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Where to stay

Hand-picked hotel shortlists for 22 places, by hotel class and guest rating, each linking to the hotels' own pages.

22 places38 guides

Choosing where to stay in Nigeria comes down to matching the city to the trip. Lagos and Abuja are the two largest hubs here, each with 45 hotels across 5-star, 4-star and 3-star guides. Ikeja, part of the Lagos area, carries its own 30 hotels, while Ibadan, Owerri, Enugu and Kano each offer their own mix of 4- and 5-star or 3-star stays. Epe, on the Lekki axis, is the quietest of the popular picks. If you want the widest choice, start with Lagos or Abuja; for a smaller, calmer base, Ibadan, Owerri, Enugu or Kano work well.

A second layer of cities rewards travellers who already know the country: Ilorin, Kaduna, Calabar, Awka, Ado-Ekiti, Yenagoa, Jos and Ikorodu are all 3-star destinations, while Abeokuta, Benin City, Akure, Asaba, Port Harcourt and Uyo mix 4-star and 3-star options. Parking is the one facility present almost everywhere, so a car is rarely a problem. Family rooms are far less common, so check availability early if you are travelling with children.

Popular places

3-star or 4- and 5-star: which to choose

Four- and 5-star hotels cluster in Lagos and Abuja, each with 15 five-star properties, followed by Benin City with 7 and Port Harcourt with 5. If you want a five-star stay, book in Lagos, Abuja, Benin City or Port Harcourt; Ibadan, Ikeja, Owerri, Epe, Enugu, Abeokuta, Asaba and Uyo reach 4 stars at most. Elsewhere, 3-star hotels are the realistic choice — which is no drawback when 3-star properties in this region so often come with parking.

Hotel guides by place

Abeokuta

Abeokuta

Abuja

Abuja

Ado-Ekiti

Ado-Ekiti

Akure

Akure

Asaba

Asaba

Awka

Awka

Benin City

Benin City

Calabar

Calabar

Enugu

Enugu

Epe

Epe

Ibadan

Ibadan

Ikeja

Ikeja

Ikorodu

Ikorodu

Ilorin

Ilorin

Jos

Jos

Kaduna

Kaduna

Kano

Kano

Lagos

Lagos

Owerri

Owerri

Port Harcourt

Port Harcourt

Uyo

Uyo

Yenagoa

Yenagoa

Questions, answered

Which area is best for first-time visitors?

Lagos and Abuja, each with 45 hotels and 15 five-star properties, give the widest spread of stays and the most choice by class. Lagos also stands out for its size, while Abuja has parking at all 45 hotels. Both have dedicated 5-star, 4-star and 3-star guides.

Where should families stay?

Ikeja leads with 15 family-friendly hotels out of 30, ahead of Abuja with 10 and Enugu with 7. Benin City and Lagos each have 6, and Ibadan 5. Family rooms are rare in Kano (2), Epe (1) and Ado-Ekiti (1), and absent in 10 of the places listed.

Which places are easiest if you are driving?

Abuja and Kano have parking at every one of their hotels, 45 and 28 respectively. Ibadan (28 of 30), Ikeja (29 of 30), Owerri (29 of 30), Epe (26 of 27), Enugu (28 of 30), Calabar and Awka also come close to full coverage. Only in Kaduna is parking slightly short of the total, at 14 of 15.

Which places have the most 5-star hotels?

Lagos and Abuja top the list with 15 five-star hotels each, followed by Benin City with 7 and Port Harcourt with 5. Ibadan, Owerri and Owerri's peers such as Abeokuta, Asaba and Epe have 2 or 3. Kano, Ilorin, Kaduna, Akure, Calabar, Awka, Ado-Ekiti, Yenagoa, Jos, Uyo and Ikorodu have none.

Where can I go if I only want a 3-star hotel?

Ilorin, Kaduna, Calabar, Awka, Ado-Ekiti, Yenagoa, Jos and Ikorodu each list 15 or fewer hotels and a 3-star guide only. Kano, Uyo and Akure offer 4-star and 3-star hotels but no 5-star properties.

Which cities have the largest number of hotels overall?

Lagos and Abuja share the top spot with 45 hotels each, all covered by 5-star, 4-star and 3-star guides. Ibadan, Ikeja, Owerri, Enugu, Benin City and Port Harcourt follow with 30 each, and Kano has 28.

Area guides and ideas