Onome Amuge
Bedrock Residencies, a premium aparthotel brand, is set to expand its presence in Nigeria’s rising hospitality sector, with plans to launch a new location in Yaba. This strategic expansion builds on its existing operations in Opebi, Bateye, and Oduduwa, all situated within Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial and entertainment hub. The move positions the company to capture a larger share of the estimated $15 billion global apartment hotel market.
Having recently marked its third year of operations, Bedrock Residencies has carved a niche by blending the comforts of a private residence with the refreshing services of a hotel. The brand is renowned for offering secure, stylish, and fully furnished apartments tailored for both short- and long-term stays, catering to a diverse clientele including solo travellers, families, creatives, and business guests.
Onyiye Okonji, founder and CEO of Bedrock Residencies, reflected on the brand’s unique value proposition. “Our guests don’t just stay; they live, they relax, they remember. At Bedrock, every stay tells a story, and today, we’re celebrating three years of those stories,” she stated.
Okonji, who also co-founded Sycamore, a licensed financial services platform, explained that her foray into hospitality was serendipitous rather than planned. The genesis of Bedrock occurred when she leased an office building for Sycamore that had surplus space. Instead of letting it go to waste, she converted several sections into short-let apartments to offset operational costs. The unexpected surge in demand from these initial units directly led to the conceptualisation and birth of Bedrock Residencies.
Her background in fintech significantly informs her leadership style, marked by clarity, speed, and sharp insight. Thus, Okonji leverages her understanding of customer behaviour and data to strategically guide Bedrock’s expansion. “You have to be able to think in that unorthodox way… because what’s the goal of real estate if not to create spaces people need and want to be in?” she stated, dwelling on her philosophy of demand-driven real estate development.
The core mission behind Bedrock Residencies, according to the CEO, is to provide private spaces that foster great memories and positive nostalgic feelings, all underpinned by exceptional customer service. This customer-centric approach is even reflected in their internal culture, where the team is affectionately known as “the Rockstars” and their business community as “The RockVerse.”
Bedrock’s consistent growth over the past three years has been largely propelled by a keen observation of customer behaviour. Okonji pointed out the creation of Chocos Bistro as a prime example of this methodology. Initially conceived as an in-house restaurant, it evolved into a customer behaviour lab.
In addition, Stories by Bedrock is the brand’s innovative multi-set content studio, private cinema, and event space located at 30 Oduduwa Street, Ikeja GRA. The concept behind it, according to Okonji, was straightforward. She noted that creators on the mainland needed premium, flexible, and easily bookable spaces.
“While guests dined, the team noticed something. They weren’t just here to eat, they were capturing content. Photos, videos, and product shots, all being done on site,” Okonji revealed.
This led to the development of a model where the space can be booked per hour, or even by section, allowing different clients to utilise various parts of the studio concurrently. This strategy multiplies both impact and revenue streams. Currently,access to Stories by Bedrock is strictly by booking, ensuring privacy and an optimal experience for content creators, brands, agencies, and hosts of small events.
By continually innovating and diversifying its offerings based on real-time customer insights, Bedrock Residencies is set to not only solidify its position in Nigeria’s hospitality landscape but also setting a new benchmark for integrated lifestyle and business services within the aparthotel segment. The brand’s expansion into Yaba underscores its confidence in Lagos’s continued growth as a prime destination for business and leisure.
