COVID-19 impact: Davao’s Apo View Hotel closing, for good

DAVAO CITY—One of the most iconic tourist facilities and a major landmark here is about to close, for good, reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the city’s tourism industry.

The Apo View Hotel, which started operations after World War II, said in a statement on Sunday (March 28) that its management had decided to temporarily stop operations starting March 31 until further notice because of the risks and effects of COVID-19.

“COVID-19 has affected every sector across the globe and the tourism industry is the hardest hit,” the hotel statement said.

The 185-room hotel started its operations in 1948 with only 15 rooms. Since then, it has expanded and became one of the city’s landmarks.

“We thank you for being part of our journey and may our paths cross again in the not-so-distant future when we usher in a new beginning,” the management said.

Mayor Sara Duterte expressed sadness over the hotel’s closure. “We are very sad,” the mayor said in Cebuano over the Davao City Disaster Radio on Monday. “I hope that after this pandemic, they will open again and invest again in our city.”

In 2020, the 245-room Marco Polo Davao was the first landmark hotel in the city that ceased operations because of the economic fallout from COVID-19.

TSB