AFTER experiencing delays involving its construction, the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa (IP) will finally soft open next week.

“The (hotel) is not yet complete, but we are proud of the product that we will introduce,” said IP general manager Amando Huh in a press conference last Wednesday.

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Construction of the hotel started almost three years ago.

It was supposed to open last May 20, but due to problems during the construction—which included “unpredictable weather conditions”—the hotel’s opening was moved to July 1.

On its opening day, IP will offer 300 hotel rooms and suites from its 557 total inventory. Huh said the hotel has confirmed bookings starting July 3.

Aside from this, a number of inquiries for conventions and seminars were also received by the hotel. Among the inquiries that IP received was from the Makati City Hall for a convention.

But Huh said that at present, the hotel is not very much concerned with the number of bookings it is getting in time for its soft opening.

“Even if we only have one guest, we will still give genuine care to the guests and provide 100 percent satisfaction of our product,” Huh said.

Aside from the 300 rooms and suites, the hotel’s amenities—which include Korean restaurant Maru, Chinese restaurant Cheon San, a karaoke outlet called Belami, the Delmar lobby lounge, the Café Amiga, the waterpark, a gym and the kid’s area—will be operational by July 1 as well.

However, day tour packages will not available until the hotel’s construction is finished, which is targeted to be in September.

At present, the hotel is only 92 percent completed.

During its soft opening, IP will employ at least 600 people, including 14 Korean expatriates and 17 others of different nationalities. There rest of the staff will be Filipinos.

Upon completion, Huh said the hotel will provide jobs to 1,080 people.

Huh also said that most of the staff that are already on board are being trained on customer service and Korean culture.

But he said that this does not mean that the hotel will only cater to Koreans.

“We want to get the ideal mix of tourists that will include other nationalities,” he said. But since Koreans still dominate the tourist arrivals in the country, IP expects that its first guests will be Koreans.

This P3-billion project is developed by Philippine BXT Corp.

It is also the first tourism economic zone accredited by the Philippine Export Zone Authority.

The hotel, which sits on an eight-hectare property in Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City, will also feature 48 pool villas, spa facilities and water sports activities.