COCKTAIL GRABS AT SHERATON HOTEL

Even if I have learnt to dance in the rain rather than always complain about the storm just as the adage goes, I didn’t take any chances about this very day as I planned my visit to fall on a day it wasn’t going to rain, this was done with the help of the weather forecast app I newly downloaded on my phone.

I was very skeptical about my outfit on this very day, particularly because my pants were ‘white’, and that’s definitely a wrong color to be draped in on a rainy day, so I was only hoping for the best.

The day finally came and it was a smooth weather all through just as predicted. It took me a little research to find out that there are cool places to hangout in the renowned hotel they include but are not limited to: Goodies pub, Crockpot restaurant, an Italian restaurant, Pool terrace.

I decided I was going to see Pool terrace after my little research, not because the space had a pool by it, but because it had a bar as I needed to grab some cocktails.

At the gate of the hotel, they did some little questioning as they wanted to know what I was there for, and I told them where I wanted to see (which was Pool terrace), convinced about my purpose of visit they let me in. 

I noticed a building with a bold inscription ‘Jacaranda casino’ in front of it, I remember not coming across it online during my background profiling about Sheraton hotel, it seemed like a fun place to be, with the glass around it boldly tinted in black.

I reached for the reception and I was requested to drop my phone, power bank (I always go around with this), and keys if I had any on me on a tray that passed through a scanner, seemed like normal security checks & protocols done in hotels I’ve been to like Radisson blu (V.I & IKEJA), and its counterpart, Four points by Sheraton, Victoria island.

It was majestic, definitely a lovely place to abide. It looked much better than its environment.

With little help from a kind lady, I was shown to ‘Pool terrace’, and it was a cool place at first sight with the pool just at the entrance, the weather was still favorable, as it was still sunny. With a cue from the foregoing,  I’m guessing my thoughts about how nice a bath in the pool with the basking sun against my skin, sunglasses for eye covering & cocktails by my side wasn’t too bad an imagination.

I snap back into reality and I assure myself I was going to have cocktails just as my imagination portrayed, maybe not in the pool this time, but in a beautiful space just by the pool. 

I followed the path through to the bar stand which included a short staircase with about five steps and as usual it was a bunch of white seated, some pausing & staring, some too busy with their food to take notice of a stranger. The thoughts of how whites love the ‘La vida Loca’ Lifestyle (a term for living large) runs through my head.

I made a mini strut further to the bar stand, and I was welcomed with a hello by the slightly above middle-aged man draped in White and Black with an apron all over his outfit, seemed like a uniform as I spotted other ladies dressed in the same monochrome- themed piece, well, maybe it was only my imaginations coming back at it yet again as there was no courtesy whatsoever shown by the bearded man who had scattered patches of grey hair all over his chin & mustache space; he was the bar attendant at the moment and he only looked sternly at me, as I was now leaning against the bar stand. 

The bar stand was wooden and simply designed, it seemed like a spot for one night stand pickups,  ‘place an order already, I ain’t gat much time young man’, I imagine him say, as he looked clearly impatient.

To lighten up the mood in return to his not-so-welcoming gestures I greet ‘Good day sir’ can I have the menu? which was accompanied with a beaming smile. He hands it over and I glance at the cocktails section which showed alcoholic cocktails like ‘Daiquiri’, ‘Tequila sunrise’ & a few others. I knew fully well I don’t enjoy alcoholic cocktails after my not-so-pleasurable experience with the ‘Daiquiri’ (a classic cocktail named after the town of Cuba) sometime ago during my visit to Sao Cafe, Lekki. I found the smell & taste of rum disturbing and my friend made it worse then by adding that my mouth oozed of alcohol after my drink. I figured it was not my thing.

I asked the old bar attendant to recommend a non-alcoholic cocktail shown on the menu. With no help from him as he only said it was up to me, I wondered why he was so cold, I didn’t seem to like his attitude. 

I finally resorted to trying the ‘Four points & delight’ amongst all others because it had one of my favorite fruits (Pineapple) as one of its contents. It was a blend of Cucumber & Pineapple actually and I loved it. It cost me 2,200 naira. 

Apart from it being what I needed on a hot afternoon, it was made to perfection! The chaff beneath the glass showed that it was freshly blend, the combo of both fruits seemed to work well unlike how I imagine mangoes to taste like, at least I’m not trying a cocktail with mango in it to confirm.

I used the restroom for a minute, and if you guessed I came back with a million mirror(fies), you were damn right!

Flat lays weren’t as difficult to capture as it usually is on a cloudy day as the sun clearly didn’t have plans of dimming down a notch.

My friend took great photos of my ‘OOTD’ (Outfit of the day) which portrayed the vintage vibe I was going for and a video content of my outfit which I loved so much and which showed a further visual representation of my outfit, peep my Instagram feed (@tijesu.o) for the juice.

Too excited about the fun time I was having and carried away maybe, I reluctantly make my way out of pool terrace towards the reception and I come across a bunch of people draped in classic attires (suits & whatnot), it seemed like they just concluded a conference or something of that sort, my inquisitiveness wasn’t that aroused to confirm or allay my assumptions.

I approach the exit outside the hotel which is also the entrance into the hotel lol and there wasn’t a security check this time because it is reasonably assumed you’ve already passed through the security checks on your entry.

I finally notice for the first time the clear skies outside, with the palm trees in a formation. My eyes and mind found it really pleasing, and I reach for my phone to take photos of the scenery and that was a means to an end of my lovely experience at such an intricate space.

Did you have a glimpse of my experience at Sheraton hotel? Would you visit pool terrace or any of the other cool places listed during one of your leisure times? Is there something you think I missed or, perhaps, something you might want to know? Do not hesitate to ask away and leave me your genuine feedback in the comments section as I would be most delighted reading and responding to them. Thanks for stopping by!

Love, Tijesu.