THE Area Manager Nigeria, Starwood Hotels & Resort, Alexander Gassauer, said the group has been stimulating tourism into Nigeria with its hotels located in Lagos, Abuja, Uyo and Port Harcourt.

Speaking with tourism journalists at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel, Gassauer disclosed that the hotels were built to attract leisure and business tourists into the country with the best of facilities.

He disclosed that the Le Meridien Hotel, Uyo was built to service the leisure travellers with the kind of facilities on ground there.

“Recreational facilities include a fitness and health club, outdoor children’s and adult pools, two Jacuzzis, tennis and squash facilities, Le Méridien Ibom Golf Club, as well as a riverside marina with a floating jetty.”

He added that the Sheraton hotel in Lagos caters for business travellers, “in Lagos property, the kind of facility differs. We have 80 percent of business travellers who have their bills paid by their companies.”

Alexander Gassauer said he is proud of the team he is working with here in Nigeria, “the hotel industry when I came was where service was not number one priority, but over time since I came, we have increased our hotel from two to five.

He said they have made major efforts in the development of young talents in all their hotels, “we have increased the work force in Nigeria. Starwood employed more than two thousand people in all its hotels in Nigeria.”

He said these are new jobs, “we have trained them and they are ambassadors for hospitality in Nigeria.

Speaking on competition in the hospitality industry in Nigeria today, the Starwood boss said the present number of hotel rooms in Lagos today is not enough.

“Three years ago, Lagos has 1, 355 hotel rooms, but today, Lagos has more than 4,500. The projection in the next ten years is more than 10,000. The present number is not enough for a city like Lagos.”

He said with the growing market here in Lagos that there is room for more hotels. “Look back, different airlines coming into Lagos where not here four years ago, so Lagos is the heart of Africa. There is need for more hotels.”