Maiko Kuroda, president and CEO of Toyoko Inn group of hotels (right), leads the opening of the country’s first Toyoko Inn in Mandaue City. With her are Justin Uy, Everjust Realty Development Corp. chairman (center), and Naoko Indio Fukase, Toyoko Inn general manager.
CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO
As tourists continue to flock to Cebu, a new hotel has opened its doors to provide a home-away-from-home space for travelers.
Offering 582 guest rooms in an 18-storey building, Toyoko Inn Cebu officially opened in Mandaue City — a strategic tourism and business location for its first branch in the Philippines.
Toyoko Inn Cebu is a joint venture of Toyoko Inn Co., Ltd. and Everjust Realty Development Corp.
The hotel is foreseen to drive up domestic and foreign tourism, as well as provide employment opportunities.
Currently, there are 170 employees working for the hotel.
Justin Uy, the chairman of Everjust, said during the opening ceremony that the completion and the start of the full operation of Toyoko Inn is a proof that Japan and Philippines’ partnership is improving.
“I have been doing business for decades now, and I can always attest that the Japanese people are one of the friendliest races and the nicest to do businesses with,” Uy said.
Uy added that he dreams of building 10 more Toyoko Inn hotels in the country in the coming years.
Maiko Kuroda, Toyoko Inn Co., Ltd. CEO, also expressed her optimism that they may add five hotels in five to ten years.
“It is very hard to construct building here in the Philippines but I am hoping we can open more soon,” Kuroda said.
Toyoko Inn is also aimed to be a venue of integration of Filipino and Japanese culture and style.
Uy said that the hotel might not be classified as a luxurious hotel but the amenities and services the hotel would provide to customers would be at the best quality.
Mandaue City Mayor Gabriel Luis “Luigi” Quisumbing, for his part, admitted that the city lacked the quality accommodations for tourists.
“But I am now very happy that Toyoko Inn is here. This hotel has answered our problem,” Quisumbing said.
Quisumbing reiterated that the hotel would foster a more solid relationship with Japan, and will yield out more investments from one of Asia Pacific’s fastest growing economies.
Toyoko Inn Cebu is the 266th branch of Toyoko Inn hotel chains globally.