Posted on 09:05 PM, January 27, 2010 [ BusinessWorld Online ]
BY CARMELITO Q. FRANCISCO, Correspondent
DAVAO CITY -- A family-owned company has built its second hotel to meet demand for middle-priced rooms in the city.
Rapaz Land, Inc. opened its 42-room Casa Leticia Business Inn recently in response to continuing inquiries here for lower-priced rooms that can give services similar to those offered by upscale hotels.
“We saw the need of this market segment,” said Ray A. de la Paz, president of Rapaz Land, a subsidiary of the Rapaz Management Corp.
The company also operates the Casa Leticia Boutique Hotel in this city’s downtown. The new hotel is located just beside the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal, outside the city’s central business district.
Since its opening, the hotel has attracted people who come to the city for business transactions, he said. Mr. de la Paz, who, like his wife Leticia, is present everyday to supervise activities in the hotel, said he has gained a lot of friends. “We try to be homey,” he said, pointing out that aside from better services, the hotel is also trying to provide clean rooms and better amenities.
“Cleanliness is a very broad thing. So we try to see to it that everything is clean,” he said, adding that the hotel also likes to assure its clients that security is its utmost concern. The hotel is run by the couple’s 31-year-old son, Raymond.
“Each member of the family tries to visit our hotels once a day,” said the younger de la Paz.
The couple said they decided to set up the P34-million hotel, funded by the Land Bank of the Philippines, amid a global downturn because there is a ready market.
“After all, the country is not affected by the global crisis,” said Mr. de la Paz as he took note that the economy of the city has continued to grow despite the reported decline in investments worldwide.
Earlier, Roberto U. Teo, head of the city’s investment promotions center, pointed out that the tourism industry, including hotels and inns, is among the sectors expected to grow this year. Two companies have made inquiries on the requirements in putting up hotels.
Davao City is intensifying promotions as a tourist destination.
Wanda T. Teo, president of the Davao City chapter of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies, said the industry has started thinking of repackaging the city as a “unique destination” for eco-tourism.
Ms. Teo noted that the city has been lumped with the rest of Mindanao in travel advisories issued by embassies of foreign governments.
“Those who have not visited the city believe there is chaos here,” she added.
