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Luxury meets safety at the Envoy Hotel

By Chuks Nwanne
27 January 2018   |   4:13 am
Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, will on March 5, witness the formal opening of a new luxury hotel, The Envoy by Mantis. Handled by Hometel Developers Limited, the five-star facility, which is located on the Diplomatic Drive....

A section of the Penthouse Lounge at The Envoy Hotel, Abuja

Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, will on March 5, witness the formal opening of a new luxury hotel, The Envoy by Mantis. Handled by Hometel Developers Limited, the five-star facility, which is located on the Diplomatic Drive, adjacent to the U.S Embassy, will be operated by Mantis Collection, a world-renowned hotel management company.

Originally established with a focus on creating luxury inspired (real estate) developments, Hometel now partners with globally recognised operators and consultants to deliver hospitality development projects of international standards in quality, luxury and creativity with a mission to redefine hospitality standards in Nigeria. And working with Mantis, which has evolved over the years through the development of its 100 properties within and outside the Collection, the firm has come up with this stylish, modern and exclusive hotel, which will definitely change the face of hospitality business in the capital city.

With 50 Standard Rooms, four Diplomatic Suites, four VIP Suites, and 1 Presidential Suite, the public areas at the hotel include the lobby, Vandos Bar, Larai Restaurant, Embassy Hall, Zanzi pool Bar, swimming pool, grill courtyard, entertainment courtyard, with a basement parking. It also offers hi-tech AV equipment that includes the use of iPads in the conference room, Fast Fibre Optic Wi-Fi, IPTV in rooms that allows for the communication of guests with the front desk, and primary public areas in the facility, as well as provides information about the local area

Born out of the need to create a tag for a business and leisure environment that is closer home for the diplomatic community and expatriates, The Envoy will cater for and satisfy the expectations of discerning business travelers, corporate entities, including staff of and applicants to the various embassies on Diplomatic Drive. And combining high-end prime business and leisure facilities, at a strategic location in the central business district and within proximity to over 20 embassies, this is obviously a perfect choice for safety conscious individuals, who love luxury.

Indeed, the goal of every hotel owner is to provide safe, secure accommodations, while also offering friendly customer service. But as hotel security technology is moving into the cyber security sector, with an eye on customer data protection, physical security and awareness remain crucial to the safety of guests.

With this in mind, The Envoy has already secured Level 2 Global Lighthouse Certification in Hotel Security, making it the first hotel in Nigeria to achieve such feat. The certification is a multi-layer security concept specifically designed for sophisticated travelers that is independently audited. Besides, there are CCTV cameras fitted in all areas of the hotel with intruder alarm features for the fences.

Other security mechanisms at the hotel include baggage scanners, walk through metal detection machine, automatic pop-up bollards for the gates, security enhanced doors (bullet proof) on the VIP floor, as well as the engagement of internationally recognised security company for securing the property. Currently the management is in the process of modifying some security aspects of the hotel to enable facility achieve Level 4 ultimately, which include shatterproof windows on all front ground floor windows and an electric fence.

Interestingly, The Envoy has taken advantage of the 5 human senses, and it satisfies them all. The smell senses are tingled from with its unique and bespoke scent; the sound comes from an eclectic selection of Buddha Bar, Latin and African artistes a wide selection played in the background of the hotel; taste comes in a wide spectrum of continental flavours for all palettes; touch is satisfied with the throws and the soft cuddly scatter cushions on the sofas and beds; the visuals come from the satisfying pieces of timeless luxury, from the hanging light fittings in the atrium, the lit-up global map accentuating the silk roads of old, the ancient story of the envoy aptly created on canvas in the lobby. All these combined to tell the story of the upmarket, boutique and trendy Envoy Hotel.

According to the General Manager Keletso Nxumalo, the idea behind the Envoy is to create an everlasting emotion in the guests long after they depart.
“The Envoy boasts of world class facilities, well trained staff and best culinary experience in the market. We are a five star hotel property because we understand that it is all about service and meeting our guest’s needs. We have what it takes to meet the global requirements and standards; that’s exactly where we intend to stay.”

Part of the winning strategies put down by the hotel is to deliver individualised, personal service through a thorough understanding of the guest’s preferences.

“This means that a lot of attention will be paid to every detail. This is what is really going to set The Envoy apart,” she said. Conceived from a classical modernist perspective; a clean, crisp, modern finish adorned by timeless touches of simple luxuries, The Envoy is rooted in the history of the discovery of silk, a luxuriant material that was coveted the world over. The first envoys journeyed the silk roads to open up borders for trade. In turn, knowledge, culture, art, and religion were shared between nations.

Similar to the original silk envoys, The Envoy encapsulates the quest for learning and unity. The hotel’s logo is modelled on the first imprinted coins that were used on the silk roads. Strung to the belts of the envoys, each coin carried a country’s identity to the world.

“Our inspiration for this hotel and its corporate identity has come from that story. The promoter(s) decided on a name that best describes the persona of the prospective patrons and the location/purpose of the property, while also recognising the hardwork and journey travelled through the ‘Silk Road’ in connecting our world,” she said.

It would be recalled that the Boko Haram insurgents attracted international attention when they were able to hit the heart of UN operations and diplomatic circles in Abuja. This, Nxumalo said was taken into cognizance in conceiving and citing The Envoy.

“Yes it was, thus the Security Global Certification Company was brought in at construction level and were able to give us pointers regarding security issues that were taken into consideration when the Hotel was constructed,” she said.

On how the hotel plans to sustain it’s security rating, the General Manager explains, “the certification is only valid for the operations and any other additional building requirements that might be added to the current document. Once the Hotel is open, and the operational requirements are put into place, it will take at least a month post-launch to get to level 4 Certification and that’s our target.”
 

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