By Elizabeth Adegbesan

If you are a traveller, forget your status; you could be sleeping on a bed made with mere blocks on your next trip.

Born of necessity, that well made bed in your hotel room is resting on brick and blocks, as hoteliers are now searching for cost-cutting measures to stay afloat.

It sounds funny, but that’s the reality, Economy&Lifestyles just discovered.

Hotels now make bed frames  in bricks to save the cost of repairing and replacing worn out wooden bed frames yearly.

We were told that these brick beds are cheaper and stronger than the stylish High Density fibreboard/hardboard bed frames used in some hotels, whose price ranges from N800,000 to N5 million, depending on the quality.

According to Mr. Okikiola Aduroja, a hotel manager in Lagos: “To be frank with you, running a hotel now is like running Nigeria itself. From diesel costs, to little things like toiletries, among others; all their prices have tripled.

“Most hotels now build permanent brick bed frames, whose maintenance is cheaper. This is because most of the wooden bed frames do not last up to six months, especially in hotels located in areas where businesses thrive. It is either the bed frame falls or one thing happens to it.

“In the hotel where I work, we spend nothing less than N300,000 monthly repairing bed frames.

“Even the patronage of most of our services has declined, especially in the food section. Most events hosted here cut down the size of their guests, which also reduces the amount of food they will order. Some even bring their own food, which reduces cost.

“Many now prefer to stay with relatives when they come around or spend the exact days of a meeting when they lodge, which was not so before.

“Many hotels have closed down due to inability to operate. To remain in business, there is the need to invest in buying permanent things rather than temporary ones.”

The brick bed frame reminds one of the then mud bed used in the olden days which is still very present in some homes.

 Estimating the cost of making a brick bed frame, Ayeni Jubilee, a bricklayer said: “Constructing a standard brick bed frame requires 50 to 60 pieces of six-inch block  depending on the size and designs. And at least, four to two bags of cement for moulding and plastering. Also, a little amount of sand is needed to fill the bed frames before plastering. Some people design it with tiles to prevent moisture in the mattress.

“On full construction, you won’t know it is a brick bed frame. It is just like building a brick wardrobe.

“A budget of N200,000 to N300,000  will do a neat job.”

While some people see this alternative as a tomb, others welcome it.

Ms. Mmesoma Obi, a banker said: “I lodged in a hotel located in Okota and discovered that the bed frame was brick. I had to manage it because I checked in late. It was like sleeping on a tomb. I was just praying not to find myself in a burial ground by dawn.”

Mr, Alabi Akin, a civil servant said: “It is a welcome develo- pment. I can sleep on a brick bed, after all, our forefathers were sleeping on brick beds before civilisation and technological advancement came.

“The only solution to  avoid wasteful spending in this era of inflation is to go back to our roots. When our forefathers were sleeping on mud beds, they progressed. In fact, if you didn’t have a mud bed then, you were perceived as the poorest.”