Waterfront Cebu celebrates 20 years
Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino opened in 1998, it immediately caused a sensation for being the biggest hospitality and leisure facility in the flourishing city. Not surprisingly, the hotel became the venue of choice for large conferences, concerts by top musical artists, trade exhibits, sporting events and grand private functions.
In two decades, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino has established itself as Cebu City’s premier hotel and casino, boasting of luxurious amenities and dining outlets that offer the best culinary creations. Anders Hallden, on his second tour of duty as general manager, believes that Waterfront Cebu’s secret of success and longevity lies in the people who work in its many departments and their adherence to the company’s principles and standards.
“The Waterfront family takes so much pride in providing true Filipino hospitality. Our team gets so much praise for always taking that extra step looking after all valued guests, whether they’re from the Philippines or from some other parts of the world. This joy to serve is not something you can teach; it’s something you are born with and have a burning passion for – to exceed expectations and always deliver top service with a smile,” he said.
He added that all Waterfront employees work to fulfill the hotel’s essential principle: To go over and beyond in satisfying their guests’ expectations.
With Cebu City’s economic and industrial surge, the hotel has kept up with the fast-moving developments by continuously evolving to meet the demands of new lifestyles.
Today, it houses nine restaurants and bars that give diners a wide array of delicious choices.
Each guestroom features a mini bar, safety deposit box, digital cable NDD and IDD telephone system, wireless internet access and 24-hour room service. Guests are also given complimentary access to both the 24-hour Citi gym and pool.
The Waterfront International Convention Center has been designed to host all event of types and functions. It has 15 function rooms and two grand ballrooms with a seating capacity of more than 4,000 persons – all equipped with state of the art convention facilities.
Last Dec. 8, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino was chosen as one of the five Philippine recipients for the ASEAN’s 1st MICE Venue Standard Award in a Hotel Category Setting for compliance based on the requirements of the ASEAN Standard.
“We are the biggest MICE hotel in Cebu with a capacity of up to 7,000. With over 15 meeting rooms and 2 board rooms, an outdoor, open-air area in the grand lagoon, and a pool area, we can host virtually any theme and fulfill ev- ery request,” Hallden pointed out.
Being the biggest MICE venue, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino has 561 rooms to support the accommodation needs of the largest events.
To celebrate 20 successful years, the hotel has lined up a host of treats throughout the year. On Feb. 23, it will host a grand birthday party at the Pacific Grand Ballroom. It will hold the much-anticipated Waterfront Hotel IRON Chef and a Fourth of July celebration to toast Filipino-American Friendship Day.
The Wedding Fair will showcase the hotel’s wedding venues and services. The event is expected to attract the participation of the best wedding suppliers and the most prolific wedding designers. It will be made even more meaningful with the release of a coffee table book celebrating 20 years of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino.
“There is so much going on and the future looks very interesting. We are looking forward to the full renovation of all our 10,000 sqm meeting space that will make it the most modern venue in Cebu with state-ofthe-art meeting facilities. We will also undertake room renovations to bring our accommodations to higher levels of excellence. Indeed, the future looks very good for Cebu City and we are working to be there with the development,” said Hallden.