Secrets Reporters
Grasses leading up to the main hotel building, a signage covered with grass, broken windows, missing doors, fallen ceiling, open roof, murky water filled with dirt, birds chirping, breeze blowing the trees, a quiet and serene environment.
This is the sad reality of the once bubbling, upbeat and famous Pankshin Hotel in Pankshin Local Government Area, Plateau State. The once popular hotel was known as the best, where it welcomed foreign tourist, governors, house of representative members, chairmen, and overall men of timber and caliber from all works of life.
Situated on top of a hill, popularly called “Hill Top Hotel”, the hotel is now a shadow of itself, owned by the Plateau State government, abandoned for more than 15 years, its glory all gone down the drain. The place which once served not just as a hotel but a tourist site, with foreigners who enjoyed the serene, quite, beautiful and cold environment, showcasing the beautiful Ariel top view of the local government area, is sadly no more, a place which served as a source of revenue for the Plateau state government in the past years has now turned into a money laundering project for government officials in the state.
In the year 2021, a total sum of N15 million was allocated for the renovation of 12 rooms, a bar and restaurant in the Pankshin hotel. The same project was recaptured in the year 2022, with another allocated budget of N6 million. Despite the fact that this project was awarded to the Plateau state Tourism Corporation, it still wasn’t executed.
Fast forward to the year 2025, a visit by SecretsReporters to the hotel premises showed that the hotel is still in a very dilapidated state with no single sign of change. No active bar, not a single standard renovated room, and no restaurant in sight, just a building basking in the aura of the breeze generated by the trees and a signage at the entrance with bold writings on it, which read “Government of Plateau State”. More writings on it showed that the hotel was meant to be renovated by the Plateau state Tourism Corporation and also the address of the contractor, at the end revealed an instruction “Do Not Enter.”
Further research into the state’s website revealed another budget allocation for the same project in the 2025 budget, it showed that a total sum of N6 million was approved for the renovation of 12 rooms, a bar and a restaurant in the Pankshin Hotel. In the 2024 revised budget column, although N6 million was approved for this project, the 2024 performance column showed that a total sum of N4 million was used. Meanwhile another N10 million has been approved for this same project in 2025 approved budget column in the same 2025 budget.
In an interview with a resident in the community, Domshak Yohanna, he recalls how the hotel was in the past in contrast with the current reality.
“I wish you were here when the hotel was in its glory. On Sundays this place is usually booked and busy. If you want to have a fun evening on Sunday, just come to Hilltop.” He explained with a very high and exciting tone, almost like he was picturing how it looked.
Lamenting on the negligence of the government and speaking on what he never thought would be the reality of the “famous Hilltop” he spoke with such a disappointing tone.
“It’s so sad that the place now looks like this. If anyone had told me Hilltop will one day look like, I would have argued but look at it now, it’s so sad.” He said with a soft sad tone.
He also stated that, some of the rooms were once occupied by security officers and ever since they left, the place just became abandoned.
Another resident who chose anonymity because of job security explained how the state of the hotel has been since she moved to the community for the past three years.
“All we have been hearing are just stories of how the hotel was the most happening place in town. We were even told white people (foreigners) came to stay in the hotel whenever they are here in Pankshin, but as for me, all I’ve seen is how the place is just abandoned with no sign of the glory we have been hearing.” She said.
While the inclusion of the project in the 2025 budget shows that the project hasn’t been abandoned on paper, there is no certainty if this will eventually go beyond paper work and transcend into an actual project.
From N15 million in 2021, N6 million in 2022/2024 and N10 million proposed for 2025, the total budgetary attention the hotel has received in the past five years is less than N50 million, which would prompt one to wonder the kind of standard the Plateau state government is aiming for in comparison the modern standard hotels which is also meant to serve as a tourism site for tourist
Tourism development experts say such low, irregular project funding typically results in partial work done rather than a standard refurbishing. Renovating a hotel that has been idle for years requires a lot of work and such small allocations spread across years only send one message “patch up works.”
Despite repeated budgetary inclusion, Hilltop Hotel remains fenced with grass overgrowth, trees and neglect. While the buildings still stand but the environment and appearance is screaming for help and restoration.
Residents in Pankshin often express frustration that the facility which could have been a community asset and further put them on the map still remains dormant.
Although Chuwang Pwajok, the general manager of Plateau state Tourism Corporation in the past years have spoken about the conscious effort the state government is putting into reviving tourism in Plateau state. While this is obvious on paper, residents still hope that the government doesn’t only leave it at that but they see the promises been executed in real life.
Once again, N10 million has been set aside for the renovation of Pankshin hotel. Will the year 2025 be the year of restoration for Hilltop hotel? Will this be the year it finally reawakens from its slumber? Or will it remain on the long list of unfinished projects which will once again be added to the 2026 budgets?
For now, the once famous Hilltop hotel stands in its shadows, its walls falling apart, the paint fading, loud echo of silence while to be reawakened.