Radisson Blu: Cebu hotel marks 15th anniversary

It’s a blue Christmas for Radisson Blu Cebu.

But, unlike the sad “Blue Christmas” in Elvis “The King” Presley’s hugely popular holiday song of the same title, the vibes in the Cebu premier business hotel are celebratory and festive, befitting the year’s most joyous season.

The 9.8-meter (32-foot) blue and silver Christmas tree, centerpiece of the Radisson Blu lobby, is not only a traditional symbol of the holidays but is like a championship blue ribbon marking an important milestone. It is the 15th year of the hotel, a partnership between the Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) and SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC). The latter is a subsidiary of SM Prime Holdings.

Appropriately, the theme of the festivities was “Shining Through,” inspired by the brilliance, resilience, enduring strength and clarity of crystal —the traditional symbol for the 15th anniversary.

The recent lighting of the almost floor-to-ceiling tree was an occasion not only to celebrate past achievements, but also an opportunity to talk about the future and reaffirm Radisson’s commitment to its host city and the country, in general.

Ramzy Fenianos, RHG chief development officer for the Asia-Pacific (Apac) region, said the 15-year presence of Radisson in the country was an affirmation of the brand’s commitment to the Philippines and Filipinos. The brand now has 18 establishments in the country.

Peggy Angeles, SMHCC executive vice president, said the chain that had established itself in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and had now become a recognized name in the Apac region, was growing with most of SM Prime brands.

Radisson Blu, Angeles said, had become a leading hotel in Cebu, particularly in terms of catering to meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions participants who represent a substantial sector of the tourism market.

Ann Olalo, Radisson Blu Cebu general manager, a true-blue (pun intended) Cebuana and one of the handful of women hotel top executives, said the hotel was building a reputation for being engaged in responsible business.

Among its many corporate social responsibility initiatives is a training program for women inmates.

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