5-star Alabang hotel to cater to Calabarzon guests

ACACIA COFFEESHOP is Acacia Hotel Manila’s signature coffee shop. It is the newest buffet destination south of the metro.

Addressing the apparent shortage of luxury hotels south of Metro Manila and recognizing the opportunities of an expanding tourism and retirement industry in the Calabarzon area, a new 5-star hotel has sprung up in rapidly developing Alabang in Muntinlupa City. Its name, Acacia Hotel Manila, is derived from wood ideal for shipbuilding due to its hard, strong and durable properties that could make it withstand being immersed in corrosive seawater for up to a century.

It is hoped to conjure a similar image among its intended market—the business people and their families of Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon economic corridor).

Its developer, Corporate Holdings Management Hotels and Residences Inc., after four years of planning and building, finally held its soft opening on Oct. 10, with no less than the Vice President of the Philippines Jejomar Binay, with Muntinlupa Mayor Aldrin San Pedro, gracing the ceremonial ribbon cutting.

5-star luxury hotel

The Acacia Hotel Manila is said to be positioning itself as a fully Filipino-owned 5-star luxury hotel. It has 262 guest rooms, including fully furnished suites to cater to the upscale residents and corporations in the Calabarzon area. It also claims to be the only hotel in the South that boasts of a lounge/restaurant in the lobby offering an all-day dining menu and a wide range of top-of-the-line coffee and wine from morning to midnight.

Cheryl Rodriguez-Chua, president of CHMI Hotels and Residences, told Inquirer Property that many companies and industrial estates from the Calabarzon area wouldn’t have to go to Makati for conventions, rooms and F&B (Food and Beverage) requirements with the opening of the Acacia Hotel. The theater-style ballroom can accommodate up to 900 guests. The five function rooms can take in up to 180 persons (three can accommodate 50 persons each and the two 15 persons each).

She added that it is ideally located and accessible in Alabang, with one of the highest occupancy rates, even against Makati, Ortigas and Manila. “Also in this area, you have very limited choice options for a 5-star hotel. There are only two hotels—Bellevue and Vivere—and the rest are all apartels, including Parque España.

ACACIA lobby

Chua said the location of the Filinvest Corporate City—once considered a province but now a fast-rising business and commercial district in the South—is now comparable to the Ayala Avenue of Makati. She added that the hotel is strategically situated in three corners: East Asia Drive, Filinvest and Commerce Avenues (its business address is 5400 East Asia Drive corner Commerce Avenue, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City).

She added that it is 15 minutes away from the airport and is easily accessible through the Skyway and South Luzon Expressway, a convenient destination for both businessmen and travelers. It is also a few minutes away from malls, hospitals, business hubs and shopping centers.

CHMI chair Noel Gonzales told Inquirer Property that the company would be bringing “Shangri-La and Peninsula-type luxury in Alabang at a room rate of $100 without sacrificing the quality of service, the rooms and the ambience.”

Dining options

Acacia Hotel Manila also boasts of five-star quality buffet with its Acaci coffeeshop, offering sumptuous spreads of Asian and international dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Within the first quarter of next year, a specialty restaurant and top bar will be added to give guests more dining options.

Marla C. Mendoza, marketing and communications manager, said “there are currently two restaurants that are operational now, but next year one specialty restaurant and one bar will be opened. There will be a total of four restaurants in the hotel.”

CHMI currently has 105 guest rooms that are ready for occupancy. The 262 rooms will be completed by December this year.

Chua said the Acacia Hotel Manila concept is new and is a niche in the industry, calling it the answer to the glut in the condominium industry, with its “hassle-free investment.”

THE WELL -APPOINTED Acacia Hotel Manila Junior Suite

She related that some units have been sold to a number of investors while majority of units were retained by CHMI. “It is a three-in-one (proposition) for investors: high interest rate of return, ownership and timesharing,” citing that the investors don’t need to look for tenants. She said “condominium owners don’t need to take care of refurbishing, association dues, maintenance fees and insurance premiums and taxes. It’s all covered by the hotel operation. Owning a unit at Acacia is truly hassle-free. They also get a share of the F&B and room revenues.”

Amenities

Its suites are fully furnished with modern-day amenities. Flat screen TV, marbled bathroom with separate shower and tub, executive desk, electronic “do not disturb” sign and safety deposit box and Wi-Fi access are just some of the amenities guests will enjoy. Other than accommodation, the hotel’s facilities include a Grand Ballroom, 5 function rooms, an outside activity area, travel agency and a helipad. Opening soon are a business center, executive lounge, fitness center, salon and spa.

A Department of Tourism data indicated the occupancy rate of Metro Manila hotels in 2010 rose to an average of 67.62 percent compared to 64.76 percent in 2009.