Shangri-La kicks off construction of boutique resort

Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa recently kicked off with the construction of its first boutique resort in the Philippines, which will be situated adjacent to the existing resort.

Shangri-La Mactan general manager Raymond Bragg said although the new exclusive resort is deemed an expansion, it will operate separately from the 547-room Shangri-La hotel.

 The premium and luxury accommodation of the exclusive resort, whose name is yet to be unveiled, will go beyond the triple AAA standard and may be accelerated to six-star level, which will be a first in the tourism industry as there is no such thing as "six-star" at present, Bragg said.

"We have to position this product carefully. It is uniquely different from five-star, and is more suited for people who want to get away from people," Bragg said.

About over a hundred luxury rooms will be offered by this new resort by Shangri-La Mactan. The initial plan is to design all the rooms facing the ocean to give a premium view to all guests.

Bragg believes that Cebu is ready to accommodate or attract the luxury traveling market, thus providing proper facilities is important to realize this potential.

 Bragg however, refused to divulge some details of the ongoing construction of the luxury boutique resort, explaining that final plans as to the name, target completion of the project, and exact number of rooms will be announced soon.

Not discounting the effect of the economic downturn to its business here, Bragg said lean seasons are the best time for them to conduct expansions, renovations, and human resource improvement activities.

"Crisis is the best time for expansion, renovation, because we are least busy," Bragg said.

This year, Shangri-La's Mactan is allocating P4 million to P5 million for capital expenditure for renovation of some of its facilities like the ballroom, preventive maintenance, training and development program for staff, among others.

While other companies in the tourism sector in the world are bracing for the expected drop of travelers that will result to a dip in occupancy rates in hotels and resorts, Bragg expressed confidence that Cebu will be able to weather the crisis, especially in the tourism sector.

Bravely, the chain put its confidence in the tourism industry in Cebu by building the multi-million peso boutique hotel that is designed to accommodate the affluent travelers from all over the world.

The accommodation level of the boutique resort is comparable to the famous Amanpulo exclusive Resort in Palawan, although its accommodation cost may be a bit lesser than that of Amanpulo.

He said Shangri-La will be hiring over a hundred additional resort staff to man this new creation that is expected to change the tourism landscape in Cebu and ultimately lure the most discriminating travel market in the world.

Overall, the Shangri La Group will open three properties in the next three months, in Tokyo, Vancouver, and Boracay.— Ehda M. Dagooc