Christmas looking sparkly for Metro Manila’s hotels

Balikbayans are the major drivers in hotel sales during this Christmas season. REBPH hopes that safety protocols are being observed any time, all the time.

ANUMBER of hotels, especially those in the bayside and Pasay areas, appear to be benefitting from government’s decision to allow balikbayans (homecoming Filipinos) to return home despite Covid-19 playing out all over the world.

This was the assessment of Christine Anne U. Ibarreta, president of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association Inc. (HSMA): “Christmas is looking hopeful and our hotel [Golden Phoenix], as well as the Pasay hotels are picking up some balikbayan bookings headed for quarantine and staycation later on.”

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She cited Manila Marriott, for instance, which reported balikbayan bookings rising to “an average of 8-10 guests from 1-2 guests per day.”

For her hotel, Golden Phoenix, “since December 9, we have been receiving an average of 8-10 arrivals daily, while new bookings for balikbayans is around 15-20 for various dates. We are expecting an influx in the coming days.” Ibarreta said many of these balikbayans are from New York, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

The food and beverage outlets of many hotels have also seen an uptick in guests, she said, with more “managed buffets” popular especially on the weekends, along with takeout meals, and on weekdays, there still are “business thanksgiving lunch and dinners.”

Metro Manila hotels have been seeing an increasing number of guests and higher room rates since August this year, even as overseas Filipino workers arrivals have tapered off.

If they get a negative result on their Covid-19 test, balikbayans are allowed to move from their quarantine hotels to staycation hotels. As of November 27, DOT has allowed 20 hotels to offer staycations, of which 14 are in Metro Manila.

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases recently decided to allow Filipinos living abroad, even those with foreign passports, to come home to the Philippines, along with their foreign spouses and children. The HSMA last Thursday held their annual Virtus Awards, online this time, and recognized the best individuals and teams in sales and marketing, marketing campaigns, along with new categories awarding the most resilient hotels, individuals and marketing efforts under pandemic conditions.

The 6th Virtus awardees are:

■ Erika Denice S. Patajo, Events Executive, Okada Manila (Outstanding Sales and Marketing Associate);

■ Pio A. Sanchez, Senior Sales Manager, El Nido Resorts (Outstanding Sales and Marketing Manager);

■ Bae Eun Joo, Director of Sales for Free Independent Travelers, Conrad Manila (Outstanding Sales and Marketing Leaders); and,

■ ‘Bid to Forever’ of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila by Dave Pimentel, Director of Marketing and Communications (Outstanding Marketing Campaign).

For the first time, the HSMA recognized “Champions of Resilience” for their outstanding work during the pandemic:

■ Ma. Elena Cecille M. Daugdaug, Sales Manager, Quest Hotel and Conference Center Cebu (Individual category).  Not only did Daugdaug protect the business, she also grew the business that contributed to the retention of a sizable percentage of hotel staff.

■ ‘Safely Apart, Closer at Heart’ of Chroma Hospitality by Carmela Bocanegra, Vice President for Sales and Marketing (Marketing Communications category), which had the most comprehensive and well-planned campaign with clear messaging.

■ Luxent Hotel led by General Manager Melanie Pagkalinawan (Team Category). By ensuring the safety and well-being of employees, and their families, including mental health awareness and providing alternative platforms to earn money as partner-providers of the hotel, employees were fully engaged in proactively increasing revenue streams of the hotel, while reducing its expenses during this time of adversity.

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In her opening remarks, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said the awards “gives us a high note to end on after an incredibly tumultuous year, and the motivation to  press on as a new year brings on a set of new challenges.”

She especially lauded the Champions of Resilience, who “rose to the challenge” when the pandemic hit, and accommodation establishments had to adjust from first serving as quarantine facilities when hotels served as quarantine facilities or accommodations for frontliners to the current status, where some are now allowed to accept staycationers. She thanked the group for its continued support to projects of the Department of Tourism.

HSMA is an aggrupation of hotel sales and marketing professionals with over 150 members nationwide.

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Article and Photo originally posted by Business Mirror last December 14, 2020 and written by Ma. Estella F. Arnaldo. Minor edits have been made by REBPH to cater to its own readers.

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