Changing colors

By ROWENA BAUTISTA-ALCARAZMactan goes Swiss with Moevenpick Resort and Spa

MANILA, Philippines -- After six years of being known for its vibrant pink color, the "existential landmark" in Mactan, Cebu will be no more - pink, that is.

Last April, upscale hotel management company Moevenpick Hotels and Resort officially took over  a popular hotel chain with a new direction in mind.  Under its new management comes an exciting phase in the resort's development - the changing of the facade colors, a symbolic event that is just the beginning of definitely more exciting things to come.

"It is an open secret that all over the world sand and sun are not enough any more to be successful.  In our days, in order to make a mark in the resort industry, you got to create a destination hotel with superior facilities, new ideas, exotic excellent food, and a vibrant ambience.  All of these assets,  we shall be bringing as a first to this beautiful island.  It will be delivered with passion, panache, swiss quality standards and Moevenpick know how, especially as you know already in Food and Beverage," guarantees Helmut Gaisberger, Moevenpick Resort and Spa Cebu director of Business Development and director of Operations Philippines.

New identity

Two to three months from now, the resort will be bathed in ochre tones with colors of the sand and sun for the resort tower, a pink tower for the colors of the flowers, and a sand tower - these are all inspired by the shades of the natural elements on the site.  Each of the three towers will be bi-colored where volumes in projection will be highlighted with a stronger tone than the walls of the facades.  French architectural expert and colorist Solveig Tonning was commissioned to give the resort its new color and new identity,

Gaisberger credits property owner Manny Osmeña who is also the group chairman of Oikonomos Int'l. Resources Corporation, for the vision of the great possibility, as well as opportunities by investing P120 million for upgrading and new concepts.

"For us, it is our first hotel in the Philippines.  And for the hotel, it is the beginning of a transformation to a destination of luxury, quality and heaven for guests from all over the world, in the midst of one of the most beautiful places in the world that is Cebu island," Gaisberger ends.