Garden Oases undergoing facelift

A HOMEGROWN inland resort and convention center is embarking on massive renovation of its facilities as it prepares for stiffer competition with the entry of more industry players, most of which are big companies coming from outside Davao City.

"There will be big changes this year. We are up for renovation to cope with the competition and address the needs of the market," said Jefferson Tan, managing director of Garden Oases Resort and Convention Center, which also has a hotel called the Ritz Hotel at Garden Oases.

Ritz is a five-storey boutique hotel with 88 rooms.

Tan said that starting next month, they will push through with the renovation of their convention hall and function rooms to provide bigger spaces and equip them with best-in-class amenities for customer satisfaction.

Although he refused to give exact figures, Tan said they have set aside millions of pesos for the renovation.

He said renovation of their facilities actually started last year when they decided to improve the resort's al-fresco restaurant into a cozier dining place.

Called the Oases Seafood Restaurant, it is now a perfect place for casual and fine dining, especially for families craving for Asian dishes.

"It is also a good place for small meetings as the restaurant has three VIP rooms, each can accommodate 20 to 30 people," said Sybil Sevilla-Angala, Ritz Hotel's director of sales and marketing.

Tan said at least P8 million had been spent for the restaurant's renovation alone.

Angala said Garden Oases has also sustained its image as a perfect place for garden weddings, debuts, baptismals, conventions and other corporate events.

The convention center can accommodate at least 1,000 people and at least 100 people for smaller function rooms.

"With the renovation of these facilities, we can provide our clients with better service and bigger state-of-the-art spaces," Angala said.