A brand-new Cebu City Marriott Hotel will be launched by December of this year, as the hotel’s developer Ayala Hotels Inc., and Cebu Holdings Inc., (CHI) will start its first major renovation by April of this year.
This “a-few-million-dollar” project will practically change the design, furnishings, and look of almost every area of the hotel, especially its functions, palm lounge, dining outlets, rooms, poolside, among others.
In an interview with Cebu City Marriott Hotel general manager Roy Abraham, he said that the hotel has to trail blaze with the preference of its customers. Being a business hotel it has to provide modern ambiance, focusing on hip and high-technology amenities.
This is the first major renovation to be done by the 10-year-old premier business hotel at the Cebu Business Park (CBP).
“We aim to be the best lifestyle business hotel in Cebu, in the lifestyle zone of the City, adjacent to the lifestyle mall of Cebu—Ayala Center,” Abraham said.
Although, major renovation is a standard process of worldwide Marriott management, Abraham said there is also a need for the Cebu Marriott to provide updated amenities to its guests, while newer hotels are also opening up in the CBP neighborhood, and around the City.
“Newer hotels are coming in, they have the latest,” Abraham said adding that Marriott will have to give the latest in terms of amenities, ambiance and technology.
If it’s possible, he said all the 301 rooms will be provided with WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), but as of this time, he do not have exact details yet on the entire renovation, saying they are still on negotiations with designers, architects, and other service providers.
By April 2008, half of the 301 rooms will be closed for renovation. The other half will be closed immediately after the 150 re-furbished rooms will be completed.
“We are improving our product to bring it to the style of today,” Abraham reiterated.
The guest rooms will be designed to fit the preference of its target clients, who are businessmen and women who travels all over the world, and is technology savvy.
He said all television sets in the rooms will be changed to flat screen, and Internet connectivity will be upgraded to higher speed, among others.
The entire theme of the upcoming new Cebu City Marriott Hotel is contemporary, trendy, hip and technology-savvy.
To date, the hotel is enjoying average occupancy rate of 75 percent. Abraham said the renovation project would also encourage vacation leave, to some of its employees.
The funds to be used by the major renovation is internally-generated, “every month we set aside funds for renovation.”
In 2006, Cebu City Marriott Hotel, of which CHI is a part-owner in partnership with Ayala Hotels Inc., contributed P27 million to CHI’s bottomline.
The hotel celebrated its 10th anniversary last February 11, honoring the employees who have worked for the hotel in the five to ten years.
There were a total of 17 employees or Cebu Marriott associates who were able to reach five years, and 79 associates made it to the 10-year service. – Ehda M. Dagooc