January 14, 2020 | 12:03 am [ bworldonline.com ]
Blue Lotus Hotel is targeting leisure and business travellers. -- BW/LEAN S. DAVAL, JR.
DAVAO CITY — The family behind weighing scale manufacturer First Philippine Scales Inc. (FPSI) has ventured into the hotel business, taking advantage of a 2,000-square meter prime property in Davao City where the new Blue Lotus Hotel now stands.
The lot along Quimpo Boulevard, one of the main roads in the city, was originally planned by the Policarpio family for an FPSI showroom for its Fuji line of weighing scales and other products.
“Nanghihinayang ako rito sa puwesto kung showroom lang (I felt it would be a waste if we just put up a showroom here),” Amparo U. Policarpio, president of Blue Lotus Hotel, said in an interview.
“Maganda naman ang location dito sa Davao at maganda ang surroundings kaya naisipan namin na gumawa ng hotel (The location in Davao is good and the surroundings are nice, that’s why we thought of building a hotel),” she added.
The seven-floor, 133-room hotel is being positioned not just for leisure and business travelers, but as a venue for small and medium-sized meetings, seminars, conferences, and special events with its eight function rooms.
The hotel also have an eco-friendly facilities such as LED lighting, solar power, rainwater harvesting system, and energy-saving air-conditioning system.
The hotel is being positioned and more. It offers eight function rooms that can accommodate up to 400 people theatre-style.
Ms. Policarpio said they do feel a bit nervous going into a new industry, and appreciate customer feedback so that they can keep on improving the service.
“This is our first time to venture into hotel business. There may be something that still needs improvement, we appreciate your feedback. There may be imperfections during your stay here, please accept our apology,” she said.
FPSI started as a trading firm in 1968 for weighing scales from Taiwan, Japan and the US. It started manufacturing its own Fuji brand in 1975 with its first plant in Caloocan. Its first branch in Davao City was opened in 2002. — Maya M. Padillo
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