Kabayan Hotels target local transient market

Kabayan Hotels is now targeting the huge Cebuano traveling market, most specially the government workers and students to sustain its market niche of Pinoy transients in Manila.

Kabayan Hotels, which is one of the accommodation facility brands operated by Legends Hotels International Corporation (LHI), is capitalizing on the growing number of Filipinos who travel to the capital city, as well as focus on another potential market, which is the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Cebu, one of the most dynamic cities in the South, is a good market to tap, said Kabayan Hotels sales and marketing manager Jane Andres, during a recent sales blitz held by the company in Cebu.

With the expanded accommodation capacity of Kabayan Hotel in Pasay, Andres said the company has intensified its marketing campaign to the provincial markets, especially for government, schools, and OFW markets, because of the proximity of the hotel to important government agencies, including US Embassy, maritime recruitment agencies, among others.

The Kabayan Hotel-Pasay now offers a total of 250 rooms and is positioned as the value hotel for budget-conscious Pinoys who need to travel to Manila for very important transactions, such as Embassy interview, overseas employment renewal, nursing board examination review, bar exam, among others. It is also located near the Mall of Asia.

“We also have Kabayan Hotel outlets in other areas in Metro Manila, in Cubao [Quezon City] and Caloocan. But our biggest is the Pasay outlet to accommodate the growing number of transients that need to transact businesses, and other matters in that area,” Andres said.

At present, about 30 percent of the hotel’s total occupancy rate is coming from Cebu, Andres said the company aims to increase this share to 45 percent, through its active and close partnership with travel agencies here.

She said one of the largest markets in Cebu is the government offices, and schools. This time, Kabayan Hotels is poised to offer very attractive and affordable rates for these target markets.

“We have a very specific market niche. We are targeting the cost-conscious Pinoy travelers, thus we are offering several room accommodation packages that will suit to every travelers’ need,” she said referring to the offering of single-pad accommodation, family room, five-hour rest and nap accommodation, group (six persons) accommodation, among others.

LHI is owned by Armadillo Holdings Inc., (AHI) a 100 percent Filipino owned company engaged in hospitality and accommodation, leasing, laundry and garments, and real estate development.

In an earlier interview with LHI assistant vice president Dante C. Cruz, he said that the group has plans to invest within P250 million to P300 million, for an establishment of a 600-room City Resort Hotel in Cebu.

LHI, which is operating several hotel brands in the Philippines, mostly in Luzon, like the Legend Villas, Kabayan Hotels, the Mabuhay Manor, and The Legend Palawan, will kick off its regional expansion in the country, starting with Cebu very soon. — Ehda M. Dagooc