The winning court
SINCE ITS inception in the early ’70s, Victoria Court has established itself as one of the top drive-in hotels in the city largely due to the creative strategies and people-centered leadership employed by its late owner, Archimedes “Archie” R. King, during his time.
“He invested heavily into creating a happy workforce. He loved the employees and made it a point to create a system that not only invested in the technical competence needed for the job at hand but in the holistic development of the person as a human being,” Mr. Archie’s sons Ian and Atticus King told
in an e-mail. “Happy employees [lead to] happy guests,” they said.
Victoria Court traces its roots to the motel chains created by Mr. Archie’s father, Angelo King, around 40 years ago, when Mr. Angelo entered the motel business with the primary goal of providing excellent service to customers — an aspect which he felt existing players in the industry at that time lacked.
Mr. Angelo opened his first chain, Anito Lodge, in Pasay City in August 1970, and opened the second one, Vinta Lodge, in Pasig City three years after.
The year 1980 marked the beginning of a new decade for the company as well as the entry of Mr. Angelo’s sons Archie and Wyden, who are considered the drivers of growth and expansion of their father›s business. In 1984, the company began to evolve after it opened Akasya Lodge in Sta. Mesa, Manila, and gradually started to set up district offices around the Metro. North and South districts were established to help the motels under the company resolve problems and improve their services.
Since then, the company focused on providing quality amenities and accommodation at premium prices and began restructuring itself as a business engaged in drive-in hotels.
It was then that Mr. Archie launched Panorama Enterprises, Inc., a 38-room property in Pasig City that was named Victoria Court. It wasn’t long before the establishment became known for being an innovative creation, primarily due to its spacious rooms and thematic ambiance.
Victoria Court Pasig exceeded expectations after only a few years of operation. This paved the way to the creation of the Victoria Court Group, which has prospered through the years because of its state-of-the-art amenities and remarkable service.
According to Ian and Atticus, the biggest milestone their father has achieved while heading the business is the brand›s significant transformation.
“He managed to change the reputation of the motel business from something seedy into something classy whilst repositioning the business as the premium motel chain in Manila,” they said.
To date, Victoria Court has 10 properties to its name, but the company is set to grow further in the years ahead.
“[We will] constantly raise the bar in [terms of] room designs, food, quality of service, and development of our people,” they said.