ILOILO City – Practicality isn’t normally associated with a high-end hotel experience. The rising costs are felt by spenders in all corners, and shelling out a couple thousand pesos for a night or two in any accommodation establishment usually comes out of necessity more than the need for leisure.
Still, many people seek comfort to escape the rigors of the daily grind, but they also want to make the most of their hard-earned money. For Grand Xing Imperial Hotel, this is where they come in – hitting that “soft spot” where guests want luxury at a cost that doesn’t break the bank.
“Some people go out of their way when they want comfort,” General Manager Robert Alor says as we sit for breakfast at Flames Café, a restaurant offering international cuisines, one of the three gastronomic go-to spots in the hotel. “But when they check in here, they are pleasantly surprised by how little they spend for such a classy experience.”
Located on corner H. Montinola-Muelle Loney streets in City Proper, Grand Xing Imperial Hotel gives its guests a vibe that makes this growing metropolis so captivating to visitors – modernity in the midst of a laidback environment; upscale amenities with a genuine sense of home.
Its two towers, the East Wing (facing the Iloilo River) and the West Wing, house 180 guestrooms splashed with earth colors and warm lighting to go with its indulgently soft mattresses and sheets; eight spacious function halls, including the glass-walled 360o Skyview that shows a bird’s-eye view of the City Proper; and three restaurants (the other two are the Royal Zhang Palace, which has Chinese food finds, and the Nonki Japanese Restaurant).
A Summit Infinity Pool connects the two towers, while the entire fourth floor of the West Wing is dedicated to 34 KTV rooms, a feature that competes with many similar but standalone entertainment establishments mostly located in Mandurriao district, some 4 kilometers away.
The hotel’s Grand Ballroom can accommodate as many as over 2,000 people at a time. In addition, there are four breakout rooms, each can be further divided into two. Its thrust to be a preferred convention center is actually in line with the Department of Tourism’s support for the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions/Events) industry, says Alor.
Since opening in September 2016, Grand Xing Imperial Hotel has found that the tastes of its guests are as varied as the circles they belong to. While it doesn’t explicitly try to reach out to people from all economic brackets, the hotel is as welcoming to guests on a budget as it is to those who want to indulge in luxury no matter the price. They can spend the night at between P4,500 and P5,000 with breakfast for two, but on lucky (promo) days, a stay at Grand Xing can be as affordable as P2,000 a night and buffets can be as low as P350 per head – nothing in their services gets skimped – Alor says. In a sense, Grand Xing is the perfect “hotel for all”: sophisticated without being overly niche or discriminating.
“Luxury you can afford” is their slogan after all, Alor tells this writer. “Many locals are very smart spenders who are after luxury without tearing their pockets. Why go to other way more expensive high-end hotels when you can have a similar experience at a much more reasonable cost?”/PN
***
For inquiries and reservations, contact (033) 337-0791 to 95.
