Dusit Int’l sets Philippine expansion

MANILA, Philippines — Dusit International is looking to further expand its presence in the country as it continues to scout for potential locations, its local arm said.

Evelyn Singson, president and vice-chairman of Philippine Hoteliers Inc., the owner of the Dusit brand in the Philippines, identified Palawan, particularly Coron, and Boracay as locations the international hotel is looking at.

“We’ve been looking at Palawan. We have already a location we are looking at. We’re just trying look at the legal (aspect)” Singson told reporters.

Singson added that the Dusit brand has already signed an indication of interest with an unidentified local partner in Palawan for the said property.

The company official explained that the Dusit Brand is targeting to form partnerships with building owners, in terms of its expansion across the country.

Apart from Palawan, Singson identified Siargao and Boracay as other potential areas for future hotels.

“The rates in Boracay are very much higher than the rates in Manila. There’s still a shortage of good accommodation,” Singson said.

Singson added that they are already in talks with a building owner in Boracay for a potential partnership.

“We are already talking if he will accept our terms or not. He has to decide before Feb. 15,” Singson said.

At present, there are a total of nine Dusit-branded hotels in the pipeline for the Philippines. Among these upcoming projects, three will be located in Cebu, another three in Davao, one in La Union and one in Lipa, Batangas.

The hotel brand earlier announced that it is expanding its partnership with property developer Torre Lorenzo Development Corp. (TLDC) as it is set to work on two more hotels, particularly the Dusit Thani Hotel at the Lubi Plantation in the Davao Gulf and the Dusit Princess Lipa Hotel in Batangas.

The TLDC-Dusit partnership has previously developed a five-star luxury complex in Davao which houses the Dusit Thani Residences Davao and the dusitD2 Hotel. 

The said development was recently topped off last month and the hotel is set to be operational by the end of the year, while unit turnover of the residences is slated in the first quarter of 2019.

While the Dusit brand already has several projects in the pipeline, Singson said the brand does not necessarily have a limit on the number of projects it wants to do in the country.

“Of course we also look at the market. If we feel that the market is good, then we will not refuse,” Singson said.