A good look at has been taken into the controversial Patience Jonathan's N10bn hotel located in Bayelsa and all its opulence.
Former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and her hotel
From afar, the sheer magnificence of the Aridolf Resort Wellness
and Spa, strategically positioned in the heart of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State
capital, draws a first-time visitor into a lavish embrace.
Arguably the most prestigious hotel in the oil-rich state, the
edifice is located in Okaka Estate, along Isaac Adaka Boro Expressway,
which is close to a popular night club, Bolex.
The five star hotel sprawls over a large expanse of land
complementing the surroundings of the residential estate which boasts of
the choicest edifices and castles in the whole of Bayelsa.
The security in the hotel has thinned out compared to what it used
to be when Goodluck Jonathan held sway as the country’s President.
Reportedly worth about N10bn, the Aridolf is said to be owned by the
former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.
Before May 2015, beyond the opulence oozing from the impressive
building, Aridolf was also like a presidential fortress, with the
presence of soldiers and members of other security agencies, apparently
on sentry duty, manning the gates and other strategic areas.
But it all changed when Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party
lost the 2015 presidential election, which saw the emergence of
Muhammadu Buhari as President and the All Progressives Congress as the
ruling party.
While the imposing Aridolf still retains its grandeur, the air of
presidential security and protected serenity has since disappeared, as
only private guards and plainclothes security personnel are seen around
the area.
The hotel
A first time visitor or guest would still marvel at the sprawling
architectural masterpiece spread across four buildings with a fountain
strategically positioned for aesthetic effect. The fountain is encased
with bulbs of different colours shining from beneath it, producing a
colourful shade of glamour and extravagance.
Inside the compound, tarred with interlocking tiles all round, is a
spacious car park that can conveniently accommodate hundreds of
vehicles. Other facilities offered at the property include a nightclub,
meeting facilities and a shared lounge.
Established to mainly cater for Nigeria’s elite, the Aridolf offers
indoor pools, a spa and wellness centre as well as free WiFi access for
visitors and guests. Its opulence is further showcased in the hotel’s
reception area, with expensive artworks, gold-plated furniture and
imposing landscapes on display. There is also a chandelier providing
artificial lights from the Plaster of Paris ceiling and walls.
The hotel’s lobby has a strong, sweet-smelling fragrance which
gives the impression that it has a style, taste and class exclusively
preserved for the rich and famous.
The Aridolf boasts of about 200 rooms including suites. The price of the rooms ranges from N15, 700 to N367, 500.
One of the least expensive rooms in the hotel
According to the hotel’s room rates, a standard room costs N15,
700; deluxe room costs N31, 500; a junior suite is N56, 700 and the
executive room is N75, 600. The Presidential suite goes for N315, 000
while the price of the Royal suite is N367, 500. All the costs are
inclusive of value-added tax charges.
Most of the categories of rooms are fully furnished with air
conditioners, fridges, TV sets with satellite channels, good toilet
systems, cold and hot water facilities, WIFI, among others. The only
significant difference between the classes of rooms is essentially the
bed and space. They all have similar features.
The hotel serves local and intercontinental dishes with prices from N2, 000 upwards.
At one of their bars, christened Paradise Bar, different variety of
drinks such as beer, wine, whiskey, gin, fruit juice, among others, are
served. Our correspondent learnt that the management had to reduce
prices of the drinks because of the economic recession in the country.
The price of beer now goes for between N500 and N600 against their
initial N800 and N1, 000 price tags.
A bed in the room
A guest can enjoy a view of the city’s skyline from almost all the
rooms. In addition, the hotel has a beverage centre, business centre
with full Internet access, fitness centre, kitchenette, restaurants,
wheelchair access and airport transportation.
One of the workers in the hotel, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, said the former first lady was involved in the running of
Aridolf, despite the fact that the hotel has a general manager, as well
as managers and supervisors.
The source noted Mrs. Jonathan was always available in the hotel to provide effective supervision.
“When she came here last week, she ensured that she put everything in place before she left,”
the source said, adding that while the former first lady also owns
another hotel in Otuoke, her husband’s country home, she frequents
Aridolf more.
The source said, “Aridolf is a hotel after the former first
lady’s heart. She is the super supervisor. At times, she holds meetings
with the employees. At such meetings, she usually teaches us about
business relations, how to woo and retain customers, among other
things.”
Our correspondent also gathered that despite the price of the
rooms, the hotel enjoys high patronage from guests, who are mostly
politicians, oil and gas workers, businessmen, foreigners and some
middle income earners.
A restaurant in the hotel
A royal suite which cost almost N400, 000 per night is often occupied, said another employee, who noted with pride that “Aridolf has everything one can think of. It is a place for recreation, wellness and all what one desires in a hotel.”
Despite its opulence, some parts of the hotel seem to have suffered some deterioration due to the topography of Bayelsa State.
At the balcony in the Paradise Bar, our correspondent noticed a
leaky roof after a downpour during the week. The rain also flooded some
area of the bar, soaking some portions of the synthetic rugs decorating
the place.
A guest blamed the development on poor architectural and structural designs of the building.
The guest, who did not give his name, said the building was
suffering from an assemblage of expensive fittings but lacked proper
finishing.
He said, “The chairs and other furniture at the lobby are very
expensive. They were imported. But those who supplied some of the
materials cheated the owner. Some of the materials are only shinning but
they are not durable. That is why you see that some parts of the hotel
are deteriorating.
“The saving grace for the building is the tiles used to design
the hotel structure. The tiles are the ones covering the defects in the
building. Remove the tiles and the building will have serious problems.
It is suffering from architectural and structural defects.”
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