Subic Bay Freeport—Wyndham Hotel Group, one of the biggest hotel chains in the world, will be establishing a five-star hotel here, committing P5 billion for a leisure complex near Subic’s popular seafront event venue, Boardwalk Park.
Subic Bay Metropolitan Administration Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said this marks the first time that a five-star hotel will be set up in Subic, 26 years after the former military base was converted into a special economic and free port zone.
Eisma said the Wyndham Group is set to construct, develop, manage and operate the Citic Hotels and Leisures Corp. here, taking a 10,517-square meter seafront location at Subic’s Central Business District.
“I am sure that this branded hotel project will raise the bar for the Subic Bay Freeport and put it among the best tourist destinations in the Southeast Asian region,” she added.
Wyndham Hotel, reputedly the world’s largest and most diverse hotel company, has approximately 8,000 hotels with more than 600,000 rooms in 66 countries under 15 hotel brands.
In the Philippines, the hotel group operates the Days Hotel and Microtel chains across the country, as well as the Ramada and TRYP hotels in Manila.
According to SBMA Deputy Administrator for Business and Investment Kenneth Rementilla, Wyndham has committed P5 billion to build a 14-story five-star hotel with 300 to 400 rooms within three years.
The building would house restaurants, entertainment, leisure and events management facilities, including a ballroom and convention hall.
The hotel will be built on 6,310 sq m within the 10,517 sq m open space opposite Subic’s Boardwalk Park and Event Center.
Wyndham has also committed to develop a 4,207 sq m area for the operation of a Subic-Manila ferry service in another open space to be developed for public use.
The firm also pledged to develop an amphitheater and a public park with commercial stalls in the next two years.
According to SBMA figures, hotel occupancy rate in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone increased by two percent to 67.24% in 2017, compared to 65.83% in 2016.
The SBMA Tourism Department attributed the growth to increased tourist arrivals from the rising number of conferences and sporting events being held in Subic.