Coming Home this Christmas! Don’t Wanna Stay with Mom and Dad ( What’s the allure of Short Lets / Short term lets / Stay?)

In Lagos these days you have the option of accommodation that is not a hotel and is not a regular apartment. They are called short lets and are common in the UK, US and so on. For many holiday makers, prospecting returnees and returnees (or “repatriates”) with a little bit of money to burn, it’s the answer to a common dilemma. You don’t want to stay at “home” with your parents or other family but prefer a homely situation with quality akin to the crazily priced hotels in Lagos at a “good price”.

In a city where, in order to rent an apartment/flat (whatever you decide to call it), you have to “cough-out” a 2 year cumulative rent up-front, as well as a security deposit and agency fees, it is easy to see the difference between a short let and a regular apartment. In short-lets, you get to pay nightly, weekly or monthly.

Seeing, however,  that most tend to charge nightly (and handsomely too) and usually come fully furnished, it is harder to tell why they simply do not call themselves hotels. Check out the comparison I’ve put together. It’ll help you make a decision as to whether short lets are appropriate for your trip or not.

Comparison

	High-end Hotel	High-end Shortlet
Room	Usually have a choice of singles, doubles or suites. They usually do not come with kitchens or laundries.	Usually provide all the convenience of a home in each unit. Kitchen, Laundry etc
Reception/ Lobby	Usually Elaborate with all sorts of entertainment	Usually small and sometimes does not exist
In house Restaurant	Most high-end hotels  have a good variety of restaurants or at least a large menu to choose from	Many simply have in-house cooks who can whip up a nice meal or two. Others expect you eat out or “hook-up” your meal yourself in the kitchen that usually comes with your room/ flat/ house
Room Service	The hallmark of hotel stays	Some have room service but many do not and expect you to fend for yourself
Laundry Services	Usually central and provided at an extra cost	Usually available in each unit and expected to be self serviced
Reception/ Lobby	Usually elaborate with loads of entertainment	Usually small or non-existent
BQ / Servant’s quarters	I beg your pardon?	Some actually come with these.

Cost

High-end shortlets can be a no brainer for certain people’s accommodation when you consider that the price of a well furnished (yes ,comparable to Federal Palace hotel in quality finishing) and homely 3 bedroom apartment is equivalent to a 2 by 4 room (exaggeration) in your favorite hotel.

The average high-end 2 bedroom shortlet in VI, Ikoyi or Lekki ; the island as they are commonly called (ooh, did you know that VI is actually not an island?) goes for N40,000-50,000 a night (approx $330).

On the other hand:
A standard King room @ Fed Palace VI: $588

A standard room at the Southern Sun Ikoyi : $488 per night

You’re looking at an average savings of 30% and could save even more if you decided to venture farther along the Lekki Peninsula towards Victoria Garden City or even to the mainland.

Where to find Short-lets

Good things can be hard to find but are worth searching hard for. The internet savvy may be able to come upon a few good options on the internet while searching through various publications may be less forthcoming but fruitful nonetheless . It’s usually like a treasure hunt and so can be fun but also potentially frustrating. Lekki Real also provides a service to help find good Short-lets in Lagos, so do not hesitate to shoot us an email (info@lekkireal.com)or give us a call to help you out. 08020741742 or 07029231200.

Ttyl
T.O.