CEBU Carlson Hotels Worldwide and SM Hotels and Conventions Corp., next week will open the first Radisson Blu hotel in Asia Pacific. The 400-key Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu is another milestone in Carlson’s effort to expand Radisson as a powerful, globally consistent, first-class brand.
Located in the Philippines’ oldest and second largest city, Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu will be positioned as the city’s leading international upper-upscale hotel designed to appeal to both business and leisure travelers.
“Radisson hotels have a vibrant, contemporary and engaging brand essence characterized by the ‘Yes I Can’ service philosophy,” says Jean-Marc Busato, managing director of Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific. “The opening of the first Radisson Blu hotel in Asia Pacific is a major milestone. More hotels that are under development and in operation in the region will also become Radisson Blu hotels as we deploy the brand globally.”
SM Hotels President Elizabeth Sy says the opening is a step toward the company’s goal of being the leader of the Philippines tourism and real estate sectors. “Radisson Blu is an established, iconic brand in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, recognized for delivering market leading guest satisfaction and achieving superior RevPAR penetration,” she says. “We are pleased to be able to leverage on Carlson’s hotel management and branding expertise to set similar benchmarks for the hospitality industry in the Philippines.”
The Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu will offer state-of-the-art meeting and event facilities. The 1,200-sq.-m Santa Maria Grand Ballroom accommodates up to 1,200 persons and is complemented by a highly versatile pre-function area. The Niña Ballroom measures 780 sq. m and can seat up to 650. There are 10 function rooms with seating capacities ranging from 10 to 80, and all meeting rooms open up to a central plaza.
For dining, the hotel’s main restaurant, Feria, will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets featuring Asian, Japanese, Mediterranean, cold seafood and dessert sections, set in a contemporary, interactive style food market. Guests seeking to dine by the 800-m free-form swimming pool will be able to feast on an assortment of local and international cuisine, as well as freshly grilled seafood at The Pool restaurant.
The Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu is 11 km from Mactan International Airport and is centrally located to Cebu’s financial and shopping districts, and is beside SM City Cebu Mall, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in the region.