Sun.Star Cebu

■ BAI HOTEL TO OPEN MORE ROOMS BEFORE YEAR ENDS

- KATLENE O. CACHO / Editor @katCacho

Bai Hotel to open 100 more rooms on top of the 200 it opened this week before the year ends. The hotel is set to open 668 rooms. Six of its eight premium restaurant­s, namely, Lobby Lounge, Wallstreet Coffee+Bar, Umi Japanese Cuisine, Cafe Bai, and Pool Bar, also opened. The Executive Lounge is scheduled to open in the coming days. Its Twilight Roofdeck Lounge+Bar will open this December. Bai Hotel general manager Alfre Reyes says the hotel enjoyed high occupancy on its first day of operation. “Out of the 200 rooms we opened last Wednesday, 88 rooms were occupied by a mix of guests from local and foreign markets,” said Reyes.

With a total area of 72,000 square meters, the hotel has 668 rooms, eight premium restaurant­s and several function rooms

Guests will have a lot to look forward to in the coming months as Bai Hotel opens up more rooms and becomes fully operationa­l by the end of this year.

Out of 668 rooms, 200 rooms were opened to the public last Wednesday. In the coming days, the hotel will open 100 more rooms, including some of its executive club rooms.

Six of its eight premium restaurant­s—Lobby Lounge, Wallstreet Coffee+Bar, Umi Japanese Cuisine, Cafe Bai, and Pool Bar, have also soft-opened, while the Executive Lounge is scheduled for opening in the coming days and Twilight Roodfeck Lounge + Bar by December this year.

Bai Hotel general manager Alfred Reyes reported a high occupancy on their first day of operation, a sign of exciting times ahead.

“Out of the 200 rooms we opened last Wednesday, 88 rooms were occupied by a mix of guests from local and foreign markets,” said Reyes. He said they welcomed a big group of Koreans, who checked in during their first day, while some individual travelers have started coming in.

Reyes added the hotel also had its first function.

Bai Hotel is seeking to capture a good share of the province’s bourgeonin­g business and leisure markets.

Bai Hotel, from the term often used by Cebuanos when referring to a friend, is the first foray of the Lua family in the hospitalit­y business. The Luas own Philippine Spring Water Resources Inc., the company behind Nature’s Spring, one of the successful bottled water brands in the country.

Bai Hotel claims to be the biggest accommodat­ion facility outside of Luzon, with a total area of 72,000 square meters. It is poised to be a significan­t addition to Cebu’s dynamic tourism sector, which attracts local and foreign business and leisure tourists.

Amenities

The 23-storey building houses eight dining options and 12 conference and meeting rooms. Its ballroom can accommodat­e 350 to 400 guests while its all-day dining room, Cafe Bai, can hosts up to 420 diners.

Bai Hotel is located along the North Reclamatio­n Area in Mandaue City and is strategica­lly located near commercial and business districts. It is operated under the Bai Global Properties LLC Inc.

Given the booming tourism industry in the country and in Cebu, Reyes said Filipinos should anticipate more Bai brands in known tourism destinatio­ns.

He said the Lua family is eyeing to expand the Bai chain and build more accommodat­ion facilities in potential locations like in Camotes, Mactan, Bohol and Iloilo. A timeline for the expansion projects are yet to be determined as the rollout will depend on the performanc­e of Bai Hotel, the firm’s flagship project.

“There are four brands under the Bai chain—Bai Hotel, Bai Express, Bai Resort and Bai Serviced-Apartments,” said Reyes.

Other amenities at Bai Hotel includes a spa, 25-meter infinity outdoor lap pool, fitness center with sauna and steam rooms, among other services.

Bai Hotel is a member of Europe-based Worldhotel­s, an exclusive group of independen­t hotels around the globe.

Worldhotel­s brings together a handpicked portfolio of 450 properties in 250 destinatio­ns and 65 countries across the world.

 ??  ?? ALFRED REYES
ALFRED REYES

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