Grand Summit Hotel. Handout

Grand Summit Hotel. Handout

Grand Summit Hotel. Handout

Grand Summit Hotel. Handout

Grand Summit Hotel. Handout

MANILA -- An upscale hotel was recently launched in the southern city of General Santos, dubbed as the country's tuna capital.

Grand Summit is the 25th property of Robinsons Hotels and Resorts, and is "a lot more luxurious" compared to the rest of the company's accommodation offerings.

"This is our first Grand Summit... the others are just Summit [hotels]," Annalyn Yap, group general manager and corporate director of human resources for Grand Summit, mid-range Summit Hotels, and budget Go Hotels, said in a recent virtual briefing with the media.

"It's a lot more luxurious, a lot more upscale," she added. "This is our first celebration hotel... We'd like to emphasize our hotel as part of every family's celebration."

Due to restrictions brought about by the pandemic, only 34 out of the 102 rooms are currently operational. Also open to guests are three function rooms for small meetings, and the all-day dining restaurant Cafe Summit.

General manager Jesse Chua said Grand Summit's swimming pool is set to open in December just in time for the holidays, along with 34 more rooms for a total of 68.

By the second quarter of next year, the hotel's gym, spa, kids' play room and grand ballroom will also be available for guests.

"General Santos is actually quite a very good market, especially in Mindanao," Chua said.

"Being the tuna capital of the Philippines... It's good to highlight the delicacies so we can elevate the food and beverage offerings they have in General Santos," he added.

With the growth of COVID-19 cases starting to slow down, Yap hopes that the opening of Grand Summit "could be the start of beautiful things to come in the hospitality industry."

She also revealed that Robinsons Hotels and Resorts is set to open two more properties -- Summit Naga and Go Hotels Tuguegarao -- early next year.