Vanessa Obioha
captures the highlights of Eko Hotels and Suites’ golden jubilee celebration.
The invites supplied the primary trace of the spectacle to come back. Written on scrolls and delivered in elegant royal packing containers, they mirrored months of preparation for what can be a memorable night. By the time visitors obtained them, the stage had been set for Eko Hotels and Suites to have fun 5 a long time within the hospitality enterprise in model.
True to its promise, the lodge reworked its Convention Centre right into a glittering venue for its fiftieth anniversary. Blue and gold dominated the decor, working from the doorway hallway into the primary corridor. Blue curtains divided the hallway into sections, creating an entrance that evoked the grandeur of a ball. The spectacle appealed to greater than the eyes. Musicians positioned amongst folds of cloth serenaded visitors with classical music as they made their approach into the corridor.
Inside, lights danced throughout the room, whereas an array of screens illuminated the stage. Although the occasion kicked-off greater than an hour after the scheduled time, visitors had been handled to a beneficiant cocktail reception earlier than shifting into the corridor.
The leisure started with a male and feminine dancer on curler skates, who glided throughout the ground to pulsating beats from the playlist together with Elysia Vale’s ‘My Heart.’ A bunch of employees members adopted with a efficiency of the lodge’s anniversary track. Then got here an sudden musical pairing. General Manager Danny Kioupouroglou took to the piano and joined Managing Director Ghassan Faddoul for a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s iconic ‘My Way.’
The night was not simply in regards to the spectacle. Fifty years in enterprise had given Eko Hotels a spot in Lagos’ social and company panorama that few hospitality institutions might declare. What started as an lodging enterprise had advanced into an establishment that has hosted presidents and leaders from throughout Africa and past, supplied a setting for enterprise conferences and political discussions, and welcomed some of the town’s most outstanding social and leisure gatherings.
Its Convention Centre, particularly, has change into a well-known venue for high-profile occasions. In a metropolis the place venue selection usually types half of the assertion an event seeks to make, Eko Hotels has established itself as a vacation spot for grand-scale celebrations.
That legacy fashioned half of the anniversary celebration, which doubled as a gala and awards night time. The lodge’s Chairman, Christopher Chagoury, acknowledged the folks whose contributions had helped maintain the establishment over the a long time, paying tribute to his father, Gilbert Chagoury, who based Eko Hotels, and his uncle, Ronald Chagoury.
“Without your trust, your support, and your belief in Eko Hotels, we simply would not be here today,” he stated.
Reflecting on the journey, Chagoury added: “For 50 years, Eko Hotels has grown, evolved, and hopefully helped shape hospitality and tourism in Nigeria. And as proud as we are of what we have achieved, we are even more excited about what lies ahead.”
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who attended along with his deputy, Femi Hamzat, additionally paid tribute to the lodge, describing it as an establishment that had lengthy been half of the Lagos story.
He highlighted the contribution of the hospitality enterprise to the state’s artistic, tourism and leisure industries, noting the federal government’s efforts to boost the bar in these sectors as half of its financial improvement agenda.
The lodge additionally recognised manufacturers and personalities that had labored with it through the years, together with THISDAY Newspaper and Arise News.
Beyond the speeches and awards, the anniversary supplied a chance to recognise the folks chargeable for the expertise visitors have come to affiliate with the lodge. A theatrical presentation traced its evolution, taking the viewers past the general public face of the establishment to features of its operations that visitors not often get to see. It highlighted how employees members talk, study and work collectively to ship providers.
As the Manpower Development Manager for the lodge, Mrs Toyin Dada places it, “When you talk about talents and humans, we have them.”
That celebration of its folks continued as dinner approached. The cooks chargeable for the night’s menu, which included a chilly cocktail, a scorching cocktail, a starter, a foremost course, dessert and refreshments for the after-party, got here out to take a bow.
Hosted by comic Bovi and actress Osas Ighodaro, the night additionally had its share of musical surprises. The largest got here with the looks of Haitian rapper and singer Wyclef Jean, whose entrance was heralded by the Loud Urban Choir. The choir carried out some of his best-known songs reminiscent of ‘Two Wrongs,’ together with ‘Ready or Not,’ from his days with the Fugees.
Jean first acknowledged his relationship with the lodge earlier than sharing a private revelation with the viewers. His DNA take a look at, he stated, had traced some of his ancestry to Nigeria, though he was not but certain which ethnic group he belonged to.
He later returned to the stage to carry out, bringing visitors to their ft as they sang alongside. Flavour additionally took to the stage, delivering a spirited efficiency in his trademark charismatic model.
For an establishment marking 50 years in a metropolis that has grown and modified round it, the night was each a celebration of its journey and a sh≠owcase of the glamour that has change into half of its enchantment.
