Background
Sun International spearheaded a $10 million soft refurbishment of the 5-star Federal Palace Hotel & Casino after taking over operational management responsibility in August 2008. A nice bit of trivia is that the Nigerian Independence Declaration was signed in what is now the hotel’s main boardroom, back in 1960.
Where Is It?
The hotel is situated in the commercial hub of Victoria Island and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. It’s in close proximity to the mainland and just off the exit to Victoria Island. Murtala Muhammed International Airport is 25 kilometres away, although that trip can take hours, depending on the legendary Lagos traffic.
In the business district of Guindy, on Mount Road, eight kilometres from the domestic and international airport and a 20-minute drive from the city centre, depending on traffic.
Rooms & Facilities
The hotel has 146 rooms and suites, and they all come with a 32-inch flat-screen TV, mini-bar, tea/coffee making facilities, work desk and chair, digital safe, hair dryer, air-conditioning, 24-hour room service and universal adaptor socket
Conference Facilities
The hotel has a business centre and nine executive boardrooms, as well as the Explorer’s Annex and the External Ballroom. The Annex is an intimate venue attached to the hotel restaurant, whilst the Ballroom is a 50-metre walk from the hotel and can host up to 500 people. The venues come with standard conferencing equipment, such as data projector, screen, public address system, pens and paper, partitioning board and flip charts. The conferencing team offers to take care of the food, beverages, AV services, IT services and video conferencing facility. We hosted two functions at the Federal Palace. Firstly, an evening cocktail function on the outside terrace leading off the Ancestors Spirit and Wine Bar, and looking onto the water. The hotel arranged for a temporary bar station on the terrace and we were able to dictate which drinks to place on the complimentary list, as well as keep an eye on the tab. We also arranged our own background music and the Federal Palace staff were on hand to assist with the technical details. The canapés menu featured the likes of sushi, parma-wrapped grissini, polenta cakes with feta cheese and cucumber, barbeque chicken wings, sesame-crusted prawn with soy and ginger sauce, and potato croquets with mozzarella cheese – all delicious. The terrace was perfect for a cocktail party, whilst there’s another option worth considering, in the form of the Pool Club. Our main event took place in the Ballroom the following day and consisted of a full-day conference, with exhibition booths surrounding the conference space. Most importantly, the venue had great air-conditioning, whilst Federal Palace also provided a projector and the food and drink, and we took care of the exhibition space and sound. Our lunch was pretty comprehensive, with cold dishes in the form of a selection of salads (Thai beef, potato, Greek, pasta), cold meats and curry pickled fish. The hot dishes were made up of the likes of pepper soup, grilled chicken, beef stew, pounded yam and battered fish fillet, whilst there was fruit salad and assorted cakes and pastries for dessert. The Ballroom is a nicely self-contained venue, with onsite bathrooms and the food served inside the venue. We had in the region of 200 people at our event, but even with the exhibition booths, there was still space to spare, with our delegates seated around tables.
Verdict
What I like is that it’s all there, and we didn’t even need to leave the hotel complex in three days, with exceptionally comfortable accommodation, efficient business facilities and all you need for an event or conference. My only criticism – whilst Wi-Fi is complimentary in the rooms and public spaces, it is charged for in the Ballroom, leaving delegates having to purchase vouchers from reception, which is something I think they could re-look.
Contact
Address: 6 – 8 Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island
Tel: +234 1 277 9000
Email: reservations@ng.suninternational.com
Web: www.suninternational.com
Dylan Rogers