It’s more rooms in the Philippines
Marriott International bets big on expansion plans in the country with 5,000 more rooms in the next five years—including from properties like The Ritz Carlton and the Westin
Marriott International bets big on expansion plans in the country with 5,000 more rooms in the next five years — including from properties like The Ritz Carlton and the Westin
The Department of Tourism recorded an 11 percent increase on tourist arrivals in the first half of 2019 alone over the same period of the prior year, both for business and pleasure purposes alike. Along with our government sector’s hard work, Marriott International also seems to be on the top of the hotel chains to set goals that help bolster Philippine tourism and the rapid growing economy.
To prove that, Marriott Asia Pacific president and managing director Craig
Smith and his team flew to the country to discuss their expansion and conversion plans as well as the increase in number of operations they’ve set in Marriott’s four current Philippine destinations. “We look forward to bringing new hotels to the Philippines together with our trusted hotel owners, enabling more choices with unsurpassed experiences for our travelers,” said Craig.
Driven by strong owner demand, Marriott International is set to open 5,000 more rooms within the next five years, tripling its portfolio as it debuts new brands including The Ritz-Carlton, Element, Courtyard, and the Westin in booming tourism destinations such as Caticlan and Palawan.
Earlier this year, the promising 390room Sheraton Hotel testified Marriott International’s commitment to the market as it was officially welcomed at Resorts World Manila. Nestled at the forefront of the integrated complex overlooking Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, the hotel serves as a point of connection between business travelers and the Philippine capital, standing as the first and only hotel to have a co-working space.
Poised to rise in 2021 at a prospective water park and resort in partnership with San Miguel Corporation in Boracay, the Marriott Resort and Spa Caticlan and the Courtyard by Marriott will be great additions to a growing list of wellness-centric attractions. The Westin Manila Sonata Place, an exclusive residential complex developed by Robinsons Land Corporation, is also set to open in 2021. Apart from Marriott’s partnership with property developer AppleOne in Cebu for the development of Sheraton Hotel in Mactan, sustainable brand Element also opens its doors in 2024 in the heart of Palawan.
As Marriott targets 1,000 hotels in the Asia Pacific region, Marriott is also partnering with local hotels aside from building new hotels and brands. Marriott purveys 30 percent of its growth through conversions because of its much faster rate, which would only take about 12 to 18 months while constructions take at least five years. “Conversions are one way that we grow our footprint. It allows us to quickly bring hotels into Marriott International’s portfolio,” said Paul Foskey, chief development officer of Marriott Asia Pacific. “Our successful conversion strategy exemplifies the trust hotel owners have in the Marriott International name.”
Rebranding operations in the works include the Sheraton Manila Bay, formerly Pan Pacific with major renovations on hotel’s lobby area as well as creations of executive lounges, to fit Sheraton’s business-centric brand; the Four Points Palawan Sabang Beach that’s currently undergoing $8-million renovations, opening in 2020; and Maxims Hotel which will be taken under the wing of the luxurious Ritz-Carlton brand, to formally operate as Ritz-Carlton, Manila in 2021. This quick system strategy alone could also drive Philippines’ employment growth as Smith noted that this could generate up to 10,000 more jobs.
Smith also emphasized how these conversions can easily allow guests to enjoy the benefits of Marriott Bonvoy. The travel program with the largest rewards portfolio offers free nights, flights, and travel packages in exchange of points (10 points for every dollar you spend) you’ve accumulated from your stays at Marriott hotels. He plans to enrich this program by adding more exclusive Bonvoy Moments along with VIP concert tickets to Madison Square Garden, live sports games, and recently, a roundtrip flight and ticket package to see the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Singapore.
This program, according to Smith, is a great way to uplift leisure travel, the number one key economic tourism driver, that caters to three front-running markets— well-traveled Chinese, Baby Boomers who are eyeing retirement, and spontaneous, free-spirited Millennials.
Also aiming to challenge our idea of hospitality, Smith emphasized plans that align with DOT’s sustainable tourism campaign. “I’m a master scuba diver, so I’ve seen the damage that plastics have done,” said Smith. “We’ve just announced that we’re going to get rid of the plastics in our modern amenities. We’re working on a program now to take out all the little shampoo bottles and plastics out of the rooms. Every single one
Driven by strong owner demand, Marriott International is set to triple its portfolio, debuting five new brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, Element, Courtyard, and the Westin in booming tourism destinations such as Caticlan and Palawan.
of Marriott’s hotels has a sustainability committee that takes care of the recycling process.” Marriott is also leveraging on dehumidifiers that take water out of the air and turn it into drinking water. Smith plans to implement these across different hotels and even water stations to completely shun plastic bottle usage.