RLC to open first 'gohotels' outside Metro in Tacloban

MANILA, Philippines - Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC), the property arm of taipan John Gokongwei’s investment holding firm JG Summit Holdings Inc., is bringing its budget hotel brand under gohotels.ph to Tacloban, its first branch outside Metro Manila.

The budget hotel is connected to Robinsons Place Tacloban, which RLC is expanding to capitalize on the huge demand for mall space. Barely two years since it opened in June 2009, Robinsons Place Tacloban has become the leading shopping and recreational destination of Leyte residents as well as those from the neighboring provinces.

Gohotels.ph Tacloban will have 98 rooms offering WiFi connection, comfortable beds and flat TVs at very affordable rates. It is slated for opening in the last quarter of the year.

“We are confident that our gohotels.ph will do excellently in Tacloban and will no doubt help boost tourism in the region,” said Elizabeth Gregorio, general manager of gohotels.ph. 

RLC has plans to put up some 30 gohotels.ph within the next five years.

On the other hand, the expansion of Robinsons Place Tacloban will provide an additional 7,000 square meters of floor space to the existing mall when it is completed in October. It will feature new restaurants, wellness establishments, specialty stores and two new cinemas which would bring the total cinemas to five.

“The warm reception of the market has emboldened us to increase our investment in Tacloban so that we could give our patrons even more choices to enhance their lifestyle,” said Arlene G. Magtibay, RLC general manager for the Commercial Centers Division.