First 5-star hotel to rise in Subic Bay Freeport

INVESTMENT HUB Subic Bay Freeport, host to local and foreign investors, is one of the country’s leading investment destinations. —ALLAN MACATUNO/INQUIRER FILE

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – This economic zone will soon host its first five-star hotel.

Wyndham Hotel Group, one of the biggest hotel chains in the world, has announced plans to put up the hotel near Subic’s popular Boardwalk Park and Event Center.

Wyndham finalized an agreement to construct, develop, manage and operate the Citic Hotels and Leisures Corp. here, said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chair and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma in a statement on Tuesday.

The hotel project will be established at a 6,310-sqm area within the 10,517-square meter open lot in Subic’s central business district and is expected to boost local tourism.

Wyndham has committed P5 billion to build a 14-storey hotel, said Kenneth Rementilla, SBMA Deputy Administrator for Business and Investment.

It will have 300 to 400 rooms, and would feature restaurants, and entertainment, leisure and events management facilities, including a ballroom and a convention hall.

Wyndham Hotel is regarded as the world’s largest and most diverse hotel company, which operates 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.

Wyndham also committed to develop a 4,207-sq.m. area for the operation of a Subic-Manila ferry service and pledged to develop an amphitheatre and a public park with commercial stalls in the next two years. Joanna Aglibot/lb