Megaworld taps Accor to operate select hotels

LISTED real estate developer Megaworld Corp. is expanding its hotel portfolio through a partnership with global hospitality group Accor S.A. for the operation of select hotels.

In a regulatory filing on Wednesday, Megaworld said Accor will operate select hotel brands under Megaworld Hotels and Resorts.

Belmont Hotel Mactan will be the first Megaworld property to transition into Accor’s brand portfolio. It will be rebranded as Mercure Mactan Cebu under a franchise arrangement within the 30-hectare Mactan Newtown township in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu this year.

“With Mercure Mactan Cebu, we aim to redefine Cebu’s tourism landscape by combining our group’s local expertise with Accor’s global leadership in hospitality,” Megaworld Hotels and Resorts Managing Director Cleofe C. Albiso said.

“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; opening opportunities for better returns for immediate stakeholders and supporting a thriving local community,” she added.

Megaworld said the partnership will allow the integration of Accor’s service standards and reservation system, and include select Megaworld hotels in Accor’s loyalty program, ALL ACCOR.

Accor’s global portfolio includes brands such as Sofitel, Fairmont, Raffles, Swissotel, Pullman, Mövenpick, and Mercure.

Andrew Langdon, Accor chief development officer for Asia, said the group is expanding its premium, midscale, and economy division across sought-after destinations in Asia.

“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, driven by the continued rise of bleisure travel,” he said.

“With Mactan-Cebu International Airport among the country’s leading gateways, Cebu is fast emerging as a preferred destination for domestic and international visitors,” he added.

Over the next three years, Megaworld Hotels and Resorts aims to open seven additional hotels in Palawan, Pampanga, Bacolod, and Iloilo, which will increase its room inventory to 9,000 across 20 operational properties.

The upcoming hotels include Chancellor Hotel Boracay, Belmont Hotel Iloilo, Kingsford Hotel Bacolod, Savoy Hotel Palawan, Paraguay Sands Palawan, ArcoVia Hotel, and Savoy Capital Town Pampanga.

Megaworld Hotels and Resorts currently operates about 7,000 rooms across 13 properties located in Metro Manila, Tagaytay, Cebu, and Boracay.

These include Richmonde Hotel Ortigas, Eastwood Richmonde Hotel, Richmonde Hotel Iloilo, Belmont Manila, Belmont Boracay, Belmont Mactan, Savoy Manila, Savoy Mactan, Savoy Boracay, Hotel Lucky Chinatown, Twin Lakes Hotel, Kingsford Hotel Manila, and Grand Westside Hotel.

Megaworld shares rose by 2.27% or four centavos to P1.80 apiece on Wednesday. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Megaworld taps Accor to operate select hotels
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