Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Lagos, V.I.

Rooms and decor

Picture a 5-star hotel sitting on a finger of land that juts into Lagos Lagoon, in the middle of Victoria Island, the busiest business district in Lagos — that is the pull of Radisson Blu Anchorage, the place locals are fond of calling an "in-city resort." All 170 rooms and suites were conceived by Swedish interior designer Christian Lundwall, who took clean Scandinavian lines and mixed them with warm tones and West African-inspired art. Honey-toned wood floors, cream linen curtains, brass lamps, and walls hung with handwoven work give your eye somewhere to land. Open the door of a lagoon-view room and you get floor-to-ceiling glass and a balcony looking out over small boats crossing the still water. The king beds are soft, the linens are good, and the marble bathrooms come with a rain shower and a separate tub. Plenty of real reviews agree the rooms are clean and the maintenance is sharp — everything works, none of the broken fittings you find in older 5-stars around town. Take a high floor on the lagoon side and you wake up to gold light hitting the water in a way photos can't quite carry.

Food and amenities

The heart of a stay here is the waterfront, designed to feel a world away from the noise of Lagos. The rooftop pool sits on a level that opens wide onto the lagoon, lined with sun loungers and a small pool bar serving cocktails and fresh mango juice to your lounger. Late afternoon, when the heat drops, it is genuinely relaxing — the only sound is water lapping the pool edge and birds crossing the lagoon. One level down is the hotel's small private beach on the water; it isn't the ocean beach some people picture, but it is a rare lakeside spot to sit in V.I., with canvas loungers and bamboo umbrellas to lie back and listen to the breeze. Health-minded guests will like the morning lakeside yoga class, held on a wooden deck facing the lagoon — sitting and watching the sun rise over the water gets talked about in a lot of reviews. Inside there is a full spa and a 24-hour fitness center, plus restaurants in several styles — international buffet, casual poolside meals, and a cocktail bar open late — so you barely need to leave if you want to switch off for the day.

Location and getting there

Victoria Island, or V.I. as locals shorten it, is the business heart of Lagos — home to the head offices of banks, oil companies, multinationals, and several embassies. The hotel sits on Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, the main lagoon-side road that connects straight to the Lekki–Ikoyi Bridge, so you can drive across to Ikoyi or Lekki in a few minutes. Getting into the city center and to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) takes about 45–60 minutes depending on the traffic Lagos is famous for. Close by, a short walk or drive, you have the busy restaurants on Adetokunbo Ademola and Palms Shopping Mall at Lekki Phase 1. For a change of scene on a day off, there is Tarkwa Bay beach, reached by boat from the Walter Carrington jetty; the Nike Art Gallery in Lekki, one of the largest West African art galleries; and the Lekki Arts & Crafts market for authentic African souvenirs. The short version: if you're here for meetings in V.I., or you want a first Lagos trip to run smooth and safe, this is one of the best locations in the city.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide — the first thing everyone has to accept is the traffic. Victoria Island clogs up around 7-10 in the morning and 16-20 in the evening on almost every weekday, and a short few-kilometre hop can eat an hour, especially Friday evening when the whole district empties out at once. Leave buffer time and use the hotel car or Uber/Bolt rather than a street taxi. Second is Wi-Fi — in some rooms it isn't as steady as you'd expect from a 5-star at this level, and a few reviews say it drops during heavy rain. If you work online all day, bring a local MTN or Airtel SIM as backup; it costs only a few dollars. Third is the room view — some entry-level rooms face the city rather than the lagoon, with a far less striking outlook, so if you want to wake up to the water specify "lagoon view" clearly when you book; the price gap is small but the atmosphere is night and day. Last, food nearby — the hotel restaurants are good, but if you want to go out for authentic Nigerian food on the surrounding streets you'll need a short drive; you can't walk it, both for the distance and because V.I. just isn't built for pedestrians.

Our take

After reading several hundred real reviews and weighing this against other 5-stars in Lagos, Radisson Blu Anchorage is one of the most balanced stays for anyone who wants a resort mood in the middle of the business district — a private lagoon beach, a water-view rooftop pool, a spa, morning yoga, and service that has held a top 3 Lagos spot on TripAdvisor for a long run. Best for business travelers flying in for several days of meetings in V.I. who want somewhere to unwind after work, couples who'd rather have an in-city resort than a generic tower, and families who value security inside the hotel grounds. Maybe not the best pick for budget backpackers, or people who want to explore the city mainly on foot, since V.I. isn't a walkable district. If you're planning a first Lagos trip and want it to go smoothly, this is one we can recommend with confidence. Overall we give it 8.7/10.