it felt.
BERRY DAKARA: No comment on the massages that we were told too late
about. To everyone else that got massages and kept it to themselves, GOD IS
WATCHING YOU!
NAIJANOMADS: The adrenaline junkie in me was longing for more activities and I asked if they intend to satisfy people like me with more things to do. Well, they informed us there were plans to bring jet skis and a couple of other water-related activities. Satisfaction guaranteed in the nearest future!
BERRY DAKARA: They also have a multipurpose hall and can accommodate
parties of up to 1000 people. If they had been up and running early 2013, I
would definitely have had my wedding there. *le
sigh* There’s always a 576th day vow renewal, right?
NAIJANOMADS: What’s your take on the food? Sih!! Memories of that kebab
lingers on…. They seem to be confident about their seafood, so next time I go
there I have to try it! You also get a discount on food with your EXPLORE CARD. You can tell I am shamelessly trying to advertise this card, just go get
it already!!
BERRY DAKARA: Every single thing on my plate was surprisingly good! I say
surprisingly because too many places don’t get the flavours right inside the
meat. That wasn’t a problem here. I totally wouldn’t mind taking a day trip
there and using my Explore Card for food and drinks.
CUSTOMER
SERVICE/HOSPITALITY
NAIJANOMADS:
One thing that stood out for me was the story Mr. Adeyeye told about the
Company that came over for their workers retreat for a weekend and got a full
refund because the resort had power issues!
I mean it’s only right that when you cannot satisfy your customers, they
get a refund (even if not full). Nigerian restaurants take note!
BERRY
DAKARA: I was also impressed by that, and one of the offended parties was
actually there to corroborate the story. The CEO even said that they go online
to check for and respond to not-so-great reviews, in a bid to correct any
issues that guests may have had (trust me to Google and check if it’s true –
yup, someone had a bad experience with booking and mentioned it on her blog… 2
comments down was a response from Inagbe Grand Resort). I also appreciated the
fact that the CEO and GM (Mr. Jide Fadairo) actually took time to have genuine
conversations with us. You can tell from the way they speak about Inagbe
Resort, that it’s a passion project, they care about tourism and want guests to
enjoy their experiences there.
INDIGENOUS PARTICIPATION
NAIJANOMADS: I was very impressed as I am one of
those people that thinkseverything that looks nice is probably imported. Let’s not
bore you with details but almost everything at the resort was made in
Nigeria. See list here. Talk about using our own natural resources!!! They actually have a factory onsite where they make furniture (see Essential Homes Furniture)
SECURITY
BERRY DAKARA: In this day and age,
you have to be security conscious. Inagbe Grand Resorts is working with the
Nigerian Navy and Police, and there are security patrols not only onshore, but
also on the waterways. That’s reassuring.
CONCLUSION
NAIJANOMADS: Berry I think you
should take us through how the Explore Card works because I’m not sure I
remember anything. All I heard was discounts, discounts and more discounts J.
BERRY DAKARA: Okay, the Explore Card is a points-based system, and those points are used to pay for everything
Inagbe-related, from the transportation to accommodation to food and drinks and
more. The points are N2.00 each, and you start with a minimum of 25,000 points
(=N50,000.00). You can buy points via debit card or bank transfer, and each
card is customized with your name on it. There are security measures on it that
will prevent someone from using your card without your consent/knowledge. Whenever your points are low, you can always buy more. Of course, the more
points you have, the larger the discounts that you get.
<49,000 points = 10% discount
<99,000 points = 30% discount
>100,000 points = 50% discount
You can use the points for you and
your loved ones, e.g. I can use my card to spoil the hubby and treat him to a
relaxing weekend where he CANNOT RUN AWAY for business!!! Or
bridesmaids/groomsmen can contribute to someone’s card and have a great hen or
bachelor weekend away.
The bottom line is Inagbe Grand
Resorts is accessible. You don’t have to spend a boat load of money to have fun
– make it a day trip with a group of friends on your EXPLORE CARD! Leave Ikoyi
in the morning and engage in fun activities, and head back in the early
evening! And if you have extra, spend a night or two and get relaxing massages,
accompanied with their great food! It’s really up to you and your pocket. It’s
not everyday club, everyday restaurant… sometimes get away and relax!
To sign up, make reservations, or
get your transportation arranged, simply call INAGBE GRAND RESORTS at
08125992519, 07046522658 or 07046538271. You can also email reservations@inagbegrandresorts.com.
