WHAT a difference a decade makes! I first set foot in the laid-back city of Iloilo more than 10 years ago and at that time I found the city old-fashioned with a kind of genteel, home-grown charm. The charm remains to this day but there’s a new face in the city—a modern, integrated township called the Iloilo Business Park. Developed by premier real estate company Megaworld Corp., the 72-hectare mixed-use master-planned community is located in the Mandurriao district (the site of the old airport).
The modern complex is poised to be the next central business district in the city with its state-of-the-art BPO (business process outsourcing) office towers, the huge Iloilo Convention Center, the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art housing a good mix of paintings and sculpture, the fun Festive Walk Mall and the 1.1 kilometer Festive Parade commercial and retail strip, luxury condominiums and the 12-storey Richmonde Hotel.
Richmonde Hotel Iloilo (Megaworld Corp.’s homegrown-brand) changed the hotel industry standards in the region when it opened three years ago. The pioneering first class hotel in Iloilo has world class facilites and impeccable service. Its 149 rooms have expansive bathrooms, wide mirrors, luxe beds, plush beddings, and all! Oh yes, I loved my spacious and beautifully decorated one-bedroom suite.
Hotel manager Natalie Lim proudly showed us around the hotel after treating us to a delectable lunch of Ilonggo favorites at The Granary, the homey all-day dining outlet offering all kinds of yummies. And then right across the well-appointed lobby, is the ultra comfy BizBar with its huge video wall. However, my favorite spot would have to be the al fresco Pool Bar by the swimming pool at the 7th floor where sunsets are moving and memorable. So romantic!
But of course, there’s a well-equipped Fitness Center as well as compact function rooms which can be converted into one extensive hall. There is nothing left out to ensure the comfort of hotel guests at Richmonde Hotel; after all its tagline is “Live a life that’s rich.”
The Iloilo Business Park is a world apart from the Iloilo I first saw more than a decade ago.