Hotels and Resorts

[thomasian]

Discovery Group to Put Up Five-Star Hotel in Boracay
BusinessWorld - 05/19/05

The Discovery Leisure Co., the holding
group which owns and operates the Discovery
Suites, will open next year a fivestar
hotel in Boracay, Aklan. To be called
the Discovery Shores Hotel, the 88-room
hotel will cater to the upscale market and
will have its soft opening on Feb. 14, 2006.
The hotel will stand on a 7,200-sq.m.
beachfront property in Station One on
the main beach. It will be the first hotel
in the area which will be operated by a
Manila-based company. Rates will start at
$200 a night and discounts may be offered
during off-peak seasons. The hotel
will have swimming pools, restaurants, a
bar, function hall, a kid’s lounge, a gym, a
Jacuzzi and other amenities. The first
phase will have 45 rooms and all the
amenities. The remaining rooms will be
opened a few months after. The group is
also set to manage a hotel and condominium
project in Shanghai under a lease
with Chinese firm HSAI Raintree.
Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) is set to hold
the soft launch of its new hotel, the Crowne
Plaza Galleria in Manila. Located in the
Robinsons Galleria compound in Ortigas
Center, the new hotel has 265 guest rooms
and extensive meeting facilities. It also has a
1,272-sq.m. grand ballroom and can accommodate
up to 1,500 people. Among its recreational
facilities include gymnasium, outdoor
swimming pool, spa treatments, salon,
travel and tour service, and a limousine service.
It will be managed by the Intercontinental
Hotels Group Plc.

[fundraiser]

freshest pic of hilton mactan island resort and spa

shang and hilton....

[thomasian]

Whatta color!!!

[c0kelitr0]

WELCOME TO PANSUKIAN TROPICAL RESORT -- the only 5-star resort in Surigao located in Siargao Island. The Zobel de Ayalas are frequent guests.

Rates -- between $120/person/night to $260/person/night


Reception Area






Sand Walkway




Family Villa




Villa Gates




Garden Cottage




Typical Bedroom






Bar and Restaurant






More Pics

[kiretoce]

Awesome looking resort! Perfectly blends with the surroundings and doesn't stand out like a sore thumb!

[absent-minded]

nice!! I never knew Surigao also had nice resorts... the islands over there look awesome! especially in those pics on the Surigao Island thread. it looks as good as Palawan! I agree it shouldn't go through the unmanaged, unsustainable and irresponsible development the way Boracay did...

[thomasian]

News about the proposed Discovery Shores Resort by Discovery Suites in Boracay

New Boracay Leisure Hotel Enjoys Tax Holiday
Manila Times - 7/8/05

A subsidiary of Discovery Leisure Co. Inc.
will put up a resort hotel on Boracay Island
after the Board of Investments approved the
firm’s bid for the beach property project’s
several tax perks. The project will enjoy a
three-year income-tax holiday from the start
of operation, among other incentives, as indicated
in the Omnibus Investments Code.
Under the rules of the bureau, a company
undertaking a tourism-related project for
the first five years from the date of registration,
“shall be allowed an additional deduction
from taxable income of 50 percent
of the wages corresponding to the increment
in number of direct and unskilled
workers in the year it made use of the incentive
as against the previous year.” However,
the incentive will be applicable if a company
meets the prescribed ratio of capital
equipment to number of workers, which is
set at $10,000 for every worker.

[Forumwalker]

Panglao Island Nature Resort, Panglao Island, Bohol.. just one of the first resorts to cater to tourists after the tourist boom. other resort hotels catered already to german and british divers since the 1980s. they even live in the island already.

it's a great way to spend scuba diving, relaxing in the sun, whale and dolphin watching and be away from it all. Panglao Island in Bohol offers resorts different from Boracay's not-so-relaxing atmosphere what with the city-life literally still there. another advantage is visiting different places like:


Chocolate Hills


The Tarsier


Balicasag Island, Pamilacan Island and the Black Coral Forest in Cabilao Island




nightlife? cebu is just 1 hour and 30 minutes away by fastcraft.. you can really get away yet you can still get back to your life in a few moments.

[kiretoce]

Originally Posted by Forumwalker

I'd love to swim alongside these dolphins!

[absent-minded]

wow... Bohol looks just absolutely spectacular!

[tyronne]

I apologize if this has been posted already.

ARROYO LEADS GROUNDBREAKING RITES FOR US$178.1 MLN RESORT
TAGAYTAY CITY, July 29



Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday led the groundbreaking and the capsule-laying rites for the first 100 per cent Filipino culture-inspired resort here worth P10 billion (US$178.1 million).

Filipiniana Tagaytay Vacation Resort Complex, a 20-hectare estate along the Tagaytay National Highway, is committed to please both domestic and foreign tourists.

