As I mentioned in the previous post on Types of Hotels, people would want you to believe there is no money in hotel business in Nigeria. On the contrary, there is real money in hotel and hospitality industry and you can become part of it starting from today. For a small starter, your hotel really doesn’t have to be big, just something small in form of a mini lodge, beer parlor, and small restaurant.

This type of hotel business is most suitable in developing countries such as Nigerians, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, India, etc. Nigerians are heavy spenders when it comes to merriment and good life and hotel business in one avenue through which you can tap from such heavy spending.

Tradewinds Hotel, American Samoa

Let us assume you have a hotel with only 10 rooms and a beer parlor and charge N3,000 per night, you will be making N3,000 X 10 = N30,000 daily! That would be roughly N900,000 Monthly revenue from 10 rooms apartment, excluding revenues from foods and drinks.

If you apply my winning formula of good customer relationship, to achieve the above sum is very easy and simple. Remember, we’re talking about local hotels – it doesn’t have to be big or situated in the happening part of the city. Now let’s get down and see how you can put things in place and get started as soon as possible.

Get Your Hotel Business Right From The Start

It seems like its a norm in this part of the world that every local hotel has to be dirty and unkept after all, is it not just to sleep on bed with a woman and get up the next morning? This is the  number one area where small hotel owners in Nigeria are getting it wrong.

Hotel is beyond just a bed and mattress for sex, it should be a place for relaxation and superior comfort, different from what is obtainable in most homes. Get this aspect of your hotel business right and you are a winner in the business.

1. Register Your Hotel Name

Good name they say is better than silver and gold, Choose a very attractive name for your hotel, some names attracts while some are not – choose the one you think would make someone want to know “what goes on in there?” Words like: Exquisite, Delight, Deluxe, Luxury, Platinum, and Classic – are good in hotel names. Choose your name very carefully!

Then, proceed to register your name with The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) of Nigeria if the name you’ve chosen isn’t yet registered by someone else. N30,000 would be enough for that

2. Choose A Nice Location

This doesn’t have to be exotic, just a befitting place in your location but let it be in a place that is easy to locate, property by the road side is preferable. Negotiate and acquire it except you already have a property in a good area. This would cost you some money – From N800,000.

The prices of property varies from place to place, we can’t really put a price on this, just do your home word and try to negotiate properly.

3. Build A Small But Nice Suits

Face me I face you building format with all rooms en-suite is ideal for small hotel business. Don’t be too economical with the room sizes, let the rooms be a bit spacious. Carefully plan and execute the structure in such way that your guest would see the class in your hotel.

Tastefully furnish your hotel rooms irrespective of the price you want to charge. After all, you aren’t going to be furnishing it every day! Put high quality beds and bed sheets. Let your hotel rooms reflect high class even though you’ll be charging low price.

4. Employ The Best of Staffs

If you have background in hotel management, that’s nice. If not, don’t worry – employ people with these skills and learn with experience. The good thing is that you’re starting small so you’ll be able to learn as you grow your business.

You will need capable hands to manage the security of your guest and the hotel in general. Different people will come into your hotels, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Prepare for them all.

You will need Caterers too, for the foods and services and the general well being of your guests.

You will need Laundry men whose duty would be to wash all the bed-sheets, the towels, and the curtains. It’s a hotel abomination to give the guests bed-sheets and towels that has been previously used by another guest! Be careful of these bad practices.

You need Barmen, Cleaners, Receptionists, Room service attendants, a Supervisor and a Manager. While you administrate your business if you can.

Put all these in place and you’re good to go. Don’t forget that every big thing always starts small.