Downtown Oasis
One Central Hotel is downtown Cebu’s newest premier business hotel
“It started with friendship,” said One Central Hotel CEO
Steven Yu during a press conference on the recently-held opening ceremony of One Central Hotel. Steven was pertaining to his relationship with Blue Water Resorts president Julie Alegrado Vergara. Bluewater Hospitality, best known for its homegrown and wholly Filipino-owned chain of resort hotels in Visayas and Mindanao, will take on the management of One Central Hotel. “Our kids were classmates and we’re very close. It started there and also from a family perspective, because this property has been with my family for a very long time. It’s family and friendship, it’s love.” And Steven hopes to share that love with the community, moreover, use that love to create a prosperous city that is Cebu.
THE CENTER OF IT ALL
One Central Hotel offers all sorts of things—affordable luxury accommodations, history lessons, panoramic view of the city, a home away from home. The hotel is conveniently located at the corner of Leon Kilat and Sanciangko Streets, making it the perfect starting point for travelers and businessmen as it is near the bus terminal and port area. In the early 1900s, the birth of the train paved the way for the rise of businesses and the modernization of Cebu. The Central Station sprawls from the site of the current Development Bank of the Philippines and Cebu City Medical Center. Aside from the train, horse-drawn carriages, or tartanillas, also played a part in transporting the passengers to and from the train stations. The 57-mile railway stretches all the way from Danao up north to Argao down south. There is also a short railway that leads up to the port along Leon Kilat Street. The dawn of World War II ended the train operations in Cebu.
Built on the site of an old lumber store, One Central Hotel rose from the grounds
It’s an intermarriage of a ‘resort feel’ in the middle of the city. A very unique experience. With Julie’s expertise both in city hotels and resorts, we are giving customers a unique concept in a unique location—an oasis in the middle of the city.
the location where Cebu’s Central Train Station once stood. The area is the epicenter of trade and commerce and has been a witness to Cebu’s modernization.
“One Central is in a very strategic location in the downtown area. It is just a hundred meters away from the South Bus Terminal, where you can take the bus going to very important tourist destinations and recently emerging attraction in the south like Oslob,” Steven said. “Conveniently, it is just a 10-minute walk away from the Santo Niño Basilica and the Magellan’s Cross, which is the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines. Literally just a stone’s throw away from the hotel is Fort San Pedro and all other key historical areas that define Cebuano culture.” Steven also boasted about the location’s peace and order, and most importantly, how the hotel can potentially spark the boom of business in downtown Cebu. “There are many other emerging developments like malls, office spaces, and the upcoming Cebu-Cordova bridge, which will definitely be a game changer.”
The hotel offers 157 rooms with panoramic views of the city, meeting rooms, and a grand ballroom for your intimate gatherings and grand celebrations. One can plunge into the cool waters of the hotel’s pool or continue your fitness regimen at the fitness gym. It is home to hotel’s all-day dining restaurant, Café Tartanilla—that offers delectable buffet spread and downtown’s longest happy hour.
AMUMA WITH EXCELLENCE
When asked about their strongest selling point, Julie answered: Of course, hospitality. Which is basically her cup of tea. Bluewater Hospitality brings their over three decades of experience in the hospitality industry along with their uniquely Cebuano approach to hospitality which they call amuma with excellence. “We pride ourselves with giving our sincere and warm service. Amuma, which means to pamper in Bisaya, it’s our edge, and, hopefully, why people would want to stay here.”
“On the business side, our Wi-Fi is very good,” Steven joked. “But seriously, it’s fast, suitable for business, you can connect as many devices as you want, and, as what Julie said, the facilities, the rooms, the bar, the pool, chosen and designed carefully, give that kind of local amuma. We have carefully looked at everything, making sure we give a distinct luxurious stay at an affordable price.”
Overall, Steven said, the goal is to make it a premier tourism destination that will sprout future developments in the area. On top of that, make Cebu really shine in the global community and ultimately help the country grow as a tourism destination, contribute to nation building.
“This is a relationship, a friendship, or an intermarriage, if you will,” Steven said. “It’s an intermarriage of a ‘resort feel’ in the middle of the city. A very unique experience. With Julie’s expertise both in city hotels and resorts, we are giving customers a unique concept in a unique location—an oasis in the middle of the city.”