[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Iloilo City touted as emerging MICE hub ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
By Rhick Lars Vladimer Albay
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
Courtyard by Marriott to raise city capacity to 3,500 rooms
ILOILO City – The city is closer to achieving its goal of becoming a premier MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) destination with the upcoming opening of an international brand hotel – one of the biggest players in the hospitality industry to invest in Iloilo and the region.
Iloilo Business Club executive director Lea Lara in an earlier interview told Panay News that among the headway heralding rapid growth is the burgeoning initiative to establish Iloilo City as an emerging first class MICE hub, as well as the introduction of new direct flights to and from Iloilo, and a resilient public and private partnership.
“Iloilo City is seeking to increase our capacity in the hospitality industry by breaching the 4,000-mark of hotel and resort rooms,” explained Lara. “We have 3,200 Department of Tourism-accredited rooms as of the moment. With a couple of hotels already building, that goal is very much attainable in the next few years.”
Similarly, Cleofe Albiso, general manager of Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo, sees Iloilo hitting the 4,000-room point in about three years, especially with the international business hotel set to offer 326 high-caliber rooms when it opens this May 9.
“The target of the city and the DOT is very doable in the next three years, with new players interested to put in a few hundred rooms more. Everybody is positioning themselves to cater to not just tourists but also large conventions,” Albiso told Panay News.
When Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo opens in early May this year, it will effectively push Iloilo City’s DOT-accredited resort and hotel rooms to more than 3,500 – just a few hundred shy of the 4,000 goal.
“We are the first international brand here in Iloilo, but we’ve also seen a robust string of hotels here owned by local Chinese businessmen, with some national brands as well. We are very honored to be involved in Iloilo’s very dynamic hospitality scene,” she added.
The very first Courtyard hotel in the Philippines, Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo is owned by the world’s largest hotel company with more than 5,700 properties in over 110 countries.
Albiso sees the Courtyard brand – a top-tier business hotel name under Marriott International – as the ideal fit for Iloilo, especially with the city’s current direction of opening its doors to more local and international conventions.
“Courtyard looks forward to contributing to the business sector with our presence. People from outside the country know that Marriott is a trusted brand, and with us here it will hopefully drive interest for more conventions and meetings to be held here,” the hotel executive added.
‘STRONG DIRECTION’
Albiso attributes a lot of the city’s growth in the MICE business to the establishment of the Iloilo Convention Center, with its 3,700-seat capacity main hall on the ground floor and 500-seat function rooms on the second floor – just a stone’s throw away from Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo.
“MICE not only contributes to tourism, it also adds greatly to the hospitality industry, and to the retail market around the area and the venue,” said Albiso, commending the city’s direction. “This year we are feeling the ramp up of the local MICE business, and with Courtyard here, we hope to add our own great stamp on it. [The growth] is going to be something that will validate the direction of the city.”
“Marriott puts up business, especially hotels, in emerging cities that it envisions to really grow exponentially. It’s Marriott saying ‘I want to be first.’ Our presence here will hopefully eventually invite more international chains to invest in Iloilo. We know Iloilo has a lot to offer,” she concluded.
Courtyard by Marriott is slated to open on May 9 – with 326 ergonomically designed rooms and prime amenities. The hotel is set to offer 71 deluxe king rooms, 102 deluxe double rooms, 83 corner king guestrooms, 49 corner double rooms, 16 junior suites, and 5 accessible rooms bespoke for guests with special needs.
The 15-floors hotel will boast an active space of almost 12,000 square feet, with one grand ballroom that can cater to 220 guests and an additional board room connected to a business center with readily available secretarial services./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
