Tuesday, June 03, 2008 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
CEBU City Marriott Hotel will refurbish its structure starting June this year to create a new “iconic business brand” that will target “24/7 achievers.”
This would mean that the hotel will close more than half of its 301 guest rooms to pave way for the renovation, which is divided into two phases.
The first phase of the refurbishment will be undertaken starting June 8 until the middle of September this year. Under this phase, 185 rooms, the entire lobby, lobby bar and lounge, restaurant, pool deck, pool bar, and al fresco dining will be renovated.
Affected guest rooms are located from the third floor to the seventh floor. The eighth floor of the hotel will be closed as well so guests in the upper floors will not be disturbed.
From the middle of September to Dec. 31, 2008, 116 guest rooms and other areas of the hotel will be refurbished as well. Affected guest rooms are located from the eighth floor to the 12th floor with the seventh floor serving as a buffer between guests and construction work.
During the two phases of the renovation project, Cebu Marriott general manager Roy Abraham said the hotel will retain its employees, although some would be encouraged to take their allotted vacation leaves while others would be given a chance to work in other Marriott hotels.
“Once the hotel is done renovating, they will have to come back and work again with us,” he added.
Millions
Abraham did not disclose the exact cost of the renovation, but said that the figure is “a little more than a couple of hundred million” pesos.
Marriott Cebu is expected to be fully operational by Dec. 31. The renovation is in line with Marriott Cebu’s positioning as a business hotel that caters to “24/7 achievers,” people who are driven to achieve their goals 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
After the renovation, Marriott will have an uncluttered “great room concept lobby,” a newly designed pool, a trendy restaurant and bar, and Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) that will be installed in every room, among others.
Abraham said the hotel conducted a “portfolio optimization” process, a strategy to differentiate its hotel brands through extensive customer research.
Marriott, he said, found out that, among others, there is a “sea of sameness” among its other brands. The hotel decided that there should be more effort to support productivity of its customers.
Being a global business travel leader, Abraham said Marriott should support productivity and provide “genuine care” to its target clients who always strive for excellence so that they will be recharged for their activities.
Abraham admitted that Marriott Cebu will be adjusting its rates “accordingly” for the newly refurbished rooms as a way of putting premium on their new product and to cope with rising prices.
The Cebu City Marriott Hotel, which is managed by Marriott International, is a joint venture of Cebu Holdings Inc. and Ayala Hotels Inc. It celebrated its 10 anniversary last February.
“(For its business positioning for 2009), Cebu City Marriott Hotel is the best business hotel capitalizing on its brand equity and its being an integral part of the Ayala Center Cebu Business Park, (which is) Cebu’s premier business district,” Abraham said. (NRC)
______________________________________________________________________
