On the second day of January 2024, I traveled down to Ihiala in Anambra State, Nigeria. It was just a two hours drive from Nkwele, Onitsha and I got to my hotel safely. I had trouble trying to settle down but in the end, it was resolved although it's a story to tell another day
Phrase 1
When I got to Ezego junction, Ihiala in Anambra State. I took out my mobile phone and placed a call to the person in charge of the hotel bookings and he gave me a contact to call when I got to the bride's hometown so that he could direct me to the hotel.
I went ahead and called the number he gave me and he directed me to the hotel. I was happy that at least I could go inside my room that was already booked but something different was waiting for me. I went straight to the bar as directed by the receptionist who said the manager of the hotel room wasn't around at the moment.
I came into that hotel (Sunnit Hotel in Okija) around 2 pm with the hope of resting properly, I waited for close to an hour for the manager and the semi-mandate to come but to no avail. I initiated a WhatsApp call with my brother that lasted for about 45 minutes but still no sign of both the manager and the semi-mandate agent who booked the hotel room.
By that time, I was getting worn out and just needed to rest from my trip! I had kept my luggage beside me, moving it to and fro as customers came in to sit. To keep myself busy, I play games on my phone while I maintain my cool, and after thirty minutes my phone didn't ring.
I initiated the call only for the semi-mandate to tell me that he was closeby, but by the time I checked it was 4:30 pm.
I waited for over two hours and thirty minutes and I wasn't patient anymore because I needed to rest. I began calling the person that I booked directly to call his semi-mandate and for the semi-mandate to call the manager of the hotel.
I did not expect this long chain!...
By this time I was a bit furious and fed up with the whole thing
Why did he take charge of booking a hotel in the southeastern part of Nigeria (Anambra) when he's based in the southwestern part of Nigeria which is Lagos?
As I was ranting, I was making calls back and forth. The semi-mandate came, and the manager of the hotel showed up! By that time it was 6 pm! How exhausting! How upset I was! How worn out asf!
Now we all went to the room for me to check in but the room wasn't convenient and comfortable at all for me.
Before I could say “Jack” they had left the premises of the hotel, and immediately I began calling back the semi-mandate that this room was not comfortable for me.
He responded to me rudely and kept yelling at me for no reason that I should manage the room till we finished the wedding.
At that moment, I called the person that I booked directly for him to refund my money back but he wasn't picking up, mind you at this time it was 6:35 pm!
I paid a sum of $25 (₦30,000)for two nights. How would one give me a room that's less than what I paid for and to top it all that room is worth $7 (₦8000) with no air conditioner which is central air and no electric standing fan.
Thanks to my due diligence! I ask the receptionist questions and customers whom I stumbled upon during my research!
Now that I knew some information I was able to demand the appropriate room I paid for and after all this chaos, I checked into the proper room that was equivalent to my payment and I rested. Later in the night, I went to this bride's room to help with the bride's shower but when I got there, the news I heard made me tired mentally...continue reading here about it!
I got to my hotel late in the evening to rest after a long day only to find out about serious issues in the hotel and its management that made me sleep so late! But that's a story for another day!
Phrase 2
After a successful wedding inclusive of both the traditional and white wedding, I went back to my hotel room to rest. I was climbing the stairs with the most certain assurance of laying flat on the bed, what I had in mind was to open the door, drop my little belongings that were packed inside a bag, drop the food (native jollof rice and bitter leaf soup) and straight to the shower.
Lo and behold! I was shocked!
What faced me was a mini traveling bag of a stranger, it was not mine and I didn't release the key to the room to the receptionist because I did not want room service or anything whatsoever so that my items wouldn't be missing.
I walked through the room, to the wardrobe, to the closet, and on the chairs to check for my belongings but I couldn't find them.
I almost lost it!⚡⚡
I locked the door back and exited with the bags I came back with, straight down to the receptionist for an explanation of what the heck was going on!!
The receptionist began explaining but what I asked her was who gave her or the management the right to remove my belongings from my room to another's guest room.
The explanation was not vivid enough and they instructed me to talk to the people whom I booked the hotel with. I thought of doing that but who would in all honesty attend to my complaints at that hour when almost everyone is exhausted from the wedding?
At that moment, I solemnly regretted accepting being the chief bridesmaid and I regretted wasting my hard-earned money for something that did not give me happiness, only intense stress.
I called my brother and began explaining what had transpired and he was furious but he wasn't as furious as I was at that moment.
My happiness that the wedding was a success dashed into the mud! I started making calls, first to the best man who was in charge of booking then to the second party but unfortunately the calls weren't going through!
I couldn't afford any money to lodge again so I called the husband to the bride explaining in an infuriating tone telling him how I was beginning to regret this event and all the planning and the secret of hiding the hotel name and everything.
I told him it was the worst wedding I had ever gone to in my entire life.
I was still at the top of my voice which was breaking and on the verge of crying explaining how bittered and frustrated I am at the moment. I approached one of the guests and explained to him and he couldn't say much to me.
I took it upon myself to let loose of my anger cause I was freaking fed up with the stress, I came out of the hotel shouting. Passerby was asking what was going on and at this point, all the guests (7 of them male) that lodged in that hotel came down to know what had happened.
They demanded to know how many rooms were occupied because they had an idea of how many were booked! To cut the long story short, my room was the eighth room and it was sold out to another customer!
The manager was ashamed of himself when they discovered the truth! And they all demanded that the room should be vacant and guess what guys, they had to evacuate the belongings of another guest from their room for me to stay. And in the process of doing that the owners of the room came back!
Another problem stired up and by that time it was 10:35 pm, I went out to attempt a live video of the hotel on Instagram but I didn't have enough space on my phone to record it. The disappointment made me walk back inside and sit down, a potential customer walked in to request a room and I told him to flee from this hotel because they took out my things without my permission, my presence and I wasn't owing. I went further to tell him that the management of this hotel was so bad and he left without hesitating.
After everything was sorted out, I was given the same room they evacuated guests' things from, and the other people were sorted out too. At that time, it was 11:30 pm and I went up to sort my things as they brought my belongings that were in my previous room.
Truth be told, I regretted this! And I promised to give them bad reviews if I saw them on Google. Unfortunately for me, I did not see them.
If you take a peek at the highlighted words above embedded is a link to the post. This is the ordeal I passed through during the wedding and I am narrating them! I was specific with this phrase, “ it's a story for another day” and it was stated in the 6th paragraph and last paragraph. This post is about the exhausting experience and the rants that took place that very day.
ALL IMAGES ARE MINE EXCEPT I STATE OTHERWISE. TAKEN WITH MY IPHONE CAMERA.
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▶️ 3Speak
