Imperial Palace Waterpark targets December opening

The Imperial Palace WaterPark Resort and Spa will open a total of 556 five-star rooms this coming December 2008, as the developer of the P3 billion resort project vows to finish the construction on schedule.

“We are running on schedule, and will have a soft opening of the available 556 rooms by December this year,” said Philippine BXT Corporation chairman Yong Jun Park.

Once opened, Imperial Palace WaterPark Resort will become the largest five-star resort in Cebu.

Upon the scheduled opening of the resort on December this year, the company will also start to build a 70-hectare Golf Course facility that will be situated near Mactan Island area, said Bruce Chiongbian, the company vice president for golf course development.

The opening of Korean-led Imperial Palace Water Park Resort is seen to maximize Cebu’s attractiveness to Korean travelers, as it will provide an additional five-star accommodation of over 500 rooms.

In a study conducted by the company, there are at least 11 million Korean tourists eyeing the Philippines or Cebu as their preferred destination. However, due to the perceived room shortage problem, around 200 thousand to 300 thousand Korean tourists visit the Philippines every year.

Phil. BXT Corporation, the developer of the project, has tapped the services of Imperial Palace Hotel in Seoul, Korea to run and manage the resort. Imperial Palace Hotel is one of the finest in Korea with a vast network in their home country and the rest of the world.    

Of the total 556 rooms, 300 room units will be available for sale for investors, and these units will be managed by Imperial Palace Hotel chain.

Next month, a team of Imperial Place Hotel management group will be in Cebu to train employees of the resort, with the target hiring of at least 1,500 resort workers. —Ehda M. Dagooc