(From L to R): C9 Hotelworks Managing Director Bill Barnett, Tytans Properties Chairman Gerard Tan, Akp Bisaya Party-list Representative Sonny Lagon, Accor chief development officer for Asia Andrew Langdon and other Accor executives toast to their new partnership at the Tambuli Seaside Resort in Mactan, 26 Febryary 2024. Benise Balaoing, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Global hotel manager Accor has partnered with a Cebu-based firm to bring the biggest hotel of its high-end international brand to the Philippines.

At an event it hosted in Mactan, Accor announced its partnership with Tytans Properties and Development, Inc. to manage the Pullman Mactan Cebu Hotel & Residences.

“We are a believer of Cebu,” Tytans Properties Chairman Gerard Tan said in a speech at the launch of the partnership. 

Tan said Pullman Mactan Cebu Hotel & Residences will have 200 hotel rooms and 900 apartment units.

The apartment units will be spread across three towers, one of which is a serviced apartment. 

Tytans Properties will build the towers, while Accor will manage them under the Pullman brand. All in all, the development will have 1,100 keys, making it the world’s largest Pullman property. 

New staycation destination: Novotel Suites Manila at Acqua launched in Mandaluyong

A Pullman hotel in Montparnasse, France has 1,000 keys.

Construction will begin in 2025, and is expected to be completed by 2028.

CEBU AS 'TOURISM CAPITAL'

“It It has a great potential to be the tourist capital in the Philippines, and why not? You know we have the whale sharks in Cebu which is in the bucket list for all the tourists— you know you don’t have that one in the whole world.”

“We have the sardines run and the turtles in Moalboal and it’s also a foodie destination for the whole Philippines, especially with our famous lechon, and now I’m claiming the world’s best mango,” he added.

“And the most important is the human resources that’s world class, and the Cebuanos have that one.”

Hospitality think-tank C9 Hotelworks, which was tapped by Tytans Properties as its consultant for its property development, said the COVID-19 pandemic has driven people to look for better homes. 

“Our lifestyles changed after COVID. People have to work from home. They can stay at home, they try to take up longer time to stay there as well. So why don’t I get a home in the Philippines?” said Bill Barnett, the consultancy’s managing director.

Barnett also said more retirees in Asia are looking to get out of urban blight.

“[They’re] saying, I don’t wanna live in the city. Why can’t I live in a place like Cebu? Why can’t I live in a resort destination? Rather be cramped in a small apartment in Manila, why not come to places like Cebu and other places that have larger units?” he said.

“This resort is going to be the resort that you want to come and stay in. The resort that you wanna buy a condominium in, “ said Accor chief development officer for Asia Andrew Langdon.

“If you’re looking for something that’s gonna be fun and modern, contemporary, lots of things to do for you and your family, you can be coming here,” he said.

BRANDED RESIDENCES

Barnett said the market is poised for branded residences in Cebu.

“I think you have people from Bacolod, from Iloilo as well buying something, you have people from town…who buy and come and stay on the weekends, for holiday houses, second houses, you have (overseas Filipino workers) who come and buy and give it to their kids,” he said.

Tan, meanwhile, said the hotel and residences development wants to attract professionals who want to reward themselves for their hard work.

“Professionals nowadays also aim for high-end, branded lifestyle. That’s typical for Filipinos, like I want this bag, you can buy ordinary bag but it has to be Hermes, it has to Gucci,” he said.

“Alam mo naman tayong mga Pilipino, [A] car can be[anything], but I need a Lexus. You reward yourself with branded things, right? So that’s where the aspiration comes with having a successful career—you want to reward yourself with a branded car, a branded [residences],” he explained.

Aside from Pullman, Accor also manages the Movenpick and Novotel hotels in the Philippines, as well as the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, the Oakwood Premiere-Joy Nostalg in Ortigas, and the Fairmont and Raffles hotels in Makati.