Rockwell enters hospitality sector

Through developments such as the Power Plant Mall and Rockwell Center in Makati City and The Grove in Pasig City, Rockwell Land Corp. has been able to develop an image as one of the country’s leading premium property developers.

Rockwell Land hopes to leverage on the market’s goodwill when it opens in December this year the serviced apartments at Edades Tower and Garden Villas, thus marking its entry into the country’s growing hospitality sector.

Angela Pagulayan, Head of Rockwell’s Serviced Apartments unit, says the company decided to invest in serviced apartments as it saw an opportunity to capture the so-called short market or visitors looking for accommodations for as short as a day to an average of three months.

These visitors include business travelers who prefer a more lived-in space over hotel rooms; expatriates who need a halfway house while they look for a more permanent residence in the country and balikbayans who want a bigger space where they can entertain family and friends while on their vacation.

“We offer more of a quality of living because you don’t feel like you’re in a hotel, but rather in a home,” adds Rockwell senior vice president Valerie Lopez Soliven.

The serviced apartments will be an integral   part of the 50-story Edades Tower and Garden Villas. The 114 apartments will be furnished to suit the needs of every kind of traveler.

Units range from studios measuring 33 square meters—much larger than the average hotel room of 24 sqm—to the large two-bedroom units that can fit a visiting family.

Pagulayan says ample space is one of the hallmarks of serviced apartments, giving them a competitive advantage over the regular hotels.

Serviced apartments also have a kitchen and living area, which are sought by a segment of the corporate and leisure travel market.

“The goal is to get the long term clients who are looking for certain services such as housekeeping that are not usually available in residential units. Guests also have the option to include breakfast during their stay,” says Soliven.

Going to the hospitality sector was the next logical step for Rockwell as it will complement its expertise in residential leasing at Rockwell Center, where residents are within walking distance of their office, home and leisure destinations.

“We already have a relationship with the human resources departments of corporations we deal with for the residential leasing,” says Soliven, “We will also do sales calls on them for the serviced apartments.”

“What is clear is that the corporate market is our main target market,” she adds.