The Henry Hotel shakes up Cebu
A big red statue, Henry himself, greets guests in the hotel lobby.
CEBU CITY—In an industry where almost all rooms come from the same cookie cutter mold, there is one hotel that attempts to stand out in a sea of hotel monotony.
For one, The Henry Hotel is housed in a building painted in black with a big sign on top that reads: “Quirky hotel below.”
A big red statue, of “Henry” himself, greets guests at the hotel lobby. Front desk staff members are garbed in black and white with bow ties and wide-rimmed eyeglasses without lenses.
“What we offer is an out-of-the-box hospitality experience. When I say that, it means that our brand of service is intimate and highly personalized. Definitely not the typical hospitality service you know,” said manager Mirro Reperuga.
While no two rooms look the same, the interiors appear like modern-meets-vintage-meets-contemporary artistry.
“We stick to our proposition that The Henry is like no other [hotel in the city]. Each room has different a make up. We pay particular attention to detail,” said Reperuga.
Materials are locally sourced but are combined with that signature European hip.
The hotel, located along Maria Luisa Road in Barangay Banilad in Cebu City, was built in early 2012.
It was positioned to be a leisure hotel that catered to the upscale market and the corporate world, said Reperuga.
It has 38 rooms ranging from 36 square meters for a “Big Room” (their smallest) to 108 sq m for an “Extra-Extra Large Room”.
Owned by Innovoterra Properties and managed by Hospitality International Inc., Reperuga said it was a conscious decision for hotel owners to be generous with space, a primary advantage The Henry holds over other hotel properties in Cebu.
“We’d like our hotel to be a destination where people travel to be able to stay in the hotel. Yes, we are little off-center but this also serves as our attraction,” said Reperuga, whose career in the hospitality industry began in 1994.
He said the hotel is also located in an area where there was still much to see and experience after 9 p.m.
“The area around most hotels are dead spots after nine [in the evening]. Here, we take pride in the food establishments operated by reputable owners,” he said.
The hotel has a partnership with Rica’s Restaurant, which provides the hotel’s restaurant and room service.
The restaurant, which exudes an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, is open until midnight.
On the second floor is the Scrapyard Lounge, a nightlife destination. The hotel’s function and meeting rooms are also on the second floor.
It is located in the same compound as Cable Car and Antica Osteria, an Italian restaurant and deli. It is also a few steps away from Giuseppe Pizzeria and Sicilian Roast and the Michelâ’s Deli and Café.
As a general manager, Reperuga said he takes guest feedback very seriously. His daily routine includes reading reviews on booking sites and replying to comments.
“We make guests feel that they are valued. There are some guests who will not talk. They just walkout when they are not happy. We are learning from the guests. They are our best teachers,” he said.
“Whatever it takes to really excel and live up to our promise, we will do,” added Reperuga.
Reperuga said the Internet is an important sales tool for the hotel.
Trip Advisor (www.tripadvisor.com) ranked The Henry No.2 among 71 hotels in Cebu City in 2013. Online presence in booking sites such as Agoda, Booking.com and Expedia generate good occupancy for the hotel.
“A huge chunk of the business comes from online platforms,” he said.
Reperuga said they are ready for cutthroat competition in the city’s hotel industry and they are doing it with substantial attention to details only The Henry can offer.
