[ Manila Bulletin Online ] November 22, 2008
By MALOU M. MOZO
CEBU CITY – A Cebu-based property developer is investing on a multi-million peso amusement center being built on top of a hotel tower in this city, where its facilities are described as the first of its kind in the world.
J. King and Sons Co. Inc. (JKSCI), through its entertainment media arm Sky Adventures Experience Inc., will open the amusement facility next month. It will feature a roller coaster running around the edge of the building.
Another project feature is the Sky Walker, situated on the top four floors of the 40-story Crown Regency Hotel and Towers located at the Fuente Towers Complex.
The roller coaster, known as the Edge Coaster, is the first of its kind in the world to be mounted on top of a hotel tower, said JKSCI Creative Director Edward Tan.
"This is a very unique concept," said Tan, adding that Crown Regency is the only hotel in the Philippines and in Asia, so far, to have an amusement facility at its top floors.
While the facility is patterned after those in Hong Kong, he said the company would introduce a new concept in the Philippines so it partnered with United States (US)-based Interactive Rides Inc.
Interactive Rides manufactured and installed the Edge Coaster and a similar facility on a building tower in Las Vegas. Also in the pipeline is the Insanity Orbit ride, similar to the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, to be mounted on the 40th floor of the hotel tower that will allow passengers to sit suspended in the air. It will become operational by 2010.
"The purpose of the rides, apart from the thrill, is to promote Cebu’s skyline, a complete view of the mountains, sea, city view, and more," he said, voicing optimism that the amusement facility would lure locals and foreign guests.
"The facilities are meant to provide a place where the entire family can have fun," Tan added.
The Edge Coaster is designed to carry eight people and allows its passengers a 360-degree view of the metropolis. To beef up adrenalin rush, it has an option where the chair can be tilted to a 45-degree angle.
The Skywalker can accommodate ten people and allows one to walk on a platform outside the tower, at level with the 37th floor. Those who want to take a stroll around the building would be attached to a harness for safety.
Tan assured the rides are well secured as it utilizes NASA technology. The roller coaster vehicles and track are made of aircraft steel and aircraft aluminum.
"We have double redundancy safety measures. In case one fails, there are three more safety backups," he said.
