MANILA, Philippines - The value hotel chain of property developer Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) is opening three new branches nationwide, increasing the company’s room capacity to 1,200.
This as budget hospitality brand Go Hotels is banking on the resurgence of Philippine tourism, the fourth top dollar earning sector of the country.
“We are building strategically-located branches in the Ortigas central business district, in Iloilo and in Butuan,†said Go Hotels general manager Elizabeth D. Gregorio.
“These are exciting times for Philippine tourism as the hospitality business opens more outlets, especially in Metro Manila, in anticipation of the arrival of more tourists because of the government’s focus on the industry,†she said.
International visitor arrivals climbed 11.8 percent to 3.18 million in January to August, up from 2.85 million in the same period last year, data from the Department of Tourism showed.
The 198-room Go Hotels Ortigas Center will start operations this quarter, RLC said.
“Go Hotels Ortigas Center will serve the growing number of business travellers and tourists visiting the central business district and the malls in the area,†Gregorio said.
The Butuan branch, which will serve businessmen going to the progressive Caraga region in Northern Mindanao, will offer 102 rooms.
Meanwhile, the 167-room Go Hotels Iloilo will open in the first quarter next year, making it the hospitality chain’s biggest branch outside Metro Manila.
“It will also have the biggest conference room among all Go Hotels branches with a maximum capacity of 100 persons,†RLC said.
The Iloilo branch will strengthen the hotel chain’s presence in the Visayas, which is already home to Go Hotels Bacolod, Dumaguete and Tacloban.
Gregorio said Go Hotels’ expansion will cater to various needs of travellers. Go Hotels Iloilo and Butuan are located within a Robinsons Malls complex while the Ortigas branch is near Robinsons Galleria.
All three new branches will have restaurants, spa services, transport service and convenience stores.
The opening of new branches brings the total number of rooms of the Go Hotels chain to more than 1,200. To date, there are 700 rooms available in the six existing branches: EDSA-Mandaluyong, Tacloban, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa and Otis-Manila.
Go Hotels is the budget hotel brand of the Gokongwei family’s RLC, which also operates Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza.