posted June 15, 2016 at
11:20 pm by Jenniffer B. Austria [thestandard.com.ph]
The SM Group will invest
P7 billion over the next five years to expand its hotel and convention center
business, an executive said Wednesday.
SM Hotels and Conventions
Corp. senior vice president Peggy Angeles said the P7-billion budget would be
used to build five new hotels and one convention center. Angeles disclosed the investment plan during
the opening of Conrad Manila, a 347-room premier hotel at Mall of Asia complex
in Pasay City.
Angeles said the planned
investments would include a 200-room businessman’s hotel at SM North Edsa
complex in Quezon City.
Angeles said SM Hotels
would break ground for the new hotel in Quezon City in the third quarter, with
completion expected after 30 months.
She said the company was
also looking at sites in Pampanga, Cebu, Iloilo and Naga for the new hotels.
The planned hotels will have an average size of 150 to 200 rooms.
Conrad Manila opens. SM Hotels and Convention Corp., a subsidiary
of SM Investments Corp., formally opens Conrad Manila (inset), a 347-room
premier hotel at the Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City. Shown during the opening ceremony of the
hotel are (from left) Conrad Manila general manager Harald Feurstein, Hilton
Worldwide Holdings Inc. president for Asia-Pacific Martin Rinck, Hilton
Worldwide regional general manager Peter Webster, Felicidad Sy, SM Hotels and
Conventions president Elizabeth Sy, SM Prime Holdings Inc. chairman Hans Sy and
SM Hotels and Conventions senior vice president for operations Ma.Luisa
Pelagia.
BOBBY CABRERA
SM Hotels president
Elizabeth Sy said the company remained confident about the prospects for the
tourism industry in the country. “Outlook for tourism industry is very positive
with rising tourist arrivals.That is why are we are gung-ho with our
expansion,’’ she said.
Sy said the 347-room
Conrad Hotel was expected to be the one of the premier hotels in Metro
Manila. “We are pleased to work with
Hilton Worldwide in bringing the esteemed Conrad brand to Manila. Amidst the
robust tourism outlook, the most anticipated opening of Conrad Manila will
definitely be a game changer in the already exciting Philippine hotel scene,”
Sy said.
“We look forward to a
fruitful partnership with Hilton Worldwide in further elevating the hotel
industry in the country,” Sy said.
Conrad Manila offers four
contemporary event halls and two sophisticated ballrooms, spanning more than
4,000 square meters which are fitted with state-of-the-art audio and visual
technology.
SM Hotels currently
operates more than 1,100 rooms housed in the 261-room Taal Vista Hotel, in
Tagaytay City, the 396-room upscale Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu, the 154-room
Pico Sands Hotel in Hamilo Coast, the 202-room Park Inn by Radisson in Davao
and the 154-room Park Inn Clark in Pampanga.
Hilton Worldwide
Asia-Pacific president Martin Rinck also expressed confidence about the
domestic tourism market.
Aside from Conrad Manila,
the Hilton group is also set to build two hotels under the Hilton brand. These
are Hilton Clark Sunvalley Resort in Pampanga and Hilton Manila at Resorts
World Manila in Pasay City.
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