Sujimoto Group has unveiled plans for a 49-storey luxury hotel in Lagos, Isabella de’ Medici, conceived to become Nigeria’s tallest and most luxurious hotel and position the commercial capital as a leading destination for international luxury hospitality.
The proposed development will combine high-end hospitality, leisure and private hotel-suite ownership, allowing investors to acquire individual suites for personal use or earn rental income through a professionally managed pool.
Named after Isabella de’ Medici, a member of the influential Italian Medici family, the project draws inspiration from Renaissance Florence, with its architecture and leisure facilities designed to deliver an international luxury experience while showcasing African hospitality.
According to the company, the hotel will feature a sculptural KRION façade, a grand lobby aquarium touted as potentially Africa’s largest hotel-lobby aquarium, a hanging infinity pool on the 35th floor, international restaurants, luxury boutiques, wellness facilities, a private cinema, casino, billiards lounge and sky bar.
Sujimoto said its ambition was to create a hospitality landmark capable of competing with established international luxury brands, including Four Seasons, while attracting visitors from across the world.
The announcement comes as the company moves towards completing its flagship Lucrezia by Sujimoto residential development on Banana Island, Lagos, where homeowners have begun taking possession of their properties.
Beyond hospitality, Isabella de’ Medici introduces a private investment model through which buyers can own individual hotel suites without purchasing entire residential properties.
The company said its 45-square-metre deluxe suites would be offered from $150,000 during the pre-launch phase, with prices expected to rise to $210,000 at groundbreaking and potentially increase further as construction progresses.
Founding investors, it added, would have the opportunity to name their suites after themselves and enjoy up to 21 days of personal use annually, subject to the terms of the proposed managed rental pool.
Sujimoto projected annual rental income of up to $30,000 on a $150,000 suite, representing a potential yield of 20 per cent. It also projected returns on equity of up to 300 per cent by completion, with suite prices potentially rising to $600,000 at that stage.
However, the company’s projected income, yields and capital appreciation are estimates, not guaranteed returns. Actual performance would depend on occupancy levels, operating expenses, management fees, market conditions and the final terms of the investment arrangement.
The Group Managing Director of Sujimoto, Dr Sijibomi Ogundele, said lessons from the development of Lucrezia had prompted the company to adopt stricter financial controls for the proposed hotel project.
In a statement he personally signed, Ogundele acknowledged that rising construction costs, exchange-rate volatility, borrowing obligations and regulatory hurdles had placed significant pressure on the Banana Island development.
He disclosed that the company had installed 112 piles beneath the Lucrezia development as part of its foundation engineering but admitted that its financing structure had not been sufficiently protected against economic shocks.
According to him, the experience had informed plans to strengthen financial discipline in the execution of Isabella de’ Medici through more prudent borrowing, aligning financial commitments with available funding, introducing safeguards at construction milestones and improving risk assessment.
Ogundele maintained that the group remained committed to completing Lucrezia and fulfilling its obligations to investors and homeowners.
Lucrezia is a 15-storey luxury residential development featuring four-bedroom maisonettes measuring approximately 600 square metres, alongside premium penthouses.
Citing the potential for capital appreciation in its developments, Sujimoto said a unit in Lucrezia purchased for about ₦650 million had reportedly attracted a current offer of ₦5 billion.
Ogundele said Isabella de’ Medici was conceived as more than another luxury hotel, describing the vision as a destination capable of attracting international visitors and expanding Lagos’s appeal to the global luxury tourism market.
The project’s inspiration comes from the legacy of the Medici family, whose patronage helped establish Florence as one of the defining cultural centres of the Renaissance.
The company said the hotel’s architectural concept, premium accommodation and planned leisure attractions were intended to distinguish it within Nigeria’s hospitality industry.
Sujimoto added that the lessons learned from Lucrezia would guide the execution of Isabella, with greater emphasis on financial discipline, transparency and keeping investors informed throughout construction and eventual hotel operations.
Ogundele has spearheaded several luxury real estate developments, including Lucrezia by Sujimoto, Leonardo by Sujimoto, the Sujimoto Twin Tower and Queen Amina by Sujimoto.
The proposed Isabella de’ Medici marks the company’s latest attempt to expand beyond luxury residential real estate into large-scale hospitality, with its 49-storey design and ambitious facilities conceived to establish it as Nigeria’s tallest and most luxurious hotel.
