THE GOLDEN BOY OF HOSPITALITY
The hospitality industry is becoming more competitive by the day.
With Benedict Que’s leadership skill and keen eye for innovation, he was able to haul up Golden Prince Hotel and Suites’ image, and make it at par with the big and global names in the hospitality sector.
The 160-room hotel has been operating for 12 years now. In 2016, the family embarked on an expansion program highlighting the “unique Cebuano royalty experience.”
The hotel now enjoys healthy bookings from Chinese, European and local tourists.
Que said the family’s business history started with a general merchandise store managed by his mother, who eventually diversified the business and opened a pawnshop named Golden Charm in the downtown area of Cebu.
Acquiring properties was one of the initiatives the family ventured into to boost their investments. Their very first hotel business is the 50-room Golden Valley Hotel, which was established in 1994.
Que is the second child in a brood of three.
Although, he is busy managing the hotel business, Que has accepted yet another challenging role as this year’s overall chair of the Cebu Business Month, a month-long event of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
What was your first job?
After my graduation, I was able to work in a bank as a loans clerk for nearly a year before getting involved in our family business.
Who inspired you to get into business?
ration from the beginning. She showed us her patience, hard work, perseverance and passion to succeed.
When did you realize this was what you were meant to do?
I was not born with everything on a silver platter. Therefore, I realized I had to work hard. When I was still a child, I wanted to have a better life; the same comfortable life as my affluent friends and cousins. It was during my high school days when I witnessed my mother’s dedication and passion that our dream to succeed was going to be real.
Why did you pick this type of business or industry?
We took the opportunity when we observed a huge gap between the supply and demand of rooms in Cebu. Our family had a strong gut feel to get into the hotel industry as early as the 1990s.
Where did you get the training you needed to succeed?
I would like to give the credit to my mother. It was through her proper guidance of laying down a strong foundation of conducting business and living life based on values and principles.
How many times did you fail before you succeeded?
Oh, countless times! But the good thing is, with the foundation, I always make sure that I’ll get back up on my feet.