Marriott enjoys upbeat post-summit bookings

The strong corporate and business clients that pre-booked with Cebu City Marriott Hotel have given the hotel the assurance of continuous occupancy right after the ASEAN Summit slated next week.

The hotel's general manager Karl Ashley Hudson said that Marriott expects a 90 percent occupancy rate days after the ASEAN delegates will check out from the hotel.

Marriott will be hosting the Indian delegation during the ASEAN Summit week. Hudson said the hotel has not given all its 301 rooms to the ASEAN delegates, as it kept 25 percent of which to accommodate its long-staying guests, and some regular clients.

Hotel and resort operators are now facing problems of expected occupancy slump immediately after the Summit, as focused had been directed to the summit preparations in the last few months.

As early as last week, advance party groups of ASEAN related meetings have already arrived and kept the hotel busy.

Marriott had sought help from its sister hotel in India, to send in Indian chefs to prepare for its food and beverage service for the Indian delegates.

Also, extensive training for hotel staff was done to provide excellent service for the Indian delegates.

Marriott had converted its two executive suites to a one luxury suite to accommodate the Indian Prime Minister.

According to Hudson a number of corporate events, business meetings will be held immediately at the hotel after the summit, making a sustainable high occupancy rate of the hotel for the entire month.

From December 15 to 23 a number of events and room guests are already booked.

For Cebu, he said hotels especially business hotels are busy all through the year. This type of accommodation could only experience brief low occupancy rate during holy week.

In the first two months of the year, January to February the hotels will be at its strongest occupancy rate because of Sinulog and Chinese New Year, among other events.

In fact, on January 18 to 21 next year, Marriott is already fully booked, Hudson said.

Balikbayans take the huge share of guests profile during January to February months, he said.

Also, he said in the first quarter of a year, January to March, huge corporate events kick off like that of the pharmaceutical, and medical conferences, and increased European tourists.

In the last three years, the hotel has posted an average of 80 percent occupancy rate, Hudson said.

Cebu City Marriott Hotel is owned by Ayala Hotels Inc. and is managed by the Marriott Hotels International, a global hotel management company.