If the world soccer body (FIFA) will pick Ijebu Ode as one of the host centres for the  upcoming FIFA under 17 world cup that the country is billed to host later in the year based on the hotels available, then the city is as good as having it.

There are good hotels with nice facilities that meet international standard in terms of services, and the latest hotel in Ijebu Ode which has already caught the fancy of the FIFA inspectors is the Conference Hotel.

The Conference Hotel located in the heart of the ancient town is been managed by DDJ Collection Hotels which  provides a specialist service for the hospitality industry.

The Chief Executive Officer of the group, Mr. Doron Umansky, an Israeli who has chosen Nigeria as his business base has over 25 years experience in hotel management and certainly is sure_footed on this score, as he says he is committed to developing the hospitality sector.

In a chat with Travel & Tourism recently, the Israeli explained that his company took over the Conference Hotel in 2007 under a deplorable condition and that they have been able to turn things around declaring a net profit of over N60m in 2008.

“We came to create something from nothing here in Ijebu Ode.” An truly they have created something in the middle of nothing in Ijebu Ode with what they have on ground at Conference Hotel.

What catches the attention of first timer at the hotel  is the ambiance of opulence that is brought to play at the large expanse of land housing the hotel. From the well trimmed landscaping to the neat and well laid inter-locking stones, one will not loose site of the water fountain as well as the spacious parking lots available to customers.

An entry into the reception area confirms the attention paid to the minutes details in the interior decoration. Much attention was paid to the hotel interiors as they tried to conform the look to the finishes.The designer  tried to harness positive energy to minimize the feeling of being underground by choosing very flattering lighting to make patrons feel comfortable.

The  Hotel décor is given utmost importance keeping the kind of guests in mind. Comfort is the keyword in the hotel décor. The furniture and the interiors are  comfortable that the guests feel at ease when they are there.
Conference Hotel  has about 46 rooms ranging from standard to executive categories, fitted and furnished to taste with the state of the art hospitality facilities.

“At the end of a day’s hard work what better relaxation than a warm and cozy bed! Yes, having the right kind of bed is very important. Science wasn’t a part of a lot of things in the earlier days, but today it is. Sleep must be peaceful and full. This will not happen for a lot of factors, one being a not so comfortable bed. So, having the right bed is really important.” Austin Ordia, the hotel GM said.

Austin Ordia said one of the challenges they have operating the hotel apart from the huge amount spent on diesel monthly is not having enough rooms to sell in the hotel. Each of the room has a computer with wireless internet service, reading lamp comfortable chairs , while the toilets are tastefully designed to meet the guests need.

And to take care of the food need of the guests, the hotel offers both continental and local cuisine prepared in hygienic environment under the supervision of the chef who has long years of experience in 5star hotels. There are also two bars, the lobby bar and the terrace bar,  that offer the best of wine and drinks.

For meetings and conferences, it has a collapsible meeting rooms that can take up to 1,500 guests sit snugly in the hotel climate controlled functions hall for weddings, birthdays and other large social events.

There is also executive conference room with a number of conference facilities to cater for different classes of meetings. Customer satisfaction is at the core of the hotel business, as the outfit’s owner informs that they are  dedicated to giving customers value service for their money’s worth. “We do this by having highly trained personnel recruited and have them re-trained often.”