As I walked into the lobby, the receptionist warmly welcomes me and ushers me into a breathtaking waiting area. There, Joanna Icha, managing director/chief executive officer, The Cocoon, is waiting to receive me. I settled comfortably into one of the sofas to take in the furnishings before me. An unnamed painting, in hues of red, yellow, white, brown, and magenta lies perfectly on the opposite wall. The painting blends well with the coffee brown sofa with matching throw pillows in orange, coffee brown and gold. This rare blend of colours speaks of the owner’s taste and the hotel’s essence.
Call it a boutique hotel, you won’t be wrong. The Cocoon is a place to be if you desire an exclusive hideout where you won’t be easily found out. It offers a prime luxurious environment that is like home away from home. Next door there is a supermarket, Jojo, where guests can shop.
“We just want to offer our clients,” Icha tells me as she takes me on a tour of the guest house, “a unique atmosphere where they can have the home away from home experience. We want to provide an alternative to families, couples and individuals who do not have the resources to spend their holiday abroad.”
The Cocoon offers a pocket friendly five star experience for short stay travellers to the city of Lagos or residents who desire an exceptional treat and a place where they can get more intimate with their Africanness.
Unlike most suites, The Cocoon has just seven rooms named after some of Africa’s tourist landmarks and sites like Mount Kilimajaro, Ikogosi spring, Yankari Game Reserve, Zuma rock, Iroko tree, Zambezi River and Limpopo.
“Our rooms reflect our African essence,” explains Icha. “We named them after African landmarks and we feel people will relate more with these names. If we could, we would have made it more African but we decided on a fusion of African and modernity.”
Each room at the guest house has a mini bar which means you can indulge yourself from the privacy and comfort of your room. Room service is available on demand. Guests can stay connected with the 24-hour high speed internet at no cost. All rooms are equipped with decadently comfortable bedding, plush rugs, original furnishings, clean and cozy bathrooms and toilets, calming lighting as well as lovely views of Gbagada Estate and the entire surroundings.
Limpopo offers a cozy environment with its airy and bright nature. The artwork on the world is welcoming as its leopard skin tone signifies the jungle for which Limpopo is known. It has a mini bar, 24-hour Wi-Fi. There is also a t where you can catch up with work if you really have to. If not, the state of the art shower is a place to energise yourself before a well deserve night rest.
If you need a compact room where you can truly snuggle up, then Zambezi is the suite to ask for. It offers the right atmosphere for a magical night for two. “You can also work on the go from this room,” adds Icha. “You can stay in touch with the world with our 24-hour internet service or simply pamper yourself while watching a good movie from the comfort of your bed.”
Ikogosi on the other hand is the best room to be for that exclusive weekend gateaway with your family. It offers your family a large space to play around in. “Here you can maximise your relaxation with an invigorating bathe from our ultramodern bathroom or simply curl up in your sofa and watch our 52 inches TV while enjoying a double view of Gbagada Estate from the twin windows.”
In addition, as the name depicts, the Iroko suite is the grandmaster. It is an executive room with dining area, superior furnishings, twin beds, mini parlour and a very spacious bathroom. “You can also enjoy the convenience of a double TV viewing experience and indulge yourself with the well-stocked mini bar,” she explains.
Furthermore, Icha says, The Cocoon offers airport shuttle and laundry services. “We offer highly discounted rates for airport shuttle. Our guests do not need to bother about being picked up or drop off speak to our customer service desk just before boarding and leave the rest to us. We can also serve you in the room at no extra cost.” There is a kitchenette on the ground floor where guests can cook their meal. They can get their supplies from JoJo supermarket next door. And if you don’t want to go through that trouble, you can order your meals from the bar.
Icha tells me The Cocoon is very affordable at the rate of N10, 000 and N12, 000 per night for the rooms while the suites go for N20, 000 a night. “We don’t plan to have more than more rooms than the seven we already have. But we hope to replicate this in other parts of Lagos.”