Glocient Hospitality Limited, operators of the revitalised Ikogosi Warm and Cold Springs Resort, Ikogosi, Ekiti State made a bold and memorable statement at the recently concluded Hotel Managers Conference (HMC) Africa 2025, as it was honoured with two prestigious recognitions that underscored the company’s growing influence in the sector. Its General Manager, Mr. Lanre Sharafa received the Hospitality Impact Award, in acknowledgement of his visionary leadership and transformative role in repositioning Ikogosi Resort. The resort was named Best Unique Destination Experience in Nigeria, a title that affirms its place as a national treasure and a shining example of eco-tourism done right.
The Hotel Managers Conference (HMC) Africa 2025 was held in Lagos, between June 28 and 29, at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
In his remark, Mr. Balogun who participated in a high-level panel on Technology in Hospitality: Innovations Shaping Guest Experience at the conference, shared Glocient’s unique approach to integrating innovation with authenticity, specifically through the Four-Phase Innovation Project currently underway at Ikogosi. The initiative, he said, uses technology to enhance the guest experience through mobile storytelling guides, QR-coded trees, and digital cultural archives, all while maintaining the essence of the land’s ecological and cultural history.
He stressed the role of a modern Property Management System (PMS) in personalising service and improving operational efficiency at Ikogosi.
Balogun’s contribution to the panel reflected Glocient’s core belief: that technology in hospitality should not replace human connection—it should deepen it. “At Ikogosi, innovation is used not just to modernise, but to connect visitors to something timeless and uniquely Nigerian,” he added.
These awards reflect Glocient Hospitality’s unwavering dedication to creating immersive, culturally rich, and sustainable hospitality experiences. At Ikogosi and beyond, Glocient continues to set the standard for what hospitality in Nigeria can and should be—thoughtful, innovative, and deeply rooted in place.
During the exhibition session at the conference, the Glocient team hosted the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka at their booth. She shared her admiration for Ikogosi Resort, describing it as one of her personal favourites, an endorsement that serves as powerful reminder of the value of preserving Nigeria’s most iconic natural and cultural destinations.
As HMC Africa 2025 ended, Glocient walked away not just with awards, but with renewed purpose to keep telling the stories that matter, to keep investing in destinations that inspire, and to keep setting the pace for a more connected, more meaningful future for hospitality across Africa.
