He said the “multi-million peso” renovation, which will begin in 2008, will include improving rooms and existing amenities, among others, to make Marriott Cebu City a “true business hotel.”
The rooms, he added, will be designed for business travelers in terms of Internet connectivity and in-room entertainment.
Abraham said the hotel management’s decision to renovate facilities is “timely,” considering the establishment of more business and leisure hotels in Cebu.
“I have come in at a time where more hotels are coming in. The pie has gotten bigger,” he said.
Abraham said he is confident about Cebu’s potential to attract business tourists from East Asia, especially with the strong growth of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.
He said Cebu’s advantage as a business tourist destination is strengthened by the Cebuanos’ “warmth and friendly attitude” and high English proficiency.
However, he has identified Thailand as the country’s main competitor in luring the business and leisure market, which is why further infrastructure developments are needed.
“You have an airport in Manila that still remains close. Manila, as a gateway, needs to open that airport to cater to more arrivals,” Abraham told Sun.Star Cebu during the farewell party for outgoing Marriott Hotel general manager Karl Hudson last Friday.
“The Philippines has a lot of islands sitting there, ready to open,” he added.
Hudson has been assigned to head the Marriott Hotel and Resort in Sanya, China.
Marriott Hotel Cebu City, which has 300 rooms, has an average monthly occupancy rate of 70 percent, Abraham said.
Its target visitors include Europeans, Chinese, Japanese, Americans and domestic business travelers. (MMM)
