Peter Uzoho
A new arrival in the property and hospitality industry, Instant Apartment, is launching an online platform that provides users within and outside Nigeria a short to medium term accommodation options and experience during short trip, vacation or get-away.
The platform provides users (customers) with good accommodation that give them unique homely experience and convenience in a reduced cost. It also offers property owners ample investment opportunity to monetise their homes and extra space. The property owner will, after a background check has been carried out, furnish and register their apartment that are not in use to the company’s platform and will be receiving an agreed per cent as returns on investment.
The company has currently on its platform about 27 properties of different categories spread across cities in Nigeria with over 300 waiting to be listed in the platform, and assures prospective customers and users of satisfactory service delivery. Its unique services include free Air pickup to the apartment, constant electricity, free meal on arrival and adequate security among others.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer, Instant Apartment, Mr. Ubi Franklin, said the essence of the platform was to enable users pay less for more on accommodation.
“If you’re a family of five travelling and you intend to spend money booking three or four rooms in a hotel and the rent is maybe N100, 000 we’ll make it easier for you to book an apartment – three bed apartments or more at almost the same price you pay for one room in a hotel. And you’re getting a three room with a sitting room, a dinning, a kitchen and other services.
“If you book an appointment with Instant Apartment, you get free Airport pick-up to the apartment; your first meal on arrival is free and we’ll ensure that you have real value for your money throughout your stay in our apartments,†Franklin said.
While pointing out that the location and the packaging of apartments on their platform determine their prices, Franklin also noted that the company has well trained customer care representatives who would be available 24-hours to attend to customers’ needs and complaints.
Explaining security measures put in place by the organisation to checkmate fraud in the system, the company’s Chief Technical Officer, Mr. Gbamgbala Rahman, said properties must undergo proper background security check before they could be listed on the platform.
“We have to go and see the property and if possible see the certificate of occupancy (C of O). We don’t want people to use someone’s credit card to make payment to us. We also do a multi security check on our platform to evade people who come to steal credit card and all sorts of that. We ensure that our platform is well secured.â€
