The secret behind the mall: Avenue Plaza Hotel revealed

MANILA, Philippines - For many a traveler, a hotel is still that one place you anticipate reaching at the end of a full, long day. It is that promise of warmth, a restful sleep and good service after a day of sightseeing, shopping or a series of business meetings.

In the heart of Naga, one of the country’s budding cities, is Magsaysay Avenue, with big name retail brands, pizza and coffee shops, and the cozy Avenue Mall. But sheltered from the bustle is a hidden gem, so to speak. A prime example of balance, as well as value for money, the Avenue Plaza Hotel is a great find.

By traveling standards, the four-star Avenue Plaza has the required amenities, plus a few specialties. A mere 15 minutes from the Naga Airport, in the immediate vicinity of global brands, the hotel is a welcome sight. The façade does not overwhelm; in fact it is rather subdued, displaying a certain quaint elegance. The front lobby, however, has a humble splendor, a sparkle obviously with painstaking and meticulous detail.

The interior design is modern. It is a simple, welcoming ambience. The mixture of curves and art deco, classic but not old, is exactly what designer and decorator Gwen Cu wanted to achieve. The wife of Allan Cu, son of owner and general manager of Avenue Plaza, was very specific in giving directions in terms of aesthetics, especially in color.

Avenue Plaza’s natural, soothing tone gives traveling businessmen that ‘feel at home and relax’ mood.

“This natural, soothing tone has to do with our target traveling businessmen. Tired of loud colors, they arrive in Avenue Plaza and they just want to relax. The colors translate to the ‘feel at home and relax’ mood,” explains Apple Allison Perez, Avenue Plaza brand officer.

Only 40 minutes by plane, or eight to 12 hours by land or train from Manila, reaching Naga City offers many diverse tales, but more certain are the colorful stories guests of Avenue Plaza surely are itching to tell.

Something that the hotel maximizes is catering to the traveling businessman who will want to bring his family with them when they return to Naga. The Avenue Plaza Hotel has plush and modern rooms carved for a corporate appeal, yet create the welcome of home that endears the family.

The hotel is family-friendly. Visitors first come traveling with a convention and become amazed that Naga offers a lot. The next time they come to Naga, they cannot resist bringing the family. “We target returning guests. When they come, the parents are conducting business, but the family is enjoying the pool. Then they eat at our Café Plazuela. But why do they return? Well, we have good food, too!” Perez gushes.

To start with, the appetizer is something familiar with a twist. Laing ravioli is a ravishing use of ginataang gabi leaves (taro leaves cooked in coconut milk) as filler for an Italian pasta favorite. For the main course the Avenue Plaza highly recommends their bagnet and crispy pork served with Bicol Express (what else?). To cap an exquisite dinner, Plazuela’s signature and best-selling dessert, the Excellente, has turned many fans into addicts.

Beyond the huge servings, the menu is quite extensive, accommodating a wide range of diets. The current kitchen guru is Chef Chit Toribio, a Bicol native who has trained with the Discovery group. Twice a year, the Café Plazuela changes its menu, and among its irresistible come-ons are one-night-only dining events featuring well-known Manila chefs. 

One swell practice the Avenue Plaza has is hiring local talents who are in turn ably trained by the head chef.

“We bring back local talent. The facilities and services of the hotel must be matched with tasteful and delightful food, so we regularly invite experts from Manila to train our staff,” shares Perez. “The training goes beyond the kitchen. The hotel invests heavily in refresher courses. The business model of Avenue Plaza is that the staff’s technical skills must always be the latest,” she adds.

And indeed, the latest they are. Last August, the hotel incorporated signature scents for its rooms and the lobby — and not from any regular supplier either. You can smell the difference, in more ways than one, immediately upon entering the hotel. Apparently, this small thing matters much, gauging from the favorable feedback generated by the new scent.

“We put in global standards that help maintain the status. We need 100 rooms to be a five-star, and we still have 64 rooms. So we ensure we maintain the five-star quality with other things. We make sure our guests know that when they enter our hotel, they know they’re in Avenue,” reveals Perez.

Today, the Avenue Plaza is the No. 1 hotel in Naga and the Bicol region, something Perez credits to its global standard marketing practices that includes heavy online search, reservations and bookings. While domestic bookings account for 50-60 percent of the business, 30 percent are foreigners processed through reliable online bookings. Group bookings and corporate accounts are huge at 60 percent.

Parallel to the economic growth of the province, it is not a surprise that national and international events are held in Naga. It is the close collaboration between the governance of Mayor John Bongat and the city’s hard-working and conscientious private sector that spells the rise of Naga City’s star. From Nov. 16 to 19, Naga City will host the country’s biggest advertising industry event. While the event transpires at the CWC, plenary- and party-weary AdCongress22 delegates will find their beds in Naga.

At a digital AdCongress22, just one little tweet and it’s everybody at Avenue Plaza Hotel making a beeline for Café Plazuela’s mouthwatering chocolate concoction. Excellente!