Hotels in Albay and Leyte re-launched soon

TACLOBAN CITY — Two big hotels in Albay and Leyte have been renovated by a Singapore group and are set to be re-launched soon.
When fully operational, the two hotels are expected to be a big boost to the growing tourism industry in the two provinces which are eyeing foreign and domestic tourists.

The Mayon Imperial Hotel, once the grandest hotel in the scenic Mayon Volcano area, has been completely renovated, with 115 rooms.

This time, LKY Property Holdings is rushing its P300-million resort hotel in Leyte which will open before yearend.

Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho L. Petilla said the MacArthur Park Hotel in neighboring Palo town is being redeveloped by Singaporean-backed conglomerate LKY Property Holdings and is now known as Leyte Oriental.

LKY president Wilbert Lee toured Petilla around the new facilities before the Oct. 20 Leyte Gulf Landings Anniversary and assured that they would open on Dec. 15. The governor was pleased with what he saw especially so that the developer pushed not just for a renovation but a total reconstruction.

Old buildings were torn down and new structures were erected. An elegant lobby now sits adjacent to the restaurant and spa lounges. The hotel will also have an outdoor pool and fitness facilities.

A new building will have a designated area for functions, meetings and conferences. The 1,000 seating capacity ballroom will be conducive for big events and will solve the region’s major problem of not being able to host national conferences because of the absence of venue.

Leyte Oriental will have 65 rooms, several of which are suites with living room, kitchen and open balconies facing the scenic expanse of the Pacific Ocean. The number of rooms is less compared to the 116-room Mayon Imperial Hotel in Legaspi, Albay also developed by LKY in 2009 and completed on June this year.

However, Leyte Oriental sits on a larger property at 4.9 hectares and still has more area for other facilities. LKY has a 25-year contract with the provincial government and has invested half of the P300 million total investment for the hotel’s full rehabilitation.