Centro of attraction

MANILA, Philippines - With Palawan’s Underground River becoming an official nominee of the Philippines to the New Seven Wonders of Nature, this subterranean wonder is garnering more attention than ever. Tourists are lining up to marvel at this river, recognized internationally as one of the most important biodiversity conservation areas in the country.

Now, for these urban travelers, they would prefer nothing but hotel accommodations that are of equal stature to the world-class tourist spot. It therefore makes sense that they stay at Hotel Centro, considered as Puerto Princesa City’s top-notch hotel.

If Mother Nature has her wonders, Hotel Centro, with all its 111 guestrooms, ballroom, five conference rooms, restaurant outlets, spa and other guest facilities — has all the reasons why it has become the definitive choice for international-standard comfort and accommodations.

For starters, Hotel Centro is as eye-catching as it could be. Fine architecture design, exquisite woodwork, and the finest imported kitchenware and cutlery all vie for attention. Inside and out, the hotel has impressed even the most finicky guests. Fact is, various local and foreign guests have consistently described the hotel as lovely. They do have a point.

From these physical wonders, Hotel Centro ensures that guest safety and security is a top priority. It is the only hotel in the city with an in-room safe to keep valuables such as laptops and other electronic gadgets, electronic non-intrusive keys for guest security, 32 CCTV cameras, and a stand-by power generator that can supply electricity for up to 10 days.

All these are housed in a hotel that best represents Puerto Princesa, a city in a forest. So when one walks around the hotel premises, vast open spaces and thriving greenery abound. Guests who just want quiet, reflective moments by their lonesome or with good company can take walks within and around the area. It is this resort-feel within the city that has a charm of its own, something relaxing for urban dwellers.

Of course, when one talks of charm, there has to be people who bring it to life. We have gone to Puerto Princesa numerous times, and every time, its friendly citizens are willing to extend a helping hand or two. Hotel Centro’s professional staff are very much representative of that quality. Its help desk is consistently praised by guests for always making sure that requests have been addressed by getting back to the guest. There is a 24/7 customer care hotline that responds to accommodation inquiries and reservations, too.

Groups who hold meetings in Hotel Centro have a meeting services team to turn to. That is, a group of dedicated meeting handlers who guarantee that all meeting requirements and needs are well taken care of. Hotel Centro has the right business facilities for individual business travelers and meetings with its high-speed Internet access, well-appointed venues, and top-of-the-line audio and video equipment. There is also the concierge that handles guest transportation and other pertinent information.

Enjoy leisure moments with Hotel Centro suites.

An exciting feature that one would want to know is UR Holidays, Hotel Centro’s signature holiday vacation experience that offers travelers to enjoy Puerto Princesa at their own pace and time. That means guests do not have to worry about waking up very early or sharing a vehicle with complete strangers just to go touring. Here, everything is exclusive, rush-free and crowd-free.

Hotel Centro also prides itself as a culinary capital. It is, after all, the only hotel in Puerto Princesa with three food and beverage outlets — Expressions Café, Soul Poor Bar, and Sicily Club Lounge. That’s three dining venues to suit one’s taste and mood.

As the city, and indeed the entire Palawan itself, is known for keeping the integrity of its natural surroundings, so does the hotel, which uses eco-friendly amenities in response to Puerto Princesa’s sustainable tourism development. Everywhere in the premises there are energy-efficient LED lights, environment-friendly refrigerators which rely on an absorption cooling system without the need for a compressor that uses costly electricity, and a used-water treatment facility. The brands that it uses are also environmentally safe: Flotex washable textile flooring, known as the best practice in sustainable building designs, and Pure Herbs organic bath items.

Hotel Centro’s ability to seamlessly merge luxury with eco-friendliness and local charm with international standards has made itself very much attractive to Filipino and foreign travelers. It is really an experience not easily forgotten.

Food is a celebration of life at Hotel Centro’s Expressions Café.

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Hotel Centro is located along the national highway in San Pedro, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. For reservations, call (48) 434-1111 in Puerto Princesa, (32) 556-5656 in Manila, (0917) 599-1912, e-mail at customercare@hotelcentro.ph or book online at www.hotelcentro.ph.

Visit the Hotel Centro booth in the Philippine Travel Mart on Sept. 2 to 4 at the SMX Convention Center at the SM Mall of Asia and get top-notch discounts for UR Holidays.