PH among top Lunar New Year destinations for travelers from China, Japan

MANILA – The Philippines has become a top destination for Chinese and Japanese travelers during the Lunar New Year celebrations.

Citing data from its hotel bookings from China and Japan, Agoda said the Philippines is among the Top 3 Lunar New Year destinations of both countries from 2018 to 2020.

It ranked third among Chinese travelers over the past three years, with Japan and Thailand at first and second place, respectively.

Most Japanese travelers who booked their hotels with Agoda, meanwhile, have been going to Thailand for Lunar New Year. South Korea and the Philippines ranked second and third place, respectively, in 2018 and 2020. 

The United States managed to break into the Top 3 in 2019, edging out South Korea.

According to Agoda, Cebu in particular was the Philippine city of choice for travelers from China. Japanese visitors, on the other hand, have been flocking to Manila, Pampanga (Angeles/Clark), and Cebu. 

Across travelers from Asia, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand were the Top 3 countries for Lunar New Year from 2018 to 2020. 

Taiwan is slowly becoming a key destination, with four spots making it to the booking website’s Top 10 Lunar New Year cities – Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, and Tainan.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Where is 'best' place to spend New Year's Eve

MANILA – A city in Southeast Asia is the best place to ring in the New Year, according to a study.

Hotel booking website Agoda.com asked more than 7,000 of its users last month to pick their favorite New Year destinations in its latest Travel Smarts study. Bangkok in Thailand topped the list with 13.60% of global votes.

At second place is Hong Kong with 10.77% of votes, followed by Bali in Indonesia (10.62%), Tokyo in Japan (9.45%), Singapore (7.97%), Taipei (7.94%), New York in United States (7.26%), Paris in France (5.35%), London in England (4.11%) and Sydney in Australia (3.99%).

The Philippines’ Boracay Island ranked 13th with 2.49% of votes.

Also included in the list are Amsterdam in The Netherlands, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Barcelona in Spain, Shanghai in China and Rome in Italy, among others.

When asked who they want to spend New Year’s Eve with, 78% of the respondents of the Agoda.com study chose family or significant other, with only 18% opting to celebrate with friends. Four percent of them said they want to be alone on New Year’s Eve.

Meanwhile, many of the respondents preferred low-key celebrations over big parties, with only 27% of respondents saying they want to spend New Year’s Eve at a public event such as Times Square’s ball drop.

Forty-two percent said they want to have a private party with loved ones, 24% said they choose to relax and watch the countdown at home, while 7% would rather be in bed before midnight.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

64 PH hotels, resorts recognized in Agoda awards

MANILA – A total of 64 hotels and resorts in the Philippines have been recognized at the 2014 Gold Circle Awards of the booking website Agoda.com.

The Gold Circle Award is “given to accommodations around the world that embody the best qualities of the online hospitality industry,” according to a press statement released by Agoda, which describes itself as the leading hotel booking website in Asia.

Last year, only 42 hotels from the Philippines were given the Gold Circle Award.

“We are very pleased to announce winners of the 2014 Gold Circle Awards,” said Errol Cooke, vice president for global hotels at Agoda. “In an extremely competitive industry, these properties have shown an outstanding level of commitment to the intersection of cutting-edge technology and world-class service.”

Now on its sixth year, the Gold Circle Awards are given to properties based on “aggregate customer reviews, competitiveness of pricing, utilization of Agoda.com’s custom-built Yield Control System, and a deep understanding of the complexities of the online booking industry.”

Below are the winners from the Philippines in the 2014 Gold Circle Awards:

Manila
Remington Hotel
Best Western Plus Antel Hotel
Dusit Thani Manila Hotel
F1 Hotel Manila
Heritage Hotel
Tune Hotel – Makati & Manila
New World Makati Hotel
Solaire Resort & Casino
Century Park Hotel
BSA Twin Tower Ortigas
Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila Hotel
Holiday Inn and Suites Makati
Diamond Hotel
Manila Pavilion Hotel & Casino
Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila
Rotham Hotel
Pan Pacific Manila
Midas Hotel
Manila Hotel
The Exchange Regency Residence Hotel
Tune Hotel – Quezon City
Greenhills Elan Hotel
Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria Hotel
Acacia Hotel Manila

Cebu

Crimson Resort and Spa
Quest Hotel and Conference Center – Cebu
Mandarin Plaza Hotel
Moevenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu
Plantation Bay Resort and Spa
Marco Polo Plaza Cebu Hotel
Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino
Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort
Crown Regency Hotel & Towers
Cebu White Sands Resort and Spa
Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu
Montebello Villa Hotel
Cebu Parklane International Hotel

Boracay Island
Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Spa
La Carmela de Boracay Hotel
Sea Wind Resort
The Tides Hotel
Ambassador in Paradise
Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel
Crown Regency Resort and Convention Center
Monaco Suites de Boracay Hotel
Cohiba Villas Hotel
Fairways and Bluewater Resort
Astoria Boracay Resort
Lingganay Boracay Hotel Resort
Boracay Ecovillage Resort and Convention Center

Bohol

South Palms Resort
The Peacock Garden

Palawan

Coron Westown Resort
El Nido Viewdeck Cottages
Hotel Centro Palawan, Puerto Princesa City
Blue Lagoon Inn and Suites, Puerto Princesa City

Batangas

Pico Sands Hotel
Club Punta Fuego

Baler

Costa Pacifica Resort

Angeles/Clark
Widus Hotel and Casino

Baguio City

Azalea Residences

Davao

Park Inn by Radisson Davao

Tagaytay

Tagaytay Wingate Manor

Dumaguete
Hotel Essencia

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com