Filinvest putting up 200-room hotel in Camp John Hay

Gotianun-led Filinvest group bagged a 25-year concession from the government to develop a 5,700-square-meter prime property inside Camp John Hay in Baguio City, strengthening its footprint in the tourism space.

The lease agreement, which was signed on Wednesday, would allow Filinvest to develop a new hotel with over 200 rooms, beefing up its hospitality presence in Northern Luzon. This will be the first dual-brand property under the Grafik and Quest brands and will be managed by Chroma Hospitality Inc., a full-service hotel management firm jointly owned by Filinvest Development Corp. (FDC) and Archipelago International of Singapore.

FDC’s wholly owned Filinvest Hospitality Corp. (FHC) signed the lease agreement with the state-controlled Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and John Hay Management Corp. (JHMC).

“We thank BCDA and JHMC for trusting Filinvest. Being the center of the Cordillera Region, Baguio City has always been one of the company’s top priorities,” Francis Gotianun, FHC senior vice president, said in a statement.

Gotianun said the group was optimistic that Baguio would remain a top tourist and business destination due to its unique climate, culture, tourist attractions and accessibility.

He noted travel time had been significantly reduced with the completion of the Tarlac-Pangasinan Expressway and would be further reduced once various infrastructure projects were completed.

“This year may be challenging, but we continue to look ahead and see a bright future. The hotel will be ready to welcome guests in three to four years in line with the full recovery of the tourism sector. As early as now, since the loosening of the lockdown and implementation of more efficient health and safety protocols, we are beginning to see signs of that recovery,” Gotianun said.

FHC oversees a portfolio of 1,770 hotel rooms catering to various segments of the hospitality sector through the Crimson and Quest brands. INQ