MOST hotels in Metro Manila are still staying as quarantine hotels, despite the expected influx of balikbayans to the country beginning this holiday season.
Reelected president of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association Inc. (HSMA) for 2021-2022 Christine Anne Ibarreta (Golden Phoenix) said in an online news conference over the weekend that, “Most are still quarantine hotels as it’s not sustainable to become staycation hotels.”
Some staycation hotels are reporting just 3 percent occupancy on weekends compared to quarantine hotels, where occupancy rates have reached an average of 50 percent in November. (See, “Metro Manila hotels record uptrend in occupancy and room rates–STR,” in the BusinessMirror, December 5, 2020.)
Also, Ibarreta noted, “Only four-star and five-star hotels” can apply as staycation hotels, per rules of the Department of Tourism (DOT). But she underscored, “From the airport [when the balikbayans arrive], they check into the quarantine hotels to wait their Covid-19 test results, then transfer to the staycation hotels [when they get a negative test result].”
HSMA’s new Director for Membership Celeste Romualdo (Linden Suites) added, “Most of us are still quarantine facilities. There are still a good number of arrivals who are OFWs [overseas Filipino workers].”
Ibarreta said as per information HSMA received from government authorities, there are 5,019 guests arriving at the airport [on December 20], “most of them, at 24, are commercial flights that will land in Naia [Ninoy Aquino International Airport.]” Commercial flights are those that bring in returning overseas Filipinos, as opposed to “repatriation flights,” which bring in OFWs, eight of which arrived on Sunday.
Earlier, she said a number of hotels are already upbeat about the holiday season due to increased bookings. (See, “Christmas looking sparkly for Metro Manila’s hotels,” in the BusinessMirror, December 14, 2020.)
Fractious election
IN a related development, the HSMA also appealed to Metro Manila mayors to come up with uniform regulations, especially regarding hotel events. “MMDA should have a realignment meeting. For instance, events are allowed in Quezon City, but in Pasay City, it’s not allowed,” said Ibarreta.
HSMA officers for 2021-2022, aside from Ibarreta and Romualdo are: Margarita Munsayac (Bluewater Resorts), chairman; Benjamin Martinez (The Bayleaf Hotels), Vice President; Desiree de Guzman (Astoria Plaza Ortigas), Treasurer; Amie Villena (The Bellevue Hotel and Resorts), Secretary; Carmela Bocanegra (Chroma Hospitality), public relations; Michael Jay Albana (Conrad Manila), Director for Programs; Cristian Carreon (Marriott Hotel Manila), Director for Ways and Means; and Loleth So (The Peninsula Manila), Director for Education.
Industry sources said the HSMA election this year was rather fractious as some members of the board tried to vote out Ibarreta as president, “on orders of their hotel owners.” Two hotel officials “were strongly pushing for Martinez to be the next president of HSMA,” although Martinez himself, preferred Ibarreta.
The HSMA chief apparently incurred the ill will of some hotel owners for her strong bid to get the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to pay its debts to member-hotels, where OFWs had been billeted. Hotel owners, sources averred, had taken issue with her disclosure of the exact amount of OWWA’s arrears to their hotels.
Meanwhile, Microtel by Wyndham Baguio is offering to reimburse antigen test of guests for a minimum stay of two nights, for as low as P7,000 for a single-person stay, or P9,500 good for two persons. Rates are for room accommodation only.
Guests are offered P1,300 per person upon presentation of the official receipt of their antigen test. The promo runs until March 31, 2021. Baguio City requires visitors to take an antigen test upon entry, or present their own negative test result.
Phinma Microtel Hotels Inc. President and CEO Jose Mari del Rosario said Microtel by Wyndham is “the first hotel chain in the country to launch this initiative to help revive domestic tourism.” He told the BusinessMirror a similar promo may be offered in the group’s other hotels. “We’re the only one doing this for Baguio; next is Boracay with RT-PCR test. We’re just awaiting the permit from DTI [Department of Trade and Industry].”
Earlier, the hospitality group said Covid-19 has put on hold a number of its hotel openings. (See, “Phinma Microtel slows timeline for opening new hotels, resorts,” in the BusinessMirror, October 24, 2020.)