Hillside Hospitality Announces the Opening of Phase 1 of the Historic Hill Station Hotel

The reopening of the historic Hill Station Hotel in Jos is signalling a new chapter for Plateau State’s tourism and hospitality economy, with Hillside Hospitality Limited deploying private capital and operating expertise to return one of Nigeria’s most recognisable hospitality landmarks to productive commercial use. Hillside Hospitality has leased the hotel from Hill Station Hotel Limited and is undertaking its redevelopment and operations in partnership with the Plateau State Government.

The extensively remodelled hotel commenced a soft opening on 1 October 2026 and is currently welcoming guests ahead of its formal commissioning by the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, in the coming weeks.

Background on Hill Station Hotel

Established in 1938, Hill Station occupies a significant place in Nigeria’s hospitality history, having hosted generations of business leaders, international visitors and dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth II. Its return, however, is about more than restoring a heritage property. It represents an opportunity to reconnect one of the country’s most storied hospitality assets with a new generation of travelers while placing Plateau more firmly within Nigeria’s evolving tourism and leisure economy.

The Transformation and Impact of Hillside Hospitality’s Investment

Hillside Hospitality’s transformation of Hill Station is very extensive. Considerable attention has been paid to the architecture, interiors, accommodation, dining, wellness, recreation and business facilities, creating a contemporary luxury destination while retaining the character and heritage that have defined Hill Station for nearly nine decades.

But the ambition extends beyond the hotel itself. Hillside Hospitality intends to position Hill Station Hotel as a gateway into Plateau’s wider tourism ecosystem, building partnerships across tours, transportation, food, culture, adventure and local experiences to encourage visitors to discover more of the state. For corporate organisations, financial institutions, development agencies, conference organisers and travel management companies, the return of a premium hospitality asset also strengthens Jos’s value proposition for conferences, executive retreats, off-sites, incentive travel and leisure.

The economic impact of the redevelopment of Hill Station Hotel by Hillside Hospitality Limited is particularly significant. During construction and redevelopment of Phase One, over 1500 Plateau indigenes were engaged across different aspects of the project. With Phase One now operational, the resort directly employs more than 80 indigenes of the state, with direct employment expected to exceed 200 people when the hotel reaches full capacity and all phases are completed. Its demand for agricultural supplies, food, essential produce and other services is already supporting over 1,000 indirect livelihoods and economic opportunities across Jos and the wider Plateau metropolis. That impact is expected to deepen as the hotel scales towards full operating capacity, increasing demand across its local supply and service network. The investment by Hillside Hospitality into Hill Station is not simply to function as a hotel but as an anchor within a broader visitor economy.

The Vision of His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Muftwang

For the Muftwang administration, the project also signals how the mobilisation of private capital can unlock moribund public assets and return them to productive economic use. At a time when Nigerian states are seeking new ways to stimulate economic activity and attract investment, Hill Station provides a practical example of government creating the enabling conditions for private enterprise to restore strategic assets, create employment and generate wider commercial activity.

The Vision of Hillside Hospitality Limited

For Hillside Hospitality, the reopening represents a positive step into the broader opportunities emerging within Nigeria’s hospitality sector. With the company also expanding its hospitality portfolio across the country, Hill Station represents both a flagship hospitality investment and part of a wider strategy to participate in Nigeria’s growing real estate, leisure and destination economy.

Governor Mutfwang will formally commission the facility in the coming weeks, marking the next phase in the return of a property that has been part of the Jos landscape since 1938.