Thunderbird Resorts earmarks $60M to expand hotels

Thunderbird Resorts Philippines is earmarking about $60 million (P2.64 billion) to expand its hotels in La Union and Rizal province by building more rooms, villas and other amenities that will practically turn the facilities into mixed-use developments.

 

The company allocated about $30 million to its resort-casino property in San Fernando City,  La Union where 200 rooms will be added, Angel Suero, Thunderbird Resorts CEO, disclosed in a chance interview with GMA News Online over the weekend during the unveiling of the Poro Point Freeport Zone master plan.

 

"Basically, in the next six years, we will be investing $30 million. The biggest part of our investment will go to the hotel here in Poro Point," he said.

 

Apart from rooms in the Greek-inspired hotel, he noted that the resort will build more villas to meet a growing demand for such an amenity.

 

For his part, Thunderbird Poro Point hotel general manager Marvin Lanuza noted during a media tour that the La Union property is already anticipating an upgrade this year as the construction of a 29-room condotel is expected to be finished by the middle of 2014. 

Currently, the La Union property has 32 rooms, four suites and a villa.

 

The company also allocated some $30 million to build a convention center in its property in Binangonan, Rizal and to expand the boutique-hotel into a facility with Italian-inspired accommodations.

 

"The plan is to keep the hotel and to expand it to a more massive market," he said.

The hotel in Rizal has 30 rooms and a presidential suite.  

 

"We are in the planning phase on the Rizal property. About 70 percent of the plan has been finished. Within the next month we are gonna sign the plan and start with the building. We hope this year to have more rooms already there," Lanuza. 

 

Suero said there is more demand for high-end hotels because people have more disposable income and the consumers are demanding for more "experience."

 

"People now are looking for experiences," he said noting more social media exposure is have a "strong impact" on consumers – goading them to try out new things rather than simply buy luxury items. 

 

"Before people want to buy a great car, but now people are saying I want to experience this... I wanna experience that... I wanna experience a great weekend in a place like this," he added. – VS, GMA News