Royal Mandaya gears up for the big ones

STARTING this month, guests at The Royal Mandaya Hotel (TRMH) have to enjoy a high-speed and more reliable Wifi connection, part of the management's bid for the premier hotel to become a choice of business travelers and the Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) market.

"The hotel spent P4 million for this project. The upgrading of our Wifi system started late last year and was completed in January. A new system has been installed with increased mbps capacity for our guests to enjoy," said Benjie Banzon, TRMH general manager.

Taking advantage of Davao Region's booming tourism industry, the homegrown hotel has also embarked on multi-million modernization program that includes renovation of hotel rooms and the total rehabilitation of its kitchen to improve further their products and services.

This year, the management has set aside P53-million capital expenditure for the hotel's modernization efforts and skills training for its employees -- all these are geared toward customer satisfaction.

"We will equip our kitchen with state-of-the-art facilities to ensure quality of our food and service that entails huge volume of orders. This is part of the direction of the hotel. He have to upgrade our buffet, meaning mas maraming variety of food," he said, adding the management has allotted P4 million for the kitchen's renovation.

At the same time, the Royal Mandaya, owned by the Escandor family of Davao City, has already signed an agreement with Fuego Hotels and Properties Management Corp. for a partnership in terms of marketing the hotel, particularly in the Luzon market.

"We want to improve our hold in the Luzon market. Medyo mahina kami dyan kaya we want to correct the impression of that market segment about the hotel," Banzon said.

As they re-direct their focus on utmost needs of its growing clientele, Banzon said they have also been intensifying efforts to further improve services to satisfy their clientele.

For instance, he said they are set to launch this month a Royal Service Team aimed at improving the hotel's personnel service.

"The team is composed of 'all-around' personnel who will respond to the needs of our guests. Anything that a guest needs will be addressed by the team," Banzon said.

The team, he added, is now undergoing training and will soon report to work under the newly-created Royal Service Department of the hotel.

For room refurbishment, Banzon said they have already completed renovation of rooms in the 7th and 8th floors of the hotel's Tower 1.

"The rooms have undergone a total facelift. Bathroom fixtures, lightings, carpets, and even the beds were changed. Total renovation talaga," he said.

Renovation of rooms in each floor costs at least P5 million. Banzon said they are now starting to rehabilitate rooms in the 5th and 6th floors, which are expected to completed by third quarter of this year.

"We want to provide our guests with the royal treatment, which is part of our direction," Banzon said.

While the hotel has intensified development works on its physical structure, its personnel are also equipped with proper trainings designed for optimum guest satisfaction.

Banzon said they also continue to improve their system for online reservation to make it easier for clients to book for room reservations.

Banzon was also proud to say that since he took over the post in March 2012, customers have started to notice and appreciate improvements going on at the hotel.

He said the hotel has continued to climb in the ranking based on the result of an online survey among customers of various hotels in the city.

Of the 34 hotels surveyed early last year by Trip Advisor, Royal Mandaya ranked number 29, but it climbed to number 8 in the ranking after it redirected its focus on the needs of the customers.

"This only proves we're on the right direction and we will continue to pursue that," Banzon said.