The Philippine Star

CG Hospitalit­y plans to make The Farm a global brand

- By LOUELLA DESIDERIO

Because of the dramatic increase in the number of individual­s investing more in their own health and wellness, Kathmandu-based Chaudhary Group (CG) Hospitalit­y Holdings, which took over The Farm at San Benito a year ago, is taking the resort to the next level by expanding globally.

“Our plan for The Farm is to make it a globally well-known brand. We are going to take this brand and the expertise to different countries,” CG Hospitalit­y chairman Binod Chaudhary said in an interview.

He said the group has identified Thailand, Vietnam and Croatia as locations for the expansion of The Farm brand. Negotiatio­ns to bring The Farm to the three countries are in advanced stages and the opening of the resorts in those countries is expected to take place within three years.

Chaudhary said while the group is planning to set up The Farm in locations overseas, expansion is also well underway at the resort in Lipa,

Batangas.

In line with the aim to make The Farm the hub of holistic medical wellness, he said the group has invested to improve and expand the facilities at the resort.

CG Hospitalit­y has also upgraded its medical center to give way to new programs.

The Farm has also tied up with the European Wellness Center to conduct a diagnosis of a guest’s body and determine what needs to be done, as well as with Cigna Health Care through Living Life Well to provide treatments for pain management and mental health problems.

When it comes to nourishmen­t, The Farm recently opened the Pesce Restaurant, which offers pescataria­n food to provide more options to guests.

Apart from Pesce Restaurant, guests can opt to dine at the resort’s Alive! Restaurant,which offers fresh vegan cuisine using organic ingredient­s.

Chaudhary said the group is also planning to build a world-class highend residentia­l developmen­t within the 48-hectare land parcel which will be focused around the concept and philosophy of The Farm.

At present, guests of The Farm can choose from any of the nine types of accommodat­ion: 33-square meter (sqm) Sulu Terrace, 39-sqm Palmera Suite, 50-sqm Palmera Glass, 50sqm Anahaw Family Villa, 80-sqm Garden Villa, 90-sqm Garden Glass

Villa, 200-sqm Narra Pool Villa, 341sqm Master Villa, and 511-sqm The Lakan, with the last three featuring a private pool.

As one of the biggest and fastest growing hospitalit­y groups in the region, CG Hospitalit­y also aims to strengthen The Farm’s brand in markets such the US, Europe and the Middle East.

“We want them to come here because we are convinced that we offer more, equally proven philosophi­es and systems, but much natural and much more organic manner with the use of services which are outstandin­g, nobody can match,” he said.

While there are also medical wellness resorts in other countries, he said what sets The Farm apart is its people.

“The Filipinos, the quality of service, the devotion to their work, it comes from within…That is our edge. So when we take The Farm overseas, we are going to take Filipinos to come work there,” he said.

Programs offered at The Farm are conducted by internatio­nally trained medical doctors, nurses, spa therapists, nutritioni­sts, living food experts, fitness coaches and yoga teachers.

Chaudhary said the Philippine­s has potential to get more tourists because of the Filipino hospitalit­y and beautiful destinatio­ns, but would need to do a lot to promote the country’s attraction­s.

“The Philippine­s offers everything. Such beautiful places. You go to Boracay, you go to Cebu. Palawan is like Maldives, but why it is not able to exceed Maldives, I don’t know. You need to create more products and brands like The Farm which needs to be showcased worldwide, that Filipinos indeed can offer a world-class concept. That is what is going to attract more and more people,” he said.

CG Hospitalit­y Holdings has a total portfolio of more than 95 hotels and resorts in 12 countries and 70 destinatio­ns with over 5,715 keys under a range of brands including Taj, Jetwing, Radisson, Alila, The Fern, Zinc Journey and Summit.

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Chaudhary

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