Megaworld, Accor partner to expand hotel services

Leading the signing ceremony between Megaworld and Accor were Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso, president and chief executive officer, Megaworld (seated, 2nd from left) and Andrew Langdon, Chief Development Officer, Asia, Accor (seated, 2nd from right). Joining them were Cleofe Albiso, managing director, Megaworld Hotels Resorts (left) and Chris Cho, vice president for development – Singapore, Philippines, Korea, and Maldives, Accor. —PHOTO COURTESY OF MEGAWORLD CORP.

The hospitality arm of developer Megaworld Corp. has joined hands with global hotel group Accor to expand its portfolio and improve guest services amid an anticipated increase in travel demand.

The company led by billionaire Andrew Tan said in a statement on Wednesday Megaworld Hotels & Resorts would begin its partnership with Accor by transitioning its existing Belmont Hotel Mactan, located within the 30-hectare The Mactan Newtown township in Lapu-Lapu City, into Mercure Mactan Cebu.

Mercure is one of the more than 40 hotel brands under Accor’s portfolio, which includes other well-known names like Sofitel, Raffles and Fairmont.

“Mercure Mactan Cebu will not only enhance the Mactan Newtown development as a destination of choice but also play a pivotal role in driving tourism growth and stimulating the local economy,” Megaworld Hotels managing director Cleofe Albiso said.

Accor, which currently has over 5,600 hotels and resorts in at least 110 countries, will also extend its rewards program, guest services standards and reservation system to Megaworld.

Accor chief development officer for Asia Andrew Langdon said the collaboration with Megaworld would help expand the international hotel group’s premium, midscale and economy division.

“The Philippines remains a vital market for us, and the signing of Mercure Mactan Cebu is fully aligned with our ambition to meet the growing demand for hotels that serve both leisure and business travelers,” Langdon added.

Megaworld currently has 13 operational hotels, accounting for around 7,000 hotel rooms in Metro Manila, Tagaytay, Cebu and Boracay.

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This year, Megaworld plans to spend P50 billion to bankroll the construction of new hotels in the National Capital Region, Pampanga, Bacolod and Iloilo, among others.

It will open seven hotel properties within the next three years to increase its network to 20 hotel properties and room count to 9,000.

Apart from this, Megaworld likewise confirmed plans to venture into the ultra-luxury residential market, given the current weakness of the middle-income sector.