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

3 PH hotels in Conde Nast Traveller's 'hot list'

MANILA, Philippines – Three Philippine hotels made the list of the top new hotels in the world compiled by luxury magazine Conde Nast Traveler.

Fairmont Makati and Raffle Makati, El Nido Pangalusian Island in Palawan and Dedon Island Resort in Siargao were among the 154 hotels which made the magazine’s 2013 hot list of new hotels that have opened in the past year.

“To compile the list, we visit hundreds of properties, evaluating every hotel—from the massive to the small and sweet—for style, location, service, comfort, value, and chic. And we make all visits unannounced and anonymously: In other words, we experience the property the way you experience the property,” the magazine said on its website.


The magazine described the Raffles and Fairmont as “two hotels with shared common areas, housed in a new high-rise in the fast-growing (though still somewhat sketchy) business and shopping district of Makati.”

“These two brands cater to a broad clientele—the 280-room Fairmont to business travelers (with fast, free Wi-Fi and a comfortable workspace) and Raffles to honeymooners and families (with 32 airy suites and butler service). The properties share the Fairmont spa and pool, and seven restaurants and lounges, including an outpost of Singapore's famed Long Bar. Service is outstanding, especially on Fairmont club floors,” it said.

But the magazine was obviously not familiar with Manila’s safety precautions as it noted that the “canine security at the hotel entrance dampens an otherwise warm welcome.”

Meanwhile, the magazine described Pangalusian Island as the “most luxurious of El Nido's Palawan archipelago properties, with 42 villas laid out along a white-sand cove facing the emerald Bacuit Bay on the South China sea.”

“High-ceilinged thatched-roof villas, some with plunge pools and wooden terraces furnished with white-cushioned loungers. Open-air common areas are bedecked with statues and vases carved from local wood and offer eye-popping sunrise and sunset views,” it said of the resort’s look.

“A one-hour charter flight southwest from Manila brings you to a one-runway airport where you're welcomed by a group of singing ladies. Your luxurious hideaway (a quick boat trip from the airport) is a launchpad to the island biosphere gloriously featured in ‘The Bourne Legacy.’ With scuba courses and access to more than 20 dive sites, as well as boat tours of mangroves and secret lagoons, you could spend all your time exploring, but the resort makes it equally tempting to stay put. There is a reef for snorkeling, 25 kayaks for guests' use, and a seemingly endless choice of lounging options,” it added.

But the magazine criticized the resort's food for being “complicated, saying “most of the dishes are oversauced.” It also hoped that the staff spoke better English. “They're incredibly warm and sweet, but there are lost-in-translation moments,” it noted.

The third Philippine resort to make the cut was Dedon Island Resort in Siargao, described as “nine luxury villas on a remote island of white-sand beaches, small fishing villages, and world-class surf breaks.”

The luxury magazine was also wowed by the resort’s look, which is likened to “a photo shoot for an impossibly chic catalog,” noting that the resort’s coffee-table book was shot by fashion photographer Bruce Weber.

“Rattan chairs and swinging daybeds fashioned by master weavers are among the furnishings showcased by this exquisite resort owned by soccer star turned furniture maven Bobby Dekeyser. Open showers in the center of the bathroom are lined with beautiful local tiles and surrounded by white beach pebbles; doors and walls are made from recycled wood turned into lattice; and local-wood headboards are whimsically carved with coconut trees and birds,” it said.

“The moment you climb aboard the hotel's supercomfy jitney, you're in the hands of an impresario with great taste, deep pockets, and a sense of fun. Dekeyser's first hotel resort (more are planned) includes a trampoline surrounded by an installation-worthy lattice sculpture, an outdoor cinema, and a weathered-wood sea pavilion reached by a leisurely swim. Villas are flawless, right down to details such as organic soaps wrapped in banana leaves and embellished with a seashell. Delicious and simple dishes rely on fresh local ingredients, such as grilled mahi-mahi with calamansi fruit. The kind and helpful staff know when to leave you alone,” the magazine said of the Dedon experience.

However, the magazine’s staff hoped “there were more pre-arrival handholding, such as an advance copy of the resort's excellent guidebook.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com