THE hospitality arm of the Gokongwei-led Robinsons Land Corp. is developing its own five-star hotel brand which will be erected in major tourism cities in the country.
Targeted in 2022, senior vice president and business unit general manager Arthur Gindap of Robinsons Hotels and Resorts, said this will be the first Filipino-owned luxury hotel brand that will showcase the Filipinos’ distinct trademark of hospitality and warmth.
“We are working hard to put all the characteristics in the DNA of the five-star brand now,” said Gindap. He identified Manila and Cebu as the first two locations of this premier hotel brand. He, however, declined to reveal more specific details of the project.
“If you think of Singapore, you think about Shangri-La. Thailand, on the other hand, is known for its Dusit brand while Hong Kong has its five-star Marco Polo. Other countries in Asia have their own local hotel brands too, which carved a strong brand identity in the global scene,” said Gindap.
“Filipinos are known globally to be the number one hospitality ambassadors and yet the Philippines doesn’t have its own premier brand. This is our aspiration,” he explained.
Robinsons currently operates five hospitality brands in the country, namely Go Hotels, Summit Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn (Manila Galleria), Crowne Plaza (Manila Galleria) and Dusit Thani (Cebu), with a total room inventory of 4,051 rooms in 24 properties.
“Our five-year strategic plan is to be the largest in the country. Right now, we are in the top five in terms of rooms but we want to be number one. Our rally is to be the biggest and best hotel company in the Philippines within 2024,” said Gindap.
Bullish outlook
He noted that the group wants to grow its hotel portfolio nationwide on the back of the country’s vibrant and promising tourism industry.
In 2018, the company opened its fifth Summit hotel in Tacloban City. Summit Hotel Tacloban is a seven-story full service hotel with 138 rooms located adjacent to Robinsons Place in Marasbaras, Tacloban City.
Early this year, the group also opened the 300-room Dusit Thani Resort Mactan, its first resort project in Cebu province located in Lapu-Lapu City.
Moreover, Gindap hinted that 2022 will be a busy year for the hotel business of the Gokongwei Group. He said the company is opening more Summit and Go Hotels across the country starting this year. (KOC)