Investing in the Best, for the Best

What does it take to be one of the best resorts in Asia? An ideal location, outstanding amenities, and even infrastructure are, without a doubt, crucial benchmarks, but Plantation Bay believes the quality of service its staff provides is at the heart of its success.

The resort’s assistant general manager Coleen Barcelona says that consistent and dependable service is a fundamental commitment of every worker at Plantation Bay – an important factor that brings visitors back. For this reason, Plantation Bay invests in its people, and also so that they will have every reason to stay and grow. Barcelona says that aside from health services and other benefits, Plantation Bay employees are made to undergo trainings, workshops, and seminars to maximize their potentials and develop new skills.

Department heads, for one, are given the privilege to attend executive courses at prestigious schools in the United States like Cornell, Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, and the Culinary Institute of America. Through these courses, the department heads earn the skillsets that would ensure they can run various areas of the resort effectively – from culinary and hotel management to marketing. Cornell has even recognized Plantation Bay as one of the businesses that continue to enroll its employees at the university.

Another interesting course the staff undergoes is a dance workshop, which allows them to showcase their skills and creativity during themed dinner buffets at the resort on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays. The performers’ flexibility is tested by colorful themes like Rockin’ USA, Filipino Fiesta, Viva Latina, Brazilian Fever, and Hawaiian Luau. At least 18 of the resort’s staff even get to display their flair for dance abroad – in neighboring Japan and Korea and even as far as Russia – where they get to interact with potential clients and tourists. During these trips, they stay at five-star hotels, dine at expensive restaurants, and travel around to experience those countries’ cultures – all courtesy of Plantation Bay.

The resort believes that its workers will get to bring their newfound knowledge back home and back to Plantation Bay. At the same time, the workers get to experience showcasing the best of Cebu and the Philippines.

While it may be a risk investing in people, Barcelona says, “When we don’t take risks then maybe we won’t be here.” Besides, she says, the risk one takes for family is always worth taking.

“In totality, we wouldn’t be able to succeed as a business, [be] as one of the best resorts in the country, or in Asia, we wouldn’t be able to that if not because of our employees. The biggest investment you have is your employee… not your facility or the equipment but it is always [your] people,” she says.