The facility, which actually stands on a real estate that forms part of Laurel, Batangas, will showcase Filipino culture, heritage and tradition.

Featuring distinctly unique Filipino concepts and motifs, the project is certain to encourage tourists, retirees and travelers to visit the Philippines.

Its all-Filipino building design blends with and integrates modern amenities including a hotel, condotel, eco-parks and theaters.

Conceived as its ultimate tourism lure, however, will be its timely rendition of various Philippine festivities such as the Sinulog of Cebu, Ati-atihan of Aklan, Moriones of Marinduque, Masskara of Negros and the Panabenga Flower Festival of Baguio, among others.

"Promotion of such events doubly makes Filipiniana Tagaytay project a business and leisure home, and a major tourist attraction for the country," said Oriental Mindoro Rep. Rodolfo Valencia, owner of the Filipiniana Resorts Development Corp. Inc., the developer of the resort.

The project, which features three representational phases -- Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao basks in the cool climate of Tagaytay and further boosts its surrounding landscape.

It also affords visitors a commanding view of the area's green mountain ridge, the picturesque Taal Lake on which seemingly floats the majestic Taal Volcano.

Valencia said the total project cost will reach P10 billion including the P2 billion that will go to land development alone. Fifty per cent of the total cost, he added, will be funded by a Singaporean firm partner, the City State Holdings Pte, Ltd.

The Luzon wing of the complex will include a hotel and world-class restaurants, 144 condotel units, four to six-storey low-rise condotel and a six-storey Bellview hotel-condotel.

The project's Visayas wing will consist of four-storey condominiums, two-storey garden apartments, 17 units of typical villas clustered together, two-storey quadruplexes and other quadruplex structures.

The design of the Mindanao wing is still in the drawing board.

Valencia said majority of the buildings to be built will face Taal Lake with most of the units having an awesome view of the Taal landscape. The project, he added, is in support of President Arroyo's tourism program.

The President has tapped the tourism sector in her goal to create 10 million jobs before her term expires in 2010.

This project will also beef up the much-needed tourism infrastructure in the country.

Assisting the President in laying the time capsule were Valencia, Laurel Mayor John Benedict Panganiban, Ambassador Antonio Cabangon-Chua who is also an investor in the project, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, Batangas third district Rep. Vicky Reyes, Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and Leow Siak Fah of the Citystate Holdings of Singapore.

Valencia likewise briefed the President on the project and presented her a scale model of the resort.

(PNA)
July 29, 2005

source

[bustero]

Vol. XIX, No. 12
Thursday, August 11, 2005 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Property & Infrastructure

BY JENNEE GRACE U. RUBRICO, Senior Reporter
Cebu tourism banks on Marco Polo hotel

For Cebu, the closure of the Cebu Plaza Hotel in 2003 was a big blow to the province’s tourism program.

The hotel, one of the biggest and most popular in Cebu City, was closed after its previous owner, Pathfinder Holdings Philippines Inc., defaulted on a P900-million obligation to Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank).
Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano addressing guests during the formal contract signing between The Marco Polo Hotel Group and the Asia Pacific Management Corp. (APMC) The agreement was signed by (from second left) Clarence Shun Wah, senior vice president of the Marco Polo Hotel Group; Jeffrey Flowers, president of the Marco Polo Hotel Group; Alfred Ty, president of APMC and Federal Land, Inc.; and Francisco Sebastian, chairman of APMC and president of First Metro Investment Corp.

The bank foreclosed the property and later transferred the hotel to asset management company Asia Recovery Corp.

This year, the hotel will again be in Cebu’s tourism landscape, albeit under a different name, owner and management group.

Still standing on a five-hectare property in the upscale Nivel Hills district, the structure is now owned by Asia Pacific Management Corp., a joint venture between the Ty family’s Federal Land, Inc. and some Hong Kong investors. The Tys also own Metrobank.

The company purchased the property from Asia Recovery for P1.2 billion. Another Metrobank subsidiary, publicly listed investment company First Metro Investment Corp., is also part owner of the hotel.

The new owners tapped the Hong Kong-based Marco Polo group to manage the new hotel under a revenue sharing scheme.

With the marriage between the subsidiaries of the country’s strongest bank and one of Asia’s strongest hotel brand, the Cebu Plaza Hotel was renamed Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.

In a speech delivered at the signing of the memorandum of agreement between the Marco Polo group and the Metrobank group, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said the reopening of the hotel was a welcome development for Cebu, as it would help accommodate the increasing number of tourists in the island.

"Cebu continues to be the number one tourist spot in the country," said the secretary who also hails from the province.

Citing government statistics, Mr. Durano said that of the 2.2 million tourists in 2004, half went to Central Visayas and 80% of which went to Cebu.

