Elizabeth’s Hotel
MY ENCOUNTER with Elizabeth Salonga Fernando, President and CEO of FERSAL Hotel Group, at The Hotel Elizabeth along Archbishop Reyes was brief but enriching. I was a guest of The Elizabeth Hotel Resident Manager, Katherine Angala, for dinner when I chanced upon her at the hotel’s Flora Café. She was engrossed in her Apple laptop probably touching base with their conglomerate businesses, which I knew very little about until I met her that evening. She was on her way out for yet another appointment but graciously accommodated my mounting curiosity. She took the time to show us one of the hand-painted murals of artist Alfred Galvez that dominates the lobby. The hotel, she said, bears her touch and worked with accomplished interior designer Tessa Valdes Prieto for the Mediterranean inspired look.
Elizabeth Salonga Fernando grew up with music being the daughter of a talented trumpet player. She exuded a quiet elegance beneath her simple outfit as she answered my queries. Elizabeth and her husband, Jesus ”Jet” Fernando who both hail from Pampanga, established JB Music & Sports Inc. in 1974, a wholesale, retail and sole distribution of various globally known musical instruments, professional audio equipments and related accessories. JB stands for their nicknames, Jet and Beth. With an increasing demand for comfortable and affordable accommodations in the metropolis, the couple established FERSAL Hotels in key cities in Metro Manila. There are 6 FERSAL hotels to date. FERSAL is derived from their family names, Fernando and Salonga.
Beth Fernando loves to spend time in Baguio. What she envisioned as a family abode in the city of the pines for their vacations gave birth to The Elizabeth Hotel Baguio, a Mediterranean-inspired boutique hotel named after her. It has garnered a 3-time Hotel of the Year award and has become a landmark in Baguio City. With its overwhelming success, FERSAL Hotel Group opened The Hotel Elizabeth Cebu in November 2010, the biggest so far, with over 130 tastefully appointed rooms and suites; and the tallest with 12 stories in the FERSAL Hotels.
Flora Café was so named after the lush vegetation in Baguio City and brings with it the freshness and quality food and service. One feels a little of Baguio in the dining outlet. The Cebu Chef, Rodito Sasing in collaboration with the Baguio Chef, Felino Molina, creates a fusion of Mediterranean, Asian and Filipino cuisines. Chef Sasing and I worked together in the now defunct Cebu Plaza Hotel where he specialized in Filipino cuisine. He has considerably improved his culinary skills and acquired confidence after years of experience with several hotels since then, There is always a buffet spread in Flora Cafe on weekends, Friday night features Mongolian BBQ where Chef Casing stir fries fresh meat, seafood, vegetables with special sauces and condiments right before the diners, After appetizers of Sio Mai and Crispy Shrimp and a hot bowl of Hot & Sour Soup, I had a plateful of the Mongolian BBQ. Saturday night is US Black Angus Top Blade Steak and Japanese Buffet. The succulent steak is served with Burgundy-Shallot sauce. I also enjoyed a few pieces of the delicately crisp Shrimp Tempura. Chef Sasing was apologetic since he ran out of the batter for the café’s signature dessert, Elizabeth Fried Ice Cream—a personalized version of Baked Alaska. I promised Chef Sasing and Katherine that I will be back just to try the special dessert.
