10 important factors to consider when searching for venue Cost Always work to keep the venue cost down to allow more room in your budget for food and beverages and entertainment. Being flexible on the date can be a great negotiating tool as weekdays generally tend to be less expensive than weekends. A good starting point is to check websites like Ogavenue and Venue Compass for price comparison of available venues in Lagos. Location The venue location is one of the most important parts in planning an event. A good venue should have convenient transportation access and adequate parking. A convenient location means different things for different events e.g if many attendees will be travelling from out of town or if you are organising multiple events in one day, hosting the event at a venue near the airport or the hotel will be beneficial. Better still, if attendees are being housed at a single location, hosting the event at that hotel mitigates logistical challenges. Ambiance Pay special attention to the existing decor inside the venue. Is it stuffy? Dull? Dark? Clean? New? Modern? What style is the architecture and what does the buildings interior convey? If you are holding a […]

The 30 Worst Decisions You Can Make in a Hotel As hoteliers, we’ve stood on both sides of the hotel reception desk. And we can tell you that, like most travellers, when you’re probably making a mistake. It may be something as simple as not getting better rooms or service, but you could also be making mistakes that put you and your loved ones in danger. Here are the 30 worst things to do on your next hotel stay. The 30 Worst Decisions You Can Make in a Hotel. Not asking for an upgrade When you arrive at the check-in desk, you greet the person behind the counter warmly, state your name, and your purpose thusly, “Hello, I’m John Smith. I have a reservation and am here to check in.” The very next words to leave your mouth should be, “Do you have an upgrade available?” Smile and ask nicely and you just might land yourself a room with a view. If you already got an upgrade, skip this step. Do a happy dance. Give thanks to the keeper of the room upgrades and do not mention the rate. If you strike out on an upgrade, always ask if there […]

Energy drinks deliver a caffeine or glucose-based energy boost and are enjoyed by millions worldwide. However energy drinks are high in sugar – some frighteningly so. The ‘added extras’, like taurine, are hocus-pocus and don’t really do anything other than make the drink more marketable.

Recognised as the Top Performing Hotel in Lagos Nigeria as Reviewed by Travellers on the World’s Largest Travel Site Lagos, Nigeria – 19th June 2015 – Welcome Centre Hotels today announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. Now in its fifth year, the award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve great reviews on TripAdvisor. Certificate of Excellence winners include accommodations, eateries and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a superior customer experience. When selecting Certificate of Excellence winners, TripAdvisor uses a proprietary algorithm to determine the honourees that takes into account the quality, quantity and recency of reviews and opinions submitted by travellers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period as well as business’s tenure and ranking on the Popularity Index on the site. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months. “Winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is a true source of pride for the entire team at Welcome Centre Hotels and we’d like to thank all of […]

With all the emotion and giddiness that comes with the early stages of wedding planning it is very easy for couples to see a venue, get excited and sign the booking contract. Avoid hasty decisions and instead start by making an informed list of wedding locations at least a year in advance. We have written below the top ten factors to consider when choosing a wedding reception venue