Asia’s first Park Inn Hotel to rise in Davao

DAVAO City—Radisson Hotels, a subsidiary of the Minnesota-based Carlson Hotels group, is taking a step closer to building Asia’s first Park Inn Hotel here, according to officials of SM Hotels and Convention Corp. (SMHCC).

Lourdes Macalindong, SMHCC vice president for sales and marketing, said in a recent briefing here that Radisson chose “to build the first Park Inn in the entire Philippines and Asia” in Davao because of its huge potential.

Park Inn hotels are currently found only in Europe and the United States.

Macalindong said the groundbreaking for the world-class hotel project, which will sit on an 8,800-square-meter property inside the SM City Lanang Complex here, is set for this month.

“Its targeted completion is 2013, in time for the completion of the SMX Convention Center here,” Macalindong said.

The 204-room Park Inn Hotel, she said, would cost P800 million.

The hotel is envisioned to be “very edgy, hip and trendy with vibrant colors.”

Treena Tecson, director of SMHCC’s marketing communications, sales and marketing, said Radisson designed the Park Inn branch here for business travelers, especially those coming over for conventions.

“The coming in of a Carlson brand of hotel in Davao City is an indicator that Davao City is an emerging convention center in the country,” Tecson said.