Noli Harnandez, president Megaworld Cebu Prperties, Inc. (center) presents the architectural perspective of Mactan Belmont Luxury Hotel and Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown Mactan Newtown by 2018 together with Carmen Fernando, managing director, Richmonds Hotels and Harold Geronimo, head PR and Communications Group, Megaworld. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Megaworld Corp. is placing a bigger bet on Cebu’s tourism industry with P8 billion in fresh investment to build five new luxury hotels on Mactan Island.
This capital outlay will increase Megaworld’s hotel portfolio by 2,000 rooms and will form part of the expansion of its 28.8-hectare mixed-use project, The Mactan Newtown, in Lapu Lapu City.
They will bring in the first two high rises—the Mactan Belmont Luxury Hotel and the Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown, which will be managed by Megaworld Corp’s hotel management arm Prestige Hotels and Resorts, Inc. (PHRI), said Noli Hernandez, Megaworld Cebu Properties Inc. president during yesterday’s press conference.
“We will start construction of the two hotels next year. These hotels will be located along Newtown Boulevard beside One Pacific Residences,” said Harold C. Geronimo, Megaworld Corp. director for strategic marketing and communications.
Soon to rise will be two beachfront hotels in the area which was formerly Portofino Beach Resort. The company said this area offered “relaxing views of the Hilutungan Channel and Olango Island, known for its bird sanctuaries and mangrove forests.” Another luxury hotel of international brand is also expected to rise in the town.
“With the influx of more tourists to Mactan Island year after year, we hope to be able to offer more exciting facilities that will help further boost tourism in the region. Aside from local tourists, we hope to cater to foreign guests and visitors to The Mactan Newtown as well,” said Carmen Fernando, managing director of PHRI.
Fernando said the two 18-story hotels, Belmont Luxury and Savoy Hotel Mactan will be open by 2018 and will add a thousand rooms to Cebu’s tourism industry.
LIFESTYLE MALL
Megaworld is also constructing a three-level lifestyle mall, Plaza Magellan, which is envisioned to become a major landmark of The Mactan Newtown. The mall will have an iconic entrance plaza facing the Lapu Lapu Shrine, the site where the historic Battle of Mactan between Lapu Lapu and Ferdinand Magellan took place April 27, 1521.
The plaza’s main feature will be a life-sized replica of the Spanish galleon Victoria, the first vessel to circumnavigate the globe, and the Spanish Steps, which will lead visitors to the mall’s main entrance. The Victoria was the only one of Magellan’s five ships that survived the expedition and managed to return to spain, thus sailing around the globe.
Plaza Magellan will also feature a museum which will be dedicated to the life and expeditions of Magellan.
The mall’s design will be inspired by the hilltop towns of Portugal and Spain.
Likewise part of the masterplan is Hawkers’ Gazebo, a covered food strip similar to the famous hawkers of Singapore. This will be strategically located near the main entrance of the township.