Julius Baumann

Aviation and Tourism Editor

SUN International’s refurbishment and expansion of the Federal Palace property in Lagos, Nigeria, is on track with the hotel group officially opening the revitalised five-star Federal Palace Hotel last week.

Sun International took over management of the 6ha Federal Palace property — in which the group has a 49% interest — on Lagos’s Victoria Island in October and outlined plans to spend $150m upgrading facilities on the property.

The first phase included a $10m refurbishment of the Federal Palace Hotel, one of two hotels on the property.

The hotel required extensive renovation, including the building of a new access road and parking area.

In the next phase of the programme, the property’s second hotel, the 14-storey Federal Palace Towers Hotel, will undergo extensive refurbishment.

Plans include building a casino linking the two hotels. Construction is expected to begin in January and completion is likely in December 2010.

Before work begins on phase two, the hotel group will build a temporary casino within the Federal Palace Hotel, with work expected to begin in September and the opening set for January next year.

Source: Business Day