Dec. 30–AYALA Land Hotels and Resorts Corp. is planning to build eight more hotels under the Seda brand in the next two years in line with its target to increase its hotel portfolio to 3,500 rooms.
Seda currently has 1,409 rooms in seven locations across the country–Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, Cagayan de Oro, Davao City, Nuvali in Laguna, Iloilo, Quezon City, and Bacolod City.
The new hotels will be located in Circuit and Ayala North Exchange in Makati, Arca South in Taguig, the Cebu Business Park and Cebu IT Park, the Bay Area in Paranaque, and El Nido in Palawan.
"Being a wholly-owned Filipino company, we have a deep understanding of opportunities in the market. We were the first to bridge the gap between the luxury and budget hotels by offering a modern facility with efficient service at competitive rates. Solid demand for our hotels continues to steadily grow," Seda Hotels senior group manager Andrea Mastellone said.
Meanwhile, following a good reception from the market, the Seda brand is also set to expand its BGC branch to an additional 342 rooms.
Mastellone said the brand's service culture, focusing on meeting people's needs, will remain its cutting-edge advantage. Seda's training courses ensure that the hotel's core values become the priority of every new recruit, she said.
"Once a new employee has embraced our culture, we then proceed with the technical training to improve skills. Training and development have been key to our success and we will continue to invest resources in this area so staff are empowered to create memorable guest experiences," Mastellone said.
She said certifications and training from respected institutions like the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute, the leading hospitality training provider worldwide, also complement in-house courses.
"We are proud that many of our managers have risen from the ranks. We will continue to grow and develop talent from within."
Meanwhile, Melissa Carlos, group director for sales and marketing, said that the Seda brand was able to scale up quickly because of its constant connection with clients.
Consequently, it has begun offering new formats such as bigger hotels that will have at least 250 rooms compared to the 150 rooms of its first generation hotels, serviced apartments, and resorts.
