Located at the center of one of the busiest districts in the south, adjacent to the South Superhighway, is a resort. On the uppermost floor of the mall is the Starland Resort, which contains a wading pool for children, lap pool, and family pool with slides – unusual for most malls, but not for this one.
Beside the resort is their 30-ride theme park, complete with roller coaster, merry-go-round, and ferris wheel. Too much? A stadium with 1,500 seating capacity is located right next to it, ready to be the setting for a concert, trade fair, or even a skate board tour.
With close to 1,500 retail stores, service shops, and restaurants, Metropolis Star is almost like a shopping oasis in the middle of an arid urban center. But it’s not satisfied with what it’s got so far. General manager Edith Dolon, a charming down-to-earth woman with a delightfully raspy laugh, is quick to discuss her plans for improvement, including a business center. Patterned after MediServe, where small clinics rent individual spaces and the mall provides centralized receptionist/secretarial services, Starmall will option the same kind of service but this time for lawyers, insurance planners, architects, and the like.
"We want to welcome small businesses that want to have their own space, without the hassle of organizing receptionist services," Dolon explains. "We will be providing that for them, making it so much easier and cost efficient for these entrepreneurs."
Cost-efficiency is something that seems to come easily to Dolon. With hundreds of stores that offer more than reasonable prices, Starmall insures that you get bang for your buck. Kiosks that sell cheap clothes, tiangge-style, plus incredible price reductions at stores like Magarbo, which retails second-hand clothing for a hundred bucks, are just a few of the great finds there.
"We want the concept of bargain shopping to resonate with our shoppers," echoes Rose Operana, marketing head of Starmall. And it does. With decisive branding ventures, such as Star Model Search, and the recently launched Star Idol, Metropolis Starmall has become a shopping giant, ready to accommodate the needs of every single customer.
If Metropolis Starmall is the bargain haven of the south, Starmall Las Piñas is its classy little sister.
With only two floors, it’s a refreshing change from the energetic hub of other malls. Offering an al fresco shopping experience –its quaint laid-back atmosphere makes it the perfect place to just relax and hang-out.
Which is basically what most people do at this mall. Known for its restaurant row, it offers enjoyable dining experiences, from the Chinese cuisine at Gloria Maris to drinks at Mark’s Sports Bar and Grill, among many others. It’s a great place to have dinner with the family or have fun with friends.
Not surprising since general manager Dolly Moreno runs Starmall Las Piñas like a tight ship. A well-spoken gracious lady, with just a hint of steely determination underneath, she knows every single employee’s name and post. And they obviously know hers. As soon as she passes by, employees, from waiters to janitors, offer her a cheerful hello.
It’s like a tight-knit community here, with friendly people working together and enjoying their work. While most malls thrive on a busy atmosphere, Starmall Las Piñas does the opposite. And so far, it’s worked wonders.
The same can be said for Starmall Edsa, with its highend quality brands and restaurants. Situated in a commercial center and surrounded by affluent neighborhoods, Starmall Edsa provides accessibility, convenience, and shopping satisfaction.
With so much to offer, it’s easy to get lost in the myriad shopping and leisure activities in all the Starmalls. Metropolis Starmall alone is the perfect spot for a bargain-hungry shopping glutton. An in-mall resort, a theme park, hundreds of stores –it’s already got so many things going on, the only thing missing would be a hotel, then it’d truly be a one-stop shop. "Oh, we’ve definitely been thinking about that," laughs Metropolis GM Edith Dolon. "Don’t be surprised if it pops up soon."