So I stayed at PROOF Hotel last month. Honestly? I was expecting another “nice pictures, disappointing reality” situation. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into a Lagos hotel room and just sighed. You know the feeling. The AC sounds like a dying helicopter. The “free WiFi” is a joke. And you just accept it because, well, it’s Lagos.But walking into PROOF? Man.
The first thing I noticed was the smell. It smelled clean, like really clean, but in a warm way—like lemongrass and fresh linen. Not that harsh chemical cleaner smell that burns your nose.Let me give you the real reasons this place stuck with me:The staff didn’t just say “welcome.” The security guy at the gate saw me squinting at my phone for my booking confirmation and said, “Don’t worry, madam. Just come inside. They will sort you.” No stress. When was the last time hotel security made you feel less stressed?My room key didn’t work.
Classic, right? But instead of that look of annoyance I usually get, the lady at the front desk literally laughed and said, “Ah, not you! Sorry, let’s fix this now.” She walked me back upstairs herself, chatting about how the weather was too hot, and got me a new key in two seconds. It felt… human.I spilled coffee on the white duvet. Of course I did. I was so embarrassed when housekeeping came. But the lady just smiled and said, “It’s okay! This is why we wash them.” No drama. No charge. They just fixed it.The shower pressure was insane. Like, “wake-you-up-properly” good.
And the hot water was instant. In Lagos! I didn’t have to do that awkward dance waiting for it to heat up.I ordered room service at 11 PM because I was starving. The guy who brought it saw me on a work call and just gave me a quiet thumbs-up, placed the tray down silently, and left. No small talk. He just knew. It was perfect.You know how hotel art is always so generic? Bland shapes, boring colors. The art in my hallway was this vibrant painting of a woman in a local market. I found myself stopping to look at it every time I passed. It had life.
The plug sockets were right next to the bed. On both sides. And they had USB ports. Such a small thing, but after a long day, not having to crawl behind furniture to charge your phone feels like a blessing.At breakfast, the chef saw me hovering over the fried plantain. He came out and said, “The ones coming out now are hotter and crispier. Wait two minutes for the fresh batch.” Who does that? He cared.So yeah, the pool is nice. The lobby is beautiful. But that’s not it.
The real reason PROOF is the hottest spot? It feels like it’s run by people who actually get it. They’ve stayed in bad hotels. They know the little things that drive you crazy. And they fixed all of them.It’s not perfect because it’s fancy. It’s perfect because it feels like they actually want you to have a good stay. Simple as that.I’m not getting paid to say this. I’m just a person who’s tired of being disappointed. And finally, FINALLY, I wasn’t.