Looks really wonderful indeed, and loads of fun.
ReplyDeleteYeah I wanna go back for a proper stay
DeleteOooooh niceeeee! Sure looks like nice getaway ... No need to ask cos it's obvious you had a 'Berry blast'..
ReplyDeletehttp://epiphany29.com/talk-thursday-immorality/
LOL! Yeah it was fun
DeleteI totally love this style of relaying the events made it an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteThanks! It was Naija Nomad's idea... borrowed a page from Eat Drink Lagos
DeleteWow! Looks impressive! Telling the husband about it right now!
ReplyDeleteYay!
DeleteWooww, the place looks so beautiful. You guys surely had loads of fun..
ReplyDeleteWe sure did
Deletereally cool. i should visit this place.
ReplyDeleteIt would be fun
DeleteSuch a beautiful place/resort as well :) Love the snaps of your adventure, everything seems so exciting! :) xx Maja
ReplyDelete❤ http://majasmuffin.blogspot.com
Thank you very much Maja
DeleteOh this post is exciting! You made me laugh Berry!
ReplyDeleteI clicked on the reservation link on this post but I got an error message...no file specified.
G
Uh oh. I'll check the link again
DeleteAbeg jor, I have beef for them.... My fiancé and I are getting married in october, Inagbe was really top on our list, only to call them 2 months ago and their price aff enter millions ( cos Bobo had called like a year back, not that we expected the price to be the same or something but the margin was just toooooooooooooooo wide we had to wake up from our dream lol to change. We inquired about Epe Hotel and Suites ( amazing place ) but we had to drop it too coz of logistics issue, having to get a bus, book all the rooms and all that, then coz our wedding is going to be on a weekday we factored in traffic too... We are finally settling for a garden in Ikeja which is central enough.
ReplyDeleteAwww really? I think it might be a Nigerian thing cos the same thing happened to us during our wedding planning at a different resort. We went there one Sunday and they quoted 500k. When I emailed the following week (week o) they said 5 million.
ReplyDelete:/
I don't know what Inagbe's rates are honestly but I think that hospitality providers should stick to set rates when they have set them.
YEP YEP! Maybe it's a Nigerian thing but they should learn to either employ competent people or give accurate/correct information.
ReplyDeleteBERRY, I am having a meltdown. I am freaking out like crazy. Planning stuff about my wedding is taking a toll on me even though I have a wedding planner.
We want a very small, intimate but nonetheless classy wedding on a budget wedding, but our efforts have been in vain.
Having being satisfied with the garden in Ikeja, we found out there where hidden charges ie facility fee of 100k (drums for cooling drinks, chairs, tables tents and all those) then another 30k for something I don't remember ( if we will bring our own decorator boa the bla fee) and another 10. Everything was about 370k it didn't make sense anymore plus I started feeling in my spirit that weather won't favor us, it could still rain in October.
We started looking elsewhere.... We found a nice hotel on the Island that would give out there hall for 300. We thought oh nice! We will reduce our wedding list more, started making buffet choice only for me to get home today for her to tell me that the Reverend can't join us outside of church, my church says they don't join outside, my parents church also. His church are saying long thing
What the fudge muffin? My looooong comment got missing. Anyways, your wedding planner should have checked with your venue to see what and what was included in the package. I asked 5 million questions during our planning, and the manager actually got tired of me.
DeleteAnd don't get me started on the church procedures. Apparently a lot of churches don't conduct ceremonies outside their buildings. We had to go back and forth for a few months before we finally settled. Ask your pastors if you can do a court wedding, and then have a marriage blessing at the garden. They might be open to that. If not, ask your parents to beg a pastor friend.
This looks great, Will definitely try to visit. Would make a good staycation, Initially I always perceived it to be very expensive but I guess its not as bad.
ReplyDeleteThey're actually having a sale on Dealdey right now, so you should check it out - Inagbe Dealdey
Deleteno one has mentioned where cars are parked. planning a trip for the parents and another for friends in december but where to SAFELY park cars is a major issue for me. any ideas?
ReplyDeleteI mentioned it in passing. You park at the jetty on Queens Drive in Ikoyi. It's a gated parking lot and I'm assuming the security is there 24/7. Some of the other people parked overnight.
DeleteWell done, Berry! Another activity to try out this xmas :)
ReplyDelete