Sheraton rides on tourism wave in Cebu

THE SHERATON Cebu Mactan Resort (front) is scheduled for completion in 2019.

MACTAN ISLAND, Cebu—Banking on the expected market growth in both real estate and hospitality industry, AppleOne Mactan Inc. is putting up a mixed-use hotel and residential development on a five-hectare property in Barangay Punta Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City.

The company held a groundbreaking ceremony last November to signal the start of the construction of the project, which will be managed by the Starwood Hotels and Resorts under the brand Sheraton, the company’s top money-making brand.

The Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort is targeted for completion in 2019 while The Residences at Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort is scheduled to be completed the following year. The total project cost is estimated at around P4 billion.

Both projects are located in Barangay Punta Engaño, at an area overlooking both Hilutungan Channel and Magellan’s Bay.

The Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort will have 250 rooms and suites and three dining venues.

The resort will also have a ballroom and three function rooms to service the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) market as well as weddings and other events. Facilities will include a spa, lagoon-style swimming pools and a state-of-the art fitness center.

The Residences at Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort, on the other hand, will feature 186 one-, two-, or three-bedroom units. It will also have a resident’s lounge, meeting rooms, a garden and amenity floor, and recreational facilities such as a fitness center, yoga room and large pools. Unit owners will also have access to the beach club and other resort facilities.

A residential unit can cost between P160,000 and P280,000 per square meter.

Charlie Dang, Starwood Hotels and Resorts regional vice president for Southeast Asia, noted the two projects would address the demand for facilities that meet the changing lifestyles of residents and tourists.

In a statement, AppleOne Mactan president Ray Go Manigsaca said the projects would boost local tourism and help enhance the quality of the hospitality industry in the region.

“In 2020, Cebu will be a major airport hub in the Asia Pacific with the expansion of the Mactan Cebu International Airport. Our vision is to be a significant part of the region’s tourism growth as well as developing leisure properties that will continue to attract both international and local travelers,” Manigsaca said.

AppleOne, a subsidiary of AppleOne Properties Inc., is a new premier development in partnership with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc.

Clint Nagata, founder of the world-renowned Blink Design Group, did the design for the project, which took about a year to complete.

Nagata said the design, which meets international standards, drew inspiration from local influences and culture.

“Our team drew inspiration from the surrounding cliffs, beaches and exposed rocks in conceptualizing the design. While creating contemporary interiors with tropical aesthetics and local touches, even the smallest details are on par with global standards,” said Nagata.

The interiors would be using stone, wood and synthetic rattan, he said. At least 80 percent of materials that would be used in the hotel would be sourced locally, he said.

The internationally-acclaimed designer, who grew up in Hawaii but is now based in Singapore, said the outdoor furniture would be customized and specifically made only for the Sheraton project.

“We will be looking for the next Kenneth Cobonpue,” he said.