SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Wyndham Hotel Group, the company behind Days Hotel and Microtel chains across the country, has committed to build the first five-star hotel in the Subic Bay Freeport.
In a contract signed with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), the group will construct, manage and operate the Citic Hotels and Leisures Corp. here and pump in P5 billion to develop a 10,517-square-meter location near Subic’s popular seafront events venue Boardwalk Park.
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said this marks the first time that a five-star hotel will be set up in Subic, 26 years after the former US military base was converted into a special economic and free-port zone.
“I am sure that this branded hotel project will raise the bar for the Subic Bay Freeport and put it among the best tourist destinations in the Southeast Asian region,” Eisma added.
Wyndham Hotel, which is reputed to be the world’s largest and most diverse hotel company, has approximately 8,000 hotels with more than 600,000 rooms in 66 countries under 15 hotel brands.
Aside from the Days Hotel and Microtel chains in the Philippines, the hotel group operates the Ramada and TRYP hotels in Manila.
SBMA Deputy Administrator for Business and Investment Kenneth Rementilla said Wyndham has committed P5 billion to build a 14-story five-star hotel with 300 to 400 rooms within three years.
The hotel building will house restaurants, entertainment, leisure and events management facilities, including ballroom and convention hall.
The hotel will be built on a 6,310-sq-m area within the 10,517-sq-m open space at Subic’s Central Business District.
Wyndham has also committed to develop a 4,207-sq-m area for the operation of a Subic-Manila ferry service in another open space to be developed for public use.
The firm, likewise, pledged to develop an amphitheater and a public park with commercial stalls in the next two years.
According to SBMA figures, hotel occupancy rate in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone increased by 2 percent to 67.24 percent in 2017, compared to 65.83 percent in 2016.
The SBMA Tourism Department attributed the growth to increased tourist arrivals from the rising number of conferences and sporting events being held in Subic.