Park Inn by Radisson Davao

A many-splendoured stay
By Nico Erle Ciriaco


Together with brand ambassador Georgina Wilson, the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group (CRHG), the 9th largest chain of hotels worldwide, green-lighted the grand opening of Park Inn by Radisson (PIR) in Davao City on the eve of Earth Day.
The newly-opened hotel is the first ‘next generation’ mid-scale Park Inn to be established in the entire Asia Pacific; bearing the hallmarks dedicated to savvy businessmen and leisure travelers seeking an outstanding hotel experience.
“Location differentiates this hotel from all others. Factors like accessibility and a mixed-use concept easily make PIR Davao the center of attention for both business and leisure sectors all over the Davao region. That, plus the timing’s right. There’s a vacuum in the supply of mid-market hotels and we’re meeting, head-on, the demands of this emerging market,” shared Elizabeth Sy, president of the SM Hotels & Convention Group, in an intimate colloquy a few hours before the launching party got into full swing.
Designed with the global Gen Y crowd in mind, PIR Davao is a friendly, fresh, vibrant and uncomplicated label that focuses on delivering the modern essentials of a great hotel experience and the ‘Adding Colors to Life’ spirit of service that resonates with today’s globetrotters. PIR is a segment-leading brand with a 26-year-old track record of delivering a quality guest experience.
“Why the Philippines?Because opportunity is present. The Philippines is in good shape right now. Your GDP has remained stable at 5-6 per cent all over and your currency is gaining strength against the US dollar. From an economic standpoint, the Philippines is on the move as more and more people have disposable income.
“The element of business and leisure combined is important because there’s no existing combination like that in the market before now. Philippine hotels are either high-end or extremely low-end and both charge an arm-and-a-leg. Plus, there’s a dearth in the mid-market segment.
“The mid-market segment gives the best investment returns. People’s choices as to where to stay can be many and varied. We do our market segmentation by geographic origin together with other demographic factors. Purpose and price, most often, determine whether a stay is for leisure or business or both,” intimated Simon C. Barlow, president of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group for Asia Pacific.
Today, PIR is one of the fastest growing brands; expanding rapidly in the US, Canada, and the rest of Asia & the Pacific. Globally, there are 128 PIR hotels in operation with 67 more in the pipeline. In the Asia Pacific region, four are in operation while 53 are in the pipeline.
“The opening of PIR Davao marks a new era for the brand in Asia Pacific. Guests can experience the warmth and friendliness expected of the brand. It is focused on delivering the modern essentials of a great hotel experience that will resonate well with both international and domestic travelers. We are pleased to be in partnership with the SM Group again, in establishing this brand in the Philippines and we are confident that PIR Davao will set a new hospitality benchmark in the growing mid-scale segment in the Philippines. As part of the Carlson Rezidor global hotel network, the new facility will benefit from the patronage of 10-million Global Club Carlson members. In addition, we believe the hotel and the brand will appeal strongly to the Philippines’ burgeoning domestic market of 35 million travelers seeking affordable accommodations that’s fresh and uncomplicated,” declared Barlow.
Established in early 2012, the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group includes more than 1,300 hotels; a global footprint spanning 81 countries and territories with a powerful set of global brands that include Radisson Blu, Radisson, Park Plaza, Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, Hotel Missoni, and Park Inn by Radissson. In most of the group’s hotels, guests can benefit from the loyalty program Club Carlson; one of the most rewarding in the world. With headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Brussels, Belgium, the hotel group and its brands employ more than 80,000 people.
“We have just opened 35 properties with 16 more this year, plus 74 others in the pipeline ready for launching by 2015. We will have operated 103 hotels from our current inventory of 90 by the end of 2014. A management contract usually lasts from 15-20 years or even longer. We were searching for partners in the Philippines and found what we were looking for with the SM Group.
“We are targeting 156 hotels by 2015 and 250 by 2020. From 2010 through 2020, the rate of traveling will grow three times and that increase will be filled in by Asians, especially the Chinese, Indians and Filipinos.
“Our CSR efforts are geared towards children at risk all across Asia Pacific; in whatever form. It could arise from issues on prostitution, hygiene & sanitation, mortality rate in children, education programs as well as women’s issues,” enthused the Carlson Rezidor chief executive.
Park Inn by Radisson Davao is part of the property portfolio of SM Hotels & Conventions Corp., a subsidiary of SM Investments Corp. The company aims to bring world-class service stamped with a unique brand of Filipino hospitality to clients and guests through its hotels and convention centers. It operates four hotels and two convention centers across the archipelago; and one full-service beach & country club in Nasugbu, Batangas. Moreover, it is set to open another convention center at the heart of Metro Manila – the SMX Aura in Taguig City – this year as well as the first Conrad Hotel in the Philippines – the Conrad Manila – before the end of 2015. PIR is a welcome addition to the existing SM Group hotel portfolio that includes the Taal Vista in Tagaytay, Pico Sands in Batangas, and the Radissson Blu in Cebu. “Our plan for the near future includes the construction of PIR hotels in Clark (Pampanga), SM North Edsa complex (QC), Bacolod and Iloilo. We are happy to partner, once more, with the renowned Carlson RezidorHotel Group to operate these hotels.
“Carlson Rezidor already manages our 3-year-old Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu, that, this early was rated by Trip Advisor as the top hotel in Cebu and the fourth best in the country for 2012. We have no doubt that Carlson Rezidor will run PIR Davao just as well.
“PIR Davao has 70 slightly-larger interconnecting rooms for the family market. The SM Group started the hotel business with Taal Vista in 2009. This was followed by our resort development in Pico de Loro and then Radisson Blu in Cebu. We have 42 malls as of last count, with very good locations given the demographics. Our target is to have five more in the next five years,” Ms. Sy concluded.
PIR Davao is a 204-room brand-new hotel facility that enjoys a prime location – sitting next to SM Lanang Premier and the SMX Convention Center, and accessed through an exclusive bridgeway to and from the mall or hotel. SM Lanang is the biggest commercial structure in the whole of Mindanao, sporting an origami-inspired design.
The hotel is 15 minutes from the Davao Int’l Airport and the city’s commercial center, and a short drive from major tourist attractions like the sought-after Cellar de Oboza Restaurant that’s nicely tucked inside the city’s oldest standing house built in 1929, beaches like the Pearl Farm Resort, as well as the Davao Museum. Through its signature ‘Adding Colors to Life’ service concept, PIR Davao delivers a great night’s sleep in all its clean, personalized and contemporary Stephen Leach-designed rooms and suites. Guests can expect tasteful décor and the highly-essential complimentary in-room high-speed Internet connection all throughout their stay.
PIR Davao also offers the best venues for meetings and assemblages. With smart services and smart rooms, including four meeting rooms named after the distinctive local fruits of Davao – Mangosteen, Durian, Marang, and Pomelo -that can accommodate 45 covers, the hotel is the smart choice for both formal and informal events. In addition, the hotel also has a recreation hub that houses leisure facilities like a swimming pool, fitness center and pool bar. The reception area’s ‘living room’ concept provides guests with a hub where they can enjoy reading in The Lounge or socialize and relax within the spacious lobby area.
F&B options can be had at the RBG (Restaurant Bar & Grill), a hip all-day dining refectory. A bold and new bar & grill concept, it delivers buzz and ambience, great options, and friendly service in a modern setting. Fresh catch, charcoal-grilled fare, locally-inspired concoctions, as well as classic dishes make up its growing menu.For more information and/or booking inquiries, simply visit their Web site www.parkinn.com/hotel-davao.