A Wren Says

Before you read any further, I questioned whether I should bother reviewing the Spring Hill Hotel and Suites in Asaba, Nigeria where I stayed. My fear was that it would come across as a very westernized and insensitive critique. That maybe it would seem that I was being too hard on them and holding too high a standard. But too be honest, I believe that mindset is probably more harmful. It communicates a sense that they can’t possibly do better, which is not true. None of the things I took issue with have anything to do with cultural differences. Instead, I believe that they are universal standards of service. Especially for a hotel that is a mere 3 years old and bills itself as 4 star, I have to be honest about my experience.

The room featured a full-sized bed, desk, bench with cubbies, bedside bench, armoire/closet, and blackout shades. The first room I believed was an executive and had more space and seating. We would later move rooms when the standard we booked was available. The bed was comfortable enough, but the bed sheet had a hole in it. The bathroom had a rainfall shower that felt like a deluge.

My second room had a bathroom that was designed so that you could not fully open the shower door. It would just hit the sink. The outlet was also just handing out the wall unsecured.

The first room I stayed in had roaches. I saw tiny roaches multiple times. And there was a more exotic roach, and then there was one more type. I made sure to zip up all my bags and keep my things contained. That is definitely not the souvenir I wanted to take back home with me. And there was a hole in the wall under the A/C unit.

The room key was the key to ensure there was power in your room. Upon entering you will see a slot on the wall. If the key was not in the slot, there was no electricity in the room at all. When the key was removed, the power went out, almost immediately. And yes, that includes the mini fridge.

As much as I would have loved to have come back to a cold drink from the refrigerator, this system was crucial in an area with inconsistent energy supply. It ensures guests don’t waste limited fuel by running lights or A/C while out. There were frequent power cuts, which meant the property had to largely rely on a generator for power. And when the lights went out, God forbid you’re in a windowless bathroom at the time. One thing I never understood is how the music always kept going at both the pool and in the hallway. Music was never impacted even while we sat in our rooms in the dark.

It was 6:30 AM. Adele was blasting in the hallway of the Spring Hill Hotel, where I was staying in Asaba, Nigeria. I’m not entirely sure who on the property team was the most in the love with the artist, but they made sure to play her music every single day. At 6:30 PM there was much greater variety, at a much higher volume coming from the pool bar. It was largely Afro Beats, but sometimes a country rock song would play. The problem was that it was so loud the bass shook my window. It was like I was attending a Covid safe party in my room. All of the beats but none of the social contact. When not annoyed by the uninvited sound, I allowed myself to dance along. But of course, if the music is bumping in your hotel room until 11:30 PM, it makes it hard to sleep. Eventually I changed rooms, which helped quite a bit, but the music was still very loud.

Service was inconsistent. We had to ask for towels as they were not guaranteed to be left by housekeeping. It took a few nights to get shower gel. We were shocked that was even a thing that was supposed to be provided. Sometimes you got turn down served. Sometimes they left sweets. One night they left apples, but not all the rooms got it. The TV had different channels in each of the rooms. 1 room had a movie channels. Ours had National Geographic, and I definitely got sucked into the show about the veterinarian The Incredible Dr. Pol.

While I was there, I decided to read some Google reviews, The place had a pretty high star rating, even though people had similar complaints. The thing that they appreciated which got the ratings up: Air conditioning and security. That is not lost one me given the area I was in. To be honest with you, I can’t recommend you stay at this hotel. Yes there was A/C. Yes, I felt safe. But are those two things enough?

It makes me wonder though, “What are your must-haves when it comes to a hotel?” Are there things that you can just over look as long as certain needs are covered? Does that list change depending on the cost of the room or the region you’re staying in? And how would you go about reviewing a hotel while abroad? I’m curious how you all might approach this.