Le Monet developer eyes P500M expansion in Camp John Hay

Stern Real Estate and Development Corp., the developer of Le Monet Hotel in Camp John Hay, is set to invest P500 million to expand its operations in Baguio City after inking a new lease agreement with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).

Under the agreement, Stern will develop an additional 1,500 square meters of commercial space adjacent to the existing Le Monet Hotel along Ordonio Drive within the John Hay Special Economic Zone.

The expansion is expected to add at least 70 hotel rooms, positioning the property toward a four- to five-star classification, and to generate around 100 new jobs.

“This expansion is not merely about rooms or walls. It is about reviving the senses, strengthening tourism, creating livelihood, and delivering Filipino hospitality to both the global traveler and the Filipino family,” Stern executive vice president Eric Owen Singson Jr. said in a statement.

The BCDA said Stern, which also operates the Filling Station food court, has committed to upgrading and enhancing its leased properties in Camp John Hay in line with the standards set under the John Hay Special Economic Zone Comprehensive Master Plan.

Joshua Bingcang, BCDA president and chief executive officer, expressed delight that Stern is pursuing more partnerships with BCDA, especially in Camp John Hay.

"BCDA and the John Hay Management Corp. are excited to share the master plan with potential investors and developers on the type of partnerships we will have inside Camp John Hay,” he said.

“This project is very much aligned with what we want to do—introducing more activities and experiences for both local and foreign guests,” Bingcang added.

In March, the BCDA said it had secured P1 billion in investments from lease agreements in Camp John Hay after signing 75 lease contracts, 70 of which were residential leases with local and foreign nationals.

The BCDA took control of Camp John Hay in January after the Baguio Regional Trial Court, in an order dated January 3, 2025, upheld a Supreme Court ruling and dismissed Camp John Hay Development Corp.’s (CJH DevCo) appeal to prevent the full return of the property.

Under the court order, all land and improvements in Camp John Hay—whether directly held by CJH DevCo., its subsidiaries or affiliates, or occupied by individuals or entities claiming rights under them—were ordered turned over to the BCDA.—MCG, GMA Integrated News