Business travelers at home in Iloilo’s newest hotels
The signs are everywhere. With a new business district that houses many foreign and local companies, Iloilo City is on the rise. Naturally, with a busier city come busy travelers. And with an international airport that has flights to and from Hong Kong and Singapore, more and more business travelers are flocking to the city. Thankfully, Iloilo City now has two new hotels, each offering a home to the weary visitor on business.
Located at Megaworld’s sprawling township development complex, aptly named the Iloilo Business Park, the city’s two newest hotels — The Richmonde Hotel and Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo — take their fair share of visiting business travelers. Like twin towers flanking the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) and fronting two of the largest BPO centers in the city, both The Richmonde Hotel Iloilo and Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo are a good 20 to 30 minutes away from the Iloilo International Airport. Both hotels are also a walk away from the newest mall in the city, the Festive Walk Mall.
The Richmonde Hotel Iloilo offers everything you need for a comfortable stay in Iloilo City. Apart from staying in one of the 90 luxuriously styled rooms from the 12-story hotel’s fifth to 12th floors, travelers also have access to a 24-hour fitness center, a swimming pool, and business center on the seventh floor, plus the hotel’s home restaurant called Granary, and the Biz Bar, which is perfect for unwinding at night after a busy schedule.
More than just a hotel, Richmonde Iloilo also houses roughly 6,000 square meters of prime office space, from its second up to its fourth floor, where the offices of its developer Megaworld Corp. is located, together with Reed Elsevier, and one BPO.
“Richmonde Hotel Iloilo has given opportunities for locals to gain employment and training in an environment where they can learn about global hotel standards,” resident manager for Richmonde Hotel Iloilo, told the Manila Bulletin. “On the business side, we give full support to the business community as a member of both The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and the Iloilo Business Club. We also make sure [that] we support the grassroots community by having suppliers who are locally based, such as the cocoa farmers’ coop, which supplies us with the special blend of tablea for our hot chocolate drink.”
On the other side of the ICC, beside the old Mandurriao Airport’s control tower, Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo is another classy home for the traveling businessman. With amenities that include a pool, an executive lounge at the penthouse, and the 326 rooms located within the hotel’s 15 floors, Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo provides a true home away from home where business travelers can find rest after hard day’s work.
“Our presence in the city supports the thrust of the Iloilo local government to promote the city as a MICE [Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions] destination,” said Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo general manager speaking to the Manila Bulletin. “The existence of an international brand as a hotel opens the opportunity for international conventions, as well.”
Both The Richmonde Hotel Iloilo and Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo get most of their regular visitors from business travelers, which comprise about 60 percent of the regular visitors in the two hotels. The remaining 40 percent come to Iloilo for leisure, which include foreign as well as local tourists.
“It’s a good mix as it keeps occupancy steady from weekdays to weekends,” said Lim.
“Conventions have filled the Iloilo hotels since our opening and the citywide compression. These have been beneficial to the total economy of the city,” Albiso added.
But whether you are traveling to Iloilo for business or for pleasure, both The Richmonde Hotel Iloilo and Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo has space for you. With Iloilo City booming, now is as good a time as any to visit the “Queen City of the South.”