Gokongwei-owned hotel sees 15% revenue growth under new mgm’t

Banking on its new management team, Holiday Inn Galleria Manila (formerly Manila Galleria Suites) is eyeing a 15 percent growth in revenues for the second half of this year.

Holiday Inn Galleria Manila, the hotel concern of the Gokongwei family, is now being managed by the International Hotel Group (IHG), which owns a portfolio of well-recognized hotel brands such as the InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotel and Resorts, and Holiday Inn.

Holiday Inn Galleria general manager Bill Vincent said the favorable outlook is based on renewed interest in the hotel with the recent rebranding. "The brand itself will bring in occupancy," Vincent said, adding that the hotel expects to gain another 10 percentage points in occupancy rate.

Vincent said there has already been a significant increase in the number of customers booking at the hotel since IHG assumed management.

Apart from the Holiday Inn Galleria, the IHG will also operate the 260-room Crowne Plaza Hotel, which is under construction and scheduled for launching in early 2005. The still-to-be-opened hotel, located at the corner of Ortigas and ADB Ave., will cater to the small and mid-size meetings market.

Through its agreement with IHG, Holiday Inn Galleria now has access to the foreign group’s 15 million priority club rewards members and the state-of-the-art reservations system Holidex Plus.

The system allows Holiday Inn Galleria’s clients to book at their choice hotel brand under the IHG Group by simply calling the reservations department of the local IHG hotel of the country where they are.

IHG manages, leases or franchises more than 3,000 hotels and 515,000 guestrooms in nearly 100 countries under the said brands.

To attract more customers, Holiday Inn Galleria will refurbish its guest rooms and install facilities geared for corporate clients like high-speed Internet access, better work spaces and recreational facilities.

"We want to give our guests the best and this is translated into fulfilling all their needs and wants as they stay with us. A lot is expected from this new partnership. We promise to make Holiday Inn Galleria Manila the preferred place to meet, relax, dream and to be yourself," Vincent said.

IHG also manages the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati and the Holiday Inn Resort in Clark Field, Pampanga.

Holiday Inn Galleria is owned by Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC), the property development arm of the Gokongwei group of companies. In 2002, RLC’s hotels division generated gross revenues of P697.2 million as its hotels continue to enjoy satisfactory occupancy rates, despite the slump in the industry.