In August 2024, the management and staff members of Lagos Continental Hotel were happy to welcome a new member in the hotel’s burgeoning team.
Of course, the new member, who was coming to lead the team, had a clearer vision of his role as assigned by the hotel’s chairman.
Today and eight months down the line, Christoph Schleissing, general manager, Lagos Continental Hotel, looks back with pride on what he has achieved with his team of culinary professionals, comprising Nigerians and other nationals.
The general manager is leading his team with almost 40 years experience in a successful career in the hospitality industry, which started in Switzerland and grew across the world and top global hotel brands.
It has also seen Schleissing travelling around the world to make impact and leaving legacies; from Luxembourg, Oman, Russian to Paris, Germany, Egypt, Vietnam to Kazakhstan where he managed Ritz Carlton, and now to Lagos, Nigeria.
“When I came in August, the mission from the chairman was very clear and his vision was to lift the quality of the property,” the German-born general manager enthused during a recent interview.
He seems the right choice for the job, considering his pedigree. In line with the above, Schleissing and his team are working passionately to grow the hotel’s guests’ loyalty beyond reasoning, amid personalized services, world-class facilities and innovative offerings, all delivered with infectious and genuine smiles.
Explaining the above goal, the general manager noted that reasoning goes with feelings, memories, and experiences; hence the goal is to make the guests feel different and live as a part of the Continental Hotels Group family. “I want the guest to become an ambassador for our brand when they walk out of here,” he said.
Apart from growing loyalty beyond reasoning, the general manager is leading his team to achieve another ambitious goal of driving revenue per available room and not just occupancy, in a way to balance both.
His team’s commitment to achieving the above goals is yielding the anticipated results.
“The last four months of the year 2024 were extremely positive. I think the most positive month was December,” he said excitedly.
The general manager also confessed that the first quarter of 2025 was very successful for the hotel, while being optimistic on how April is developing, in terms of business.
Meanwhile, he attributed the hotel’s continued feats in the last eight months to several factors. “To lift the quality of the property you need the right skill sets on duty. So, what we did first was to look at which skill set is missing to move the hotel upwards.
“We brought in the needed skills, particularly in the kitchen and in the services. I think the up-skilling has really helped to move up the perception of the quality of the property because food and beverage is becoming a more important mainstay for the hotel”.
Read also: Lagos Continental triumphs as ‘Hotel of the Year’ at 2024 Hotel Managers Awards
He was also able to carry every member of his team along by clearly communicating the hotel’s vision to all of them.
Apart from the right skills, which can be taught, the general manager noted that the right attitude is key. “We can train team members on skills, but they need to have the right attitude to provide excellent service.
“Our team members are the key to our success. By involving them in decision-making and explaining the importance of numbers and brand standards, we have created a sense of ownership and motivation. This has helped drive growth and success in the hotel in the last eight months I have led as the general manager,” he disclosed.
But, all the above feats are possible through the huge and continued support from the owning company. “We have a complete backup from the holding company when it comes to our quality drive. It goes from the ingredients in the kitchen to workforce and to crucial investment in the product that we have”.
Moreover, Schleissing considers the secure location of the property and a variety of outings and facilities as part of the unique selling points of the hotel.
With 358 rooms, 37 suites, one presidential suite spread across 23 floors, Lagos Continental Hotel, a 5-star luxury hotel, is the tallest hotel in West Africa, with an amazing view of the Atlantic Ocean, Lagos creek and the city. These are another set of unique selling points that the general manager noted make the hotel a must-visit for visitors.
The array of dining options makes the hotel a foodies’ haven too. From the Ekaabo Restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet to Soho, a Chinese restaurant, and to the recently relaunched Sugar 52, and others, the hotel satiates all palates.
“Our restaurant offers a diverse menu with options ranging from Asian to barbecue, including sushi, Arabic mezze, Nigerian dishes, and vegetarian options. We also have themed evenings with live music around the pool on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Our tagline is ‘Chillax’, which means chill and relax,” the general manager explained.
Speaking on the Sugar 52, the general manager said, “It is a fine dining restaurant with a new menu that showcases our skill set, featuring dishes from Asian sushi to barbecue and South African dry-aged meat, as well as pastries from our Lebanese and French pastry chefs”.
Also, apart from its lifestyle outlets, gymnasium, the hotel is big on meetings, incentives, conference and exhibitions (MICE) with an extensive ballroom of 1,400 square meters of pillarless space, accommodating up to 1,000 people in theater style or 500-550 people in dinner style.
In conclusion, Schleissing noted that the hotel prioritizes genuine smiles and a warm welcome. “We train our team to be guest-oriented and to make sure to remember guests’ names,” he said.
