In Lagos’s increasingly saturated shortlet market, one name is beginning to pull clear of the crowd — Shortstays by CW, a spinoff of the real estate firm CW Real Estate. With luxury apartments across prime areas like Ikoyi, Lekki, and Victoria Island, the company is positioning itself not just as a player in the hospitality space but as a tastemaker for a new class of short-term accommodation. The big idea? That shortlets shouldn’t feel like a compromise between a hotel and a home, they should be both.
Yet, in a city where many shortlet operators promise luxury but deliver a barely serviced apartment and patchy Wi-Fi, what makes Shortstays by CW different? “We’re hands-on with each apartment, from curation to concierge,” says Adelani Adewuyi, CEO of CW Real Estate. Their listings, showcased on a slick standalone platform, boast features like 24/7 power supply, modern furniture, and proximity to key business districts. But a closer look reveals that the company is also capitalizing on a trend: young professionals, Nigerians in the diaspora, and digital nomads looking for flexible, short-term living without sacrificing style.
Still, the market is unforgiving. Customers expect hotel-level service with Airbnb-style freedom, and reviews suggest the gap between expectation and reality is often wide. CW’s bet, it seems, is that design-forward apartments with premium pricing to match can bridge that divide. The company’s approach blends real estate savvy with hospitality, and their messaging leans heavily on curated experiences rather than bare amenities.
Time will tell if CW’s model is sustainable, especially as competition heats up and travelers become more discerning. But for now, Shortstays by CW is tapping into something that feels both aspirational and local: a Lagosian brand, offering Lagosians and their guests a glimpse of the good life, one apartment at a time.