Que family: Among Cebu's hotel pioneers

CEBU, Philippines — The Que family was one of the first to build a hotel in what could be the main central business district in Cebu today.

In 2006 when the Cebu hospitality industry wasn't as dynamic and robust as it is today, the Ques opened Golden Prince Hotel and Suites, pioneering as one of the few hotels within the Cebu Business Park at that time as they saw a bright future for the industry and given an Ayala mall was already existing there.

"Our family thought it was high time to come in because there were only few hotel options in Cebu back then," Aaron Que, who now serves as the hotel’s executive vice president, told The FREEMAN in an interview.

Que, who is nephew of the hotel founder and president Benedict "Benny" Que, believes the family made the right decision then.

"Back in 2006 there was lesser competition because there were fewer players. But eventually tourism developed with the increase in domestic and foreign visitors," Aaron said.

When the business started, it was serving mostly local visitors but when tourism in Cebu had peaked in recent years, it has also been getting a fair share of the foreign market, including Chinese, Europeans and Australians.

The hotel name's “Golden” was gotten from the mother company’s name Golden Charm Pawnshop, which the family carried in its first hotel venture in 1994, Golden Valley located beside the University of San Carlos - Main Campus.

Golden Prince started with only 57 rooms in 2006 but now has 160 rooms after it completed its second tower in 2016.

Aaron, who joined the family business in 2010, said the company had seen a steady growth although it also went through challenging times when Cebu’s hotel industry was seeing more players coming in.

In fact, various global hotels are conquering Cebu as well, adding to the dynamism in the hotel business, something Aaron described as a generally good thing for the industry.

"Of course at that time, source of growth was very organic because of less competition. But as times changed we also had to innovate to keep up," said the 29-year-old Aaron, who is a business and information management graduate.

"We always have to innovate and to continually develop our business almost every year," he shared.

The entry of global hotel chains in Cebu, Aaron believes, gives the industry a new perspective and raises standards.

Amid this increasingly competitive industry, he said local hotel operators must know their vision and identity. "And we must adapt to changes. Demands of customers are continually changing," he said.

* Tell us how you built your career in the hospitality industry?

Believe it or not, my journey as a hotelier began as a dishwasher in October 2010. I continued working as a Food & Beverage Trainee until December 2010. Then I took part in the company's Management Trainee Program around 2011, involved mainly in Front Office & Housekeeping. I was promoted to Rooms Division Manager in 2012.

Due to my inclination to being creative and organizing events, I was tasked to formally setup the hotel's Marketing department between 2013 & 2014. 2015 was a very pivotal and challenging year for me professionally. As the Executive Assistant Manager of a small-sized business hotel transitioning towards constant transformation (expansion), it was no easy feat leading a group of experienced hoteliers. Despite the difficulties of managing day to day operations while simultaneously constructing the expanded wing, those experiences were what molded me to take on leadership roles with confidence.

* How did you get into the business?

When I graduated from the University of Auckland, I took part in an international event known as the Youth Olympic Games in 2010. While the event was concluding in late 2010, I received a call from my relatives in Cebu to join Golden Prince Hotel. They wanted me to assist in the business. When I decided to join, little did I know that it was an important stepping stone in running the family business. As I look back, I knew it was destiny.

* What do you love most about your job now?

The most fulfilling part of my job is being able to bring communities together. Interactions between business people, or family members bonding over dinner, or tourists discovering beautiful parts of Cebu for the first time; these are what we at Golden Prince describe as "Golden Moments." As a hotel, we take pride in bridging these truly memorable experiences together seamlessly.

* What do you think about failing at some point in life particularly in the world of business?

Throughout my career as a hotelier, there have been many times that I have struggled to meet certain expectations. I personally believe that this isn't "failure" per se. Because choosing to overcome these struggles is what strengthens us to become better, at the end of the day.

This is when decision making becomes an important part of our daily life. Making the right choices will help give us a higher chance of succeeding. But in business, sometimes it is important to take a risk.

Because as human beings, we can never truly predict the outcome whether it will be favorable or not. Back in 1994, our family decided to take a "risk". They decided to open their first hotel business, Golden Valley Hotel. Many "experts" had criticized that it will be a "failure" and the business may not last very long.

Despite the early struggles of operating the first hotel, our family had overcome all odds. To this day, our company's humble beginnings formed part of our company's identity. We use the Golden Valley story as a reminder that struggle is only temporary until you eventually overcome it. It has helped inspire a new generation of hoteliers. (FREEMAN)