As wedding destination: Marco Polo Plaza targets to regain hotel''s strength

Marco Polo Plaza Cebu is working on an aggressive campaign to utilize its picturesque site to become Cebu''s "wedding destination."

Reclaiming Cebu Plaza Hotel''s strength as Cebu''s garden wedding destination, Marco Polo, the chain that took over the defunct Pathfinder Inc.-owned hotel, will recover this advantage starting this month.

"We are always known as a business hotel, we are now trying to recover Cebu Plaza''s strength then, as the finest venue for garden wedding ceremony, or wedding receptions," said Marco Polo Plaza public relations manager Carlo Borromeo.

The hotel has launched "Weddings at the Marco Polo Plaza" which brings together stakeholders in the wedding planning industry such as local designers, stylists, florists, photographers and jewelers, as well as makers of giveaways and invitation cards.

It has inked a formal partnership the Fashion Council of Cebu composed of leading couturiers like Philip Rodriguez, Felix Yu, Arcy Gayatin, Ditas Rodriguez, Oj Hofer, Jun Escario, Albert Arriba, Minnie Yuvienco and Rey Santos.

"We will see to it, that when it comes to weddings, we are not just a venue, but we offer a one-stop-shop service for the wedding market," Borromeo said.

He said the hotel has to make use of its "overlooking Cebu" advantage, and its sprawling garden property, which made Cebu Plaza Hotel then the destination for wedding ceremonies.

Starting this month, Borromeo said the hotel will accredit establishments that serve the wedding market, starting with an exhibit this coming May 19 and 20 to showcase Cebu''s best in the wedding planning industry.

Marco Polo Plaza, which is owned by Federal Land Inc. of Metrobank Group, is averaging an occupancy rate of 75 percent in the last four months this year. The hotel will mark its one year anniversary this month.

According to Borromeo, there is a good wedding market in Cebu, not only during month of June, but the whole-year-round. The hotel is positioned to capture this specialized market, and is establishing a good pool of industry stakeholders, making the hotel a "one-stop-shop" for wedding events.

The 24-story Marco Polo Plaza, which has a total of 329 rooms, reported its all-time-high occupancy rate right after Cebu''s hosting of the 12th ASEAN Summit.

"Ever since the ASEAN meeting, our occupancy rate level is at an average of 75 percent, from about 50 percent in the pre-ASEAN times," Borromeo said. - Ehda M. Dagooc