Mactan resort to undergo P50M facelift next year

CEBU, Philippines - After the completion of the additional 35 rooms that will be made available next month, White Sands Resort and Spa now plans for major renovation starting next year.

Unchuan Development Corporation, the operator and developer of the 19-year old resort in Mactan island, announced that the property will undergo a major facelift program to improve the facilities of the two-hectare property.

The company's president and chief executive officer Francisco Unchuan said that the resort needs to cope with Cebu’s sustained growth in tourism.

The facelift will include the total renovation of the existing 45 rooms, installation of an exclusive dining/restaurant facility, improvements on the lobby as well as function rooms and other support facilities.

Known for its niche in providing Filipino hospitality, White Sands Resort and Spa has been able to gain popularity not only from the local market, but also to a growing number of Korean, Japanese and European visitors.

According to Unchuan, the resort has become the favorite choice of tourists who look for serene and less crowded beach "hide-away".

The resort will spend less than P50 million on the renovation program, that will also include the expansion of its spa facility and gym.

At present, the company is constructing a nine-story building that will provide the resort with additional 35 rooms.

The new rooms will be officially opened by the end of this month, Unchuan said.

In the past, he said the company has been very conservative on embarking on major expansion as the tourism industry then was yet to show its sustained strength.

However, he said now is the right time to invest in tourism, while the Philippines is obviously gaining strong popularity as a destination.

The company also announced earlier its plan to invest P1.5 billion in tourism projects in Cebu and Palawan.  (FREEMAN)