A NIGHT AT ECHELON HEIGHTS HOTEL
Location: 73 Ken Sarowiwa Road, Formerly Stadium Road, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
I found out that I had to attend a traditional wedding in Port Harcourt 24hrs before the wedding. I pulled out my phone and got on Travelstart to book my ticket. My plan; fly in early to Port Harcourt, attend the wedding and fly back to Lagos that same day. Unfortunately, there were no late flights back to Lagos available. Spending the night in Port Harcourt was the only option I had. I settled on staying at the Echelon Heights Hotel after a chat with my lady and she made a reservation for me via telephone.
It took a little less than 45mins to get to the hotel from the airport. I wasn’t excited about the hotel’s façade upon arrival, but I was pleasantly surprised upon entering the lobby. The marble floors, leather seats, huge LED screen and the lighting made for a beautiful lobby.
Don’t judge a book by its cover
Lobby Love
I arrived the hotel at about 9:45am and check in time is 2:00pm. The front desk was however nice enough to check me in early and got me into a room which I greatly appreciated. The wedding was at 1:00pm and I needed to freshen up. The concierge grabbed my bag and off to Room 305 we went.
The room was kind of small but tastefully decorated. There is a two-seater outdoor furniture set on a narrow patio if you are inclined to set outside.
The bathroom on the other hand was spacious. It had both a shower and bath. It was clean, and the water pressure was great.
On the downside, the bathroom sink drain leaked when used and the visible water stains showed it’s been a problem for a while. I would have requested a room change if I was spending more than a night.
The room had a cool electronic panel that gives you the option to pick “DO NOT DISTURB” and “HOUSEKEEPING” options. Picking the DND option, changes your room doorbell lighting red and green if you opt for HOUSEKEEPING option instead. Free Wi-Fi is part of the perks of the hotel even though I found it be incredibly slow.
Fancy huh?
I needed to get a gift for the wedding and I contacted the front desk on where to buy a nice bottle of champagne. They turned out to be super helpful and accommodating. They arranged a taxi to take me to both the store to pick up the gift and the wedding venue. I found all the staff in the hotel to be friendly and helpful.
When I got back from the wedding, I decided to check out the hotel’s pool. The pool looked nice and appears to be a hangout spot for the locals. I ordered a mojito, only to find out they couldn’t make it and opted for a Pina colada instead which took forever to come. Most of the people at the pool ordered beers and wine coolers so I guess that’s more expedient versus ordering a cocktail. The hotel is also equipped with a gym with a view of the pool.
View from the gym
There is also a spa next to the gym which was closed during my stay. Going back to my room, I opened my door with my room keycard and staring at me was a lady in her underwear. I was obviously in the wrong room and ironically her husband, boyfriend sugar daddy was right behind me because we rode the elevator together. I obviously apologized and I found my room which my keycard opened once again. I entered my room as the sugar daddy looked on.
Walkway to awkward situations.
The hotel offers a free complimentary breakfast buffet and I was in the restaurant in the morning to have some food before my check-out. The restaurant has a huge aquarium which I guess is why they named the joint L’Aqua. The buffet spread is decent for a N4,000 naira value and I had nothing to complain about.
Wonder if seafood is a specialty at this restaurant. Get it?
Packed my bag and I was off to the airport. My one-night experience at the Echelon Heights Hotel was good all in all. I felt relatively safe and the staff were tremendous. I would rank my experience as a solid 2.5 stars in my 5 star rating system.
NB:
Room cost: N35,000
Free Wi-Fi
Free complimentary breakfast
No iron and ironing board in room and isn’t given upon request (All laundry needs are done by staff)
If you’re visiting Port Harcourt will you give it a trial? If you’ve stayed there, how was it and did you happen to enter a room that wasn’t yours?
*Reviews are based on opinions and personal experiences, and may differ from person to person
*prices written are based on the time the visit was made and is subject to change by the owners.
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