New Hotels in Davao to Boost Tourist Traffic

Latest hotels in Davao

The Department of Tourism XI expects a vibrant tourism sector in the coming year with the entry of three new hotels that will bring an additional 600 room capacity to Davao's existing 5,000 room capacity.

Tourism Regional Director Art Boncato announced that Kukun Hotel of the Ayala Hotels and Resorts Corporation is set to be built and opened next year.

Kukun, as described by Boncato, is a boutique hotel, designed to provide visitors a cozy and stylish setting.

It is a nine-storey, 148-room project that will be designed by C.T. Onglao and Associates, and will highlight local flavor and efficient service.

Another hotel opening in 2013 is the Park Inn Hotel which is only very common in Europe and the United States.

This 8,800-square-meter hotel has 204 room capacity and is scheduled for completion in time for the opening of the SMX Convention Center.

Similar to Kukun, Park Inn is designed to be "edgy, hip and trendy" that suits the preference of the young and tech-savvy travelers.

Park Inn is a sister company of Radisson Hotels, a subsidiary of the Minnesota-based Carlson Hotels group.

Investors have seen a huge potential in Davao City and for hotels in Davao which made it the top choice to be the venue for the first Park Inn in the entire country.

Finally, the third hotel which is to have its opening by 2013 is the the 150-room Tune Hotels. It is a franchise investment made with the Red Planet Hotels Limited.

Tune Hotels is a limited service hotel brand that provides "5-star beds at 1-star prices."

Boncato is optimistic that these new investments could further bolster the economic activities in the region.

Data from the Regional Development Plan showed that tourist traffic inflow has been steady, averaging a growth rate of 4.54 percent annually.

RDP's strategic framework under the Competitive Industry and Services Sectors included the upgrading of standards or services of tourism facilities.

The strategy as stated in the RDP will also be synchronized with infrastructure development and hotels in Davao for the priority tourism destinations to generate more tourist traffic. (Mai Gevera Macapagat/PIA)