GUESTS will have a lot to look forward to in the coming months as Bai Hotel opens up more rooms and becomes fully operational by the end of this year.
Out of 668 rooms, 200 rooms were opened to the public last Wednesday. In the coming days, the hotel will open 100 more rooms, including some of its executive club rooms.
Six of its eight premium restaurants—Lobby Lounge, Wallstreet Coffee+Bar, Umi Japanese Cuisine, Cafe Bai, and Pool Bar, have also soft-opened, while the Executive Lounge is scheduled for opening in the coming days and Twilight Roodfeck Lounge + Bar by December this year.
Bai Hotel general manager Alfred Reyes reported a high occupancy on their first day of operation, a sign of exciting times ahead.
“Out of the 200 rooms we opened last Wednesday, 88 rooms were occupied by a mix of guests from local and foreign markets,” said Reyes. He said they welcomed a big group of Koreans, who checked in during their first day, while some individual travelers have started coming in.
Reyes added the hotel also had its first function.
Bai Hotel is seeking to capture a good share of the province’s bourgeoning business and leisure markets.
Bai Hotel, from the term often used by Cebuanos when referring to a friend, is the first foray of the Lua family in the hospitality business. The Luas own Philippine Spring Water Resources Inc., the company behind Nature’s Spring, one of the successful bottled water brands in the country.
Bai Hotel claims to be the biggest accommodation facility outside of Luzon, with a total area of 72,000 square meters. It is poised to be a significant addition to Cebu’s dynamic tourism sector, which attracts local and foreign business and leisure tourists.
Amenities
The 23-storey building houses eight dining options and 12 conference and meeting rooms. Its ballroom can accommodate 350 to 400 guests while its all-day dining room, Cafe Bai, can hosts up to 420 diners.
Bai Hotel is located along the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City and is strategically located near commercial and business districts. It is operated under the Bai Global Properties LLC Inc.
Given the booming tourism industry in the country and in Cebu, Reyes said Filipinos should anticipate more Bai brands in known tourism destinations.
He said the Lua family is eyeing to expand the Bai chain and build more accommodation facilities in potential locations like in Camotes, Mactan, Bohol and Iloilo. A timeline for the expansion projects are yet to be determined as the rollout will depend on the performance of Bai Hotel, the firm’s flagship project.
“There are four brands under the Bai chain—Bai Hotel, Bai Express, Bai Resort and Bai Serviced-Apartments,” said Reyes.
Other amenities at Bai Hotel includes a spa, 25-meter infinity outdoor lap pool, fitness center with sauna and steam rooms, among other services.
Bai Hotel is a member of Europe-based Worldhotels, an exclusive group of independent hotels around the globe.
Worldhotels brings together a handpicked portfolio of 450 properties in 250 destinations and 65 countries across the world.