Property venture makes it big in Batangas

MANILA, Philippines - When Ricky Gutierrez of the Chateau 1771 restaurant group thought of putting up a hotel and rows of modern townhouses together in Batangas in 2003, he had a good hunch it would become big.

Ten years later and Gutierrez was right. Pontefino Hotels and Residences is now one of the most sought-after properties in Batangas, now a thriving and progressive province in the south.

Unknown to many, Batangas, which has a deep port, is now home to the largest multinational firms in the world. First Gas, KEPCO, Malampaya, JG Summit Shell, Bechtel and Nestle all have processing plants in Batangas.

Batangas City was also voted a clean city and recently won a gold medal in an international environmental competition (best City Environment Code) sponsored by the International Awards for Livable Communities recently in Songpa, South Korea. It was also chosen by USAID as a promising city and vowed to earmark funds for Batangas’ further improvement.

It can be said that the growth of Pontefino coincided with the growth of Batangas. It is not surprising that majority of Pontefino Hotel and Residences guests are expats working for various multinational firms in Batangas.

 â€œThey prefer to stay at our hotels, and then transfer to our townhouses,” said Pontefino Hotels and Residences SVP/COO Fely Ramos.

 â€œWe are very fortunate that Pontefino’s growth coincided at a time when big multinational firms are setting up shop here in Batangas, the expats found their second home in our townhouses and hotel,” Ramos said in an interview.

 â€œThat’s the beauty of having a hotel and townhouses in one community, clients like the feel of the hotel but they also like the comforts of home, here they get to enjoy both worlds, And the good thing is, when they no longer want to stay in the hotel, they asked to be relocated to our townhouses, which is good actually for our unit owners because their hard-earned investments are profiting,” said Ramos.

 â€œImagine going home to an upscale residence well-maintained by housekeepers, technicians, security guards and more — all there to cater to the owner’s needs anytime of the day,” Ramos said.

Aside from contributing to tourism coffers, Pontefino Hotels and Residences is also a major real estate business.

It offers a unique and ideal real estate investment concept with long term benefits.

Ramos said Pontefino features a unique leaseback program scheme, wherein those who buy the units enjoy a premium return with their investment.

 â€œClients are given an option to live or lease it out first. But most of our clients, particularly those in the US, prefer to lease it out first. It’s actually lucrative because they earn a steady income from renting their units,” Ramos stressed.

Plus the sweet perks. Starting off with a mandatory enrollment in the leaseback program five years minimum upon purchase, the investor will be entitled to first-class benefits such as thirty percent room revenues, guaranteed return of investments in addition to twelve free twelve room nights annually.

Aside from these, unit owners can also benefit from Hotel Pontefino’s 40 percent discount on the hotel’s published room rates, twenty percent discount on restaurants and ten percent discount on banquets. This also includes access to the hotel gym and swimming pool.

“Buyers of hotel units and The Terraces at Pontefino will feel at ease as a Condominium Certificate of Title is given which guarantees their full ownership,” Ramos said.

It’s such a sweet deal that small wonder, most of the units are sold out, she added.

“Unit owners are always assured of tenants, hence they have a steady profit every month, Ramos said.

“A Filipino based in the States bought six townhomes. She bought so many because she saw that she was profiting from her townhomes. Parang may passive income ka. If the unit owner decides to lease it, she stands to earn P30,000 a month,” she added.

The houses’ prices range from P5 million, which is the cheapest, to the priciest at P18.5 million.

Unit owners are assured that their homes are taken care of even if they’re rented out.

“We always assure our clients they don’t have to worry about their homes. Hindi  maluluma yun bahay nila at maalagaan talaga,” said Ramos.

Aside from a steady income, what appeals to clients is the location —  a quiet, homey and secure community.

 â€œActually, what they’re buying is a whole community, it’s the lifestyle that we are selling. You have the lifestyle that you want, you have the comforts and the luxuries of a hotel. There’s a pool, a spa and you own the townhouse. You really get the best of both worlds in a quiet and secure place,” she said.

Because most of the townhouses are almost sold out, Pontefino has decided to expand.

Last July 6, Pontefino Hotel and Residences unveiled its latest project with a recent groundbreaking ceremony of its soon to rise property, The Terraces at Pontefino.

“We are building 66 rooms, we are expanding our premium suites because of the demand. There will also be a clubhouse, tennis lawn and basketball court,” she noted.

Located within The Pontefino Hotel and Residences, this new project with target completion in 2016 offers “a fanciful hotel lifestyle experience with secured value, growth and high returns.”