He noted that for the first half of this year, tourist arrivals in the island-province have increased by 12.7%.

When it opens in the first quarter of 2006, the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu will provide 335 guest rooms and will also have 2,400 square meters of space for meeting, conferences and events.

The hotel, which is 25 minutes away from the Mactan International Airport and five minutes away from the central business district, will also be marketed as an urban resort.

Asia Pacific is now in the final stages of discussion with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. for the operations of a casino within the hotel premises.

GROWTH INDUSTRY

First Metro President Francisco Sebastian said that the Metrobank group forayed into the hotel business because it is a "growth industry."

"It’s great for foreign exchange. It’s great for employment, it generates business. It’s a particular niche in which we want to be involved. It’s one investment in which we hope we can do well and do more in the future," he said.

He added that the Metrobank group first wants to see how the venture does before further expanding in the hospitality industry.

Jeffrey Flowers, president of the Marco Polo group, said that the location of the hotel is ideal for attracting Asians.

Besides being nestled on a hillside that overlooks the city, the hotel is also situated in a place that would be attractive to people from temperate countries, he said

"It’s a wonderful warm weather destination. There is very easy access to Cebu from Hong Kong, from Taiwan, from Singapore. Regionally, it will do very well."

Mr. Flowers said Cebu’s tourism industry has an edge over others; for instance, Cebu accepts 88 international flights a month, while Davao, where Marco Polo operates its only other hotel in the country, only has one or two international flights a week.

"This will generate operating ratios that are some of the best in Asia. I think that it will be stronger than Manila in terms of operating ratios," he said, as he projected hotel occupancy to be at 80%.

With such high expectations, the hotel owners have not been scrimping in preparing the hotel for operations.

Federal Land President Alfred Ty said that the company has allocated P500 million for refurbishing the old hotel.

The renovation includes the upgrading of fire safety systems, electrical wiring and plumbing systems to international standards.

It also includes installation of the latest communication and audio-visual systems as well as the enhancement of all public and guest room areas.

The management also said that the air-conditioning units are being rehabilitated to become fully centralized.

"It is the intent of Federal Land and Marco Polo to position this as the leading hotel in Cebu," Mr. Flowers said.

[JudeD]

Some pics from the Baguio Country Club. I still prefer staying here over The Manor, even if that's newer. I love their heated pools, although I avoid them if I see little kids going in or coming out. Why? Simple equation: young kid with poor bladder control + heated water + full body immersion = increased nitrogen content in the pool water (if you get my meaning). I told this to a friend of mine who also likes using the pool there and from now on he plans to stay away from it!

[kiretoce]

Nice photos Jude! Where in Baguio City is this located?

[OtAkAw]

Hey, may nanood ba sa inyo ng Handa na ba kayo sa Channel 2 nung Sunday?

balita: Eric Cua owner of temple bar, embassy bar and many other bars is going to build the first boutique hotel in the country!!!! At 25 years old, he's a millionairre na! Fineature siya ni Korina Sanchez...

Yung mga boutique hotels ba yung kagaya ng Carlyle Hotel sa NY at Ritz sa London? Yung may pabutler butler pang nalalaman...?

[sloid]

[rustyboi]

Major international hotel chains in Cebu

Shangri-La Resort Mactan


Marriott Hotel


Hilton Towers and Spa Resort

Currently on soft launch. Grand opening on mid-September 2005

Major international chain hotels opening soon! as of Press time

Sheraton International

Target opening: 1st Quarter of 2006

Marco Polo Hotel (Cebu Plaza)

Target reopening: October 2005

Crown Regency Suites (Club Ultima Towers)

Target opening: December 2006

Park Lane Hotel
Target opening: December 2005

Park City Central

no sign of construction yet

[SKYLINEPIGEON]

both shangrila cebu and makati were recently on the top ten of asias best resort hotel and city hotel in asia

[jbkayaker12]

Originally Posted by OtAkAw

Hey, may nanood ba sa inyo ng Handa na ba kayo sa Channel 2 nung Sunday?

balita: Eric Cua owner of temple bar, embassy bar and many other bars is going to build the first boutique hotel in the country!!!! At 25 years old, he's a millionairre na! Fineature siya ni Korina Sanchez...

Yung mga boutique hotels ba yung kagaya ng Carlyle Hotel sa NY at Ritz sa London? Yung may pabutler butler pang nalalaman...?

I think you could classify Orchid Garden Suites in Metro Manila as a boutique hotel. It has the old world ambiance on its architecture and definitely not massive in size. Boutique hotels doesn't necessarily have to be affiliated with a top name chain.

[ryanr]

Park City Central has been planned for a long time. And its design is really nice. Any additional info on it?