Hotel in Cebu aims to attract long-staying EU, US tourists

A NEW hotel in Banilad hopes to get a chunk of Cebu's hospitality industry, especially long-staying tourists.

To achieve the goal, May and Detlef Ernst poured millions to make The House of Cebu unique and interesting.

One interesting feature is the hotel’s bar, which is called Scrapyard, because it is furnished with items from junkyards.

Detlef described the hotel’s design as contemporary industrial and the first of its kind in Cebu.

He said the hotel, located along the Ma. Luisa Road in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City, will redefine the way tourists think about travel.

Niche

Design hotels, he said, capture a new niche market, particularly long-staying tourists opting for a more interesting stay.

He said Cebu is ready for this type of development given its exposure to various travel markets.

“The design and items you see from the lobby, to bars and restaurants, and to individual hotel rooms will differentiate us from other hotel here,” May said. “Each room was carefully thought of all because we want to offer a unique accommodation to tourists coming to Cebu.”

The concept of the hotel was also inspired by the couple’s travels abroad.

May and Detlef lived in Shanghai, China before deciding to move to Cebu. May was a restaurant operator and Detlef was in the steel bar business.

Cultures

The couple said it took them a year to finalize the design of the hotel since they wanted to integrate the elements of the cultures they were exposed to during their trips abroad.

The House of Cebu has 38 rooms with different designs, two of which are suites.
Detlef said they hope to attract Europeans and Americans, as well as corporate clients from Manila.

The couple invested more than P50 million for the designs and furnishings. The Ernsts contacted Signal Properties Corp. to construct the hotel.

The House of Cebu also has a restaurant called Paseo One.

Detlef also allotted space on the second floor for art exhibits.

To ensure a steady flow of guests, the couple said they will be partnering with travel agencies. They are also looking for resort partners with dive sites, like Moalboal, Malapascua and Bantayan.