Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts to manage magical Huma Island

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has announced that it is to manage Huma Island resort – a private island in the heart of the stunning archipelago of Palawan Province in the Philippines.

The island is world famous among divers who visit to experience the area’s exceptional corals and abundant marine life as well as to explore 12 of the most iconic shipwrecks of the mid-20th century.

Huma Island itself is also steeped in mystical magic from the tip of its rainforest-covered mountains to the bottom of its primeval caves. The endless pristine sands that ring the island were once home to “Ibrahim The Sailor” who was swept ashore 1352 when his galleon Huma was shipwrecked while on its way from India to China. Ibrahim may be long gone but his legend and his ship’s name live on.

Respectful of such a unique and mystical setting, the new Mövenpick Resort & Spa Huma Island is the only resort on the island and when it opens in the final quarter of 2012 it will feature 80 over-water bungalows.

“Huma Island genuinely deserves its description as a dream destination,” according to Andreas Mattmüller, chief operating officer of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Middle East & Asia. “This is our second resort in the Philippines after our property in Cebu and it is a magical place that I am sure will cast an unforgettable spell over anyone that visits.”

The island can be reached from the mainland via seaplane and luxury speedboat. On arrival at Mövenpick Resort & Spa Huma Island, guests can enjoy every indulgence. All over-water bungalows boast a contemporary tropical design and feature a private Jacuzzi.

There will be a choice of six restaurants offering Lebanese, Italian, Asian and Seafood cuisine as well as an entertainment room, library, fitness center and a six-treatment-room spa with glass floors so relaxing guests can enjoy the marine life below. For those who want to explore the extraordinary geography that makes up Palawan Province, island-hopping trips will be available in traditional Philippine Bangka Boats as well as a dive center for guests keen to discover the magic of the area’s marine life.

“We are looking forward to welcoming discerning guests to Mövenpick Resort & Spa Huma Island,” said Dr. Hamad Al Tuwaijri, president of the resort’s owning company, United International Hotels Group, Philippines. “But in addition to our leisure customers I cannot imagine a better place to conduct an important business meeting or as a location for a perfect wedding or honeymoon.”

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, an international upscale hotel management company with over 16, 000 staff members, is represented in 24 countries with 70 hotels and resorts currently in operation.