Best Western Plus Antel: Three towers, one distinct experience

MANILA, Philippines - When you are visiting Makati and its nearby areas, and you are looking for a pleasant and value-driven place to stay that offers a healthy balance of work and play, you can find your answer in Best Western Plus Antel Hotel.

On Makati Avenue, hotels are a dime a dozen in this bustling area, but Best Western Plus Antel Hotel distinguishes itself with its three merged towers — A. Venue Tower (111 suite rooms), Antel Spa Tower (143 suite rooms) and the newly launched Serenity Tower (176 suite rooms) offering more than you would normally expect in a three-star hotel.

Backed by the global brand Best Western International, Best Western Plus Antel forms part of what has been touted as the largest family international hotel chain with more than 4,000 properties in over 100 countries worldwide. Here in the Philippines, the brand is anchored on four other tourist-favorite areas — Cebu, Boracay, Manila, and Angeles.

Best Western Hotels are all independently owned and operated, which means that their members are entrusted with the novel advantage to run the hotel, while being provided with the benefits of an international affiliation such as a global reservations system, marketing, advertising, purchasing, training, and quality standards.

According to its woman general manager, Yvonne Villacorte, the Best Western Antel started out as the standard Core brand. But in 2011, with the brand modification being implemented in Best Western properties across Europe and Asia, it was upgraded to Plus, consequently resulting in enhanced and updated dining, recreation and room guarantees.

Best Western Antel gives assurance of a restful night with its five room categories, namely studio superior, studio deluxe, one-bedroom suite, corner one-bedroom suite, and two-bedroom suite. They all bear a minimalist finish and chic furnishings, affording ample space to suit a guest here on business, a group on a conference or a family on vacation. Among the room amenities are a kitchenette, dining area, separate living room for the one- or two-bedroom suite, and other essentials to ensure a comfortable stay.

Particularly noteworthy are the hotel’s banquet facilities to accommodate corporate meetings and social events, with equipment rental, planning and secretarial services. Eight function rooms, including the boardroom, are housed in all three towers, which can seat as many as 200 guests.

Recreational features include the three lobby lounges, two resort-type pools overlooking the cityscape, two fitness centers, and a children’s game room and playground. And when you are down to business, there are two business centers to take care of that, with free Wi-Fi hotspots placed throughout the hotel — a trademark of any Best Western Hotel.

Hungry or craving? You can sample the cuisine at its food and beverage outlets, the Azzurro Bistro & Bar for Mediterranean dishes or the Taberna Barcelona for its modern Spanish menu, or have your food served at the Pool Bar.

Currently, Best Western Plus Antel has irresistible special offers such as the summer promo wherein you can enjoy overnight accommodation with buffet breakfast for two, welcome drinks and snacks, use of the infinity pool and fitness center, complimentary foot ritual at the Tocccare Spa, and free shuttle from key pick-up points in prices ranging from P4,500 to P6,000 based on the room type. They also have executive deals plus weekend treats with hugely discounted room rates.

More exciting developments are in the offing. Villacorte reveals that they are eyeing at adding a new executive lounge and three executive floors. “As a Plus brand, we want to do more. We will be the first three-star hotel to have that but we also have to refurbish based on the standards of Best Western Hotel.”

Other unique selling points, she says, are “our location and the people really.” She takes pride that the hotel exudes dynamism and energy under seasoned supervision.

For Villacorte, their goal is “to provide both local and foreign corporate, leisure and long-staying guests personalized service not just through our convenient and comfortable facilities and value pricing, but also customer-focused and competent staff.”

Villacorte’s extensive experience in the tourism industry spans over 20 years, covering work with international chains of hotels, first-rate resorts, and even owning travel agencies. She was awarded as Outstanding New Member of the Philippine Marketing Association in 2007 for her contributions to the beauty and wellness sector. She maintains an active presence in the efforts of the Department of Tourism to promote the Philippines among domestic and foreign visitors.

A Bachelor of Science in Tourism graduate of the University of Sto. Tomas, she also sits on the board of directors of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association of the Philippines, which enables her to share her know-how and expertise on hotel education and streamlining the curricula of various institutions that offer the tourism degree.

Single-minded and happily unattached, the always-smiling GM — a sight to behold in a male-dominated position — also thrives on pressure and challenges. Asked what she thinks of the growing competition with new entrants in the biz, Villacorte says, “Of course, as someone whose background began in sales and marketing, we love the competition because it’s a challenge. But we don’t want to concentrate on the competition. We want to focus on ourselves, on improving the hotel and becoming a trendsetter.”

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Best Western Plus Antel Hotel is located at A.Venue, 7829 Makati Avenue, Makati City. For inquiries, call 403-0888 or 403-0808, e-mail at reservations@antelhotel.com or visit www.antelhotel.com.