How Robinsons Hotels and Resorts redefine Filipino hospitality and craftsmanship

The Philippines is renowned for its exceptional hospitality, a trait deeply ingrained in the warm and welcoming nature of Filipinos. This is evident in the country’s thriving tourism industry, with Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR) leading the way in showcasing Filipino hospitality.

With 28 hotels scattered across the Philippines, RHR stands as one of the country’s largest hotel companies. Under the leadership of Arthur Gindap, they are on track to becoming the biggest in the country by 2024.

Gindap is the Senior Vice President and Business Unit General Manager of Robinsons Hotels and Resorts. Before joining RHR, he was with The Ascott Limited for 14 years as Vice President and Regional General Manager of the Philippines and Thailand, and Vice President of Global Operations and Customer Service.

Rhea Vitto Tabora, Founding Editor-in-Chief of Travel Asia Now, interviews Gindap on his insights on the hospitality industry in the Philippines and how RHR properties exemplify world-renowned Filipino hospitality and craftsmanship. Gindap also shares RHR’s commitment to ensuring their guests have an enjoyable and memorable stay experience.

Rhea Vitto Tabora (RVT): What inspired the founding of Robinsons Hotels and Resorts?

Arthur G. Gindap (AGG): As one of the leading real estate developers in the country, Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) is well-regarded for its commitment to transform every property into high-quality developments that create superior value for its customers and stakeholders.

In its initial years venturing into the hospitality segment, RLC launched hotels to complement its vibrant mixed-use estates in Cebu City and Ortigas Center with Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, Holiday Inn Manila Galleria (formerly known as Manila Galleria Suites), and Summit Circle Cebu (formerly known as Cebu Midtown Hotel).

After years of successful operations, RLC established its hospitality arm, Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR), and developed brands that catered to the growing number of middle-class travelers around the Philippines.

In 2010, RHR pioneered the essential value accommodations segment with the launch of Go Hotels Mandaluyong. Its homegrown brand, Summit Hotels and Resorts, first opened in Tagaytay City and it remains to be one of the top hotels in the city, perfect for vacations and MICE for both social and corporate guests.

RHR’s portfolio of hotels grew across various urban locations in the Philippines, expanding with the rise in demand from contemporary business and leisure travelers.

RVT: How have the hotel group’s offerings progressed over the years to meet guests’ needs?

AGG: RHR launched its own upscale brand, Grand Summit in General Santos City, and opened its first luxury resort, Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu.

The Grand Summit brand was developed to cater to the sophisticated and discerning traveler, equipped with MICE facilities to create memorable celebrations. RHR upgraded its Summit Hotel and Go Hotels brand with a refreshed look and improved customer experience. New enhancements were introduced through the Go Hotels Plus brand, now in Naga and Tuguegarao Cities.

In 2022, RHR’s first 5-star homegrown luxury brand, Fili Urban Resort, opened its doors in NUSTAR Integrated Resort, Cebu.

RLC’s new homegrown brands were designed to showcase world-renowned Filipino hospitality and craftsmanship.

To cap off its rich portfolio of hotels and resorts, RHR’s new brands which are slated to open in 2023 are The Westin Manila Sonata Place in Ortigas Center and the ultra-luxury hotel, NUSTAR Hotel in Cebu.

At the forefront of its expansion phase, RHR has set the stage for its local and international brand of hotels to thrive and redefine Filipino hospitality. With the addition of this new class of hotel brands under its portfolio, RHR has expanded its reach—from its foothold predominantly on value essential and mid-scale accommodations to capturing the upscale and luxury segments.

In a move to provide relevant and meaningful guest experiences, RHR has launched initiatives for digitalization.

Self-check-in kiosks have been rolled out in several new properties. Cashless payments are present in all RHR properties nationwide. The RHR Mobile App was recently launched to make bookings a more seamless customer journey.

Finally, RHR improved and expanded its F&B offerings through Café Summit, Fina, and Il Primo, highlighting local ingredients and elevated cuisines that will satisfy the modern, sophisticated traveler.

RVT: What are the unique features or amenities of your hotel brands that make them stand out from the competition?

AGG: Robinsons Hotels & Resorts’ properties are strategically located in mixed-use developments of Robinsons Land Corporation. Our Go Hotels, being co-located with Robinsons Malls, provide convenience and ease for guests who are traveling for leisure or business to access services right within their reach.

Our Summit Hotels and International Brands also benefit from the high foot traffic of RLC’s residential, office, and mall developments.

Our newest hotel, Fili Urban Resort, located within the NUSTAR Integrated Resort, is complemented by the shopping, entertainment, and convention facilities the complex has to offer.

Apart from these locational advantages, RHR’s properties make strong statements on being Filipino-centric through the use of design elements, culinary concepts, and brand standards. Each RHR hotel aims to elevate Filipino hospitality by showcasing elements in the hotel’s locality.

Echoing the previous statements on RHR’s digital initiatives, the company pushes this a step forward with the integration of RLC’s Go Rewards program into RHR’s offerings. Guests may now enjoy earning points as they continue patronizing Robinsons Hotels and Resorts.

RVT: How do you ensure that your guests have an enjoyable and memorable experience?

AGG: RHR’s properties have distinct brandings and personalities to cater to our guest’s varying tastes. All hotels pay attention to every customer journey, from pre-arrival and check-in to post-departure.

On the design aspect, our hotel brands present Philippine artistry visible from the lobbies and front desks to the guestrooms, MICE facilities, and F&B outlets. We aim to bring a sense of pride in our rich culture by bringing into cohesion local elements into our hotel and service offerings.

After the onset of COVID-19, we, like most hotels, adapted to stringent health and safety protocols to promote a safe environment for our guests and staff. We launched new service cultures across our different brands to show our guests and staff that their safety and health are of utmost importance to RHR—Happy to Care (Summit and Go Hotels), IHG Clean Promise (Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria and Holiday Inn Manila Galleria), and Dusit Care (Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu).

Digital innovations remain a top priority in RHR’s efforts to create a seamless guest experience. Our milestones include self-check-in kiosks, RHR Mobile App, and rolling out cashless payments across all properties nationwide. Providing technological conveniences for the modern traveler is part of our drive to create a truly memorable guest experience.

RVT: What efforts does the hotel group make to include sustainability in its business operations?

AGG: RHR makes a conscious effort to include sustainability in its everyday operations as we assess all our properties and look into areas where we can improve our sustainable resilience and eco-efficiency.

This year, we have endeavored to attentively track our resource consumption and waste, to be able to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. In our fight against single-use plastics, we have veered away from the use of plastic amenity containers and water bottles, and have installed amenity dispensers in our bathrooms and water dispensers in common areas of our hotels.

With the soaring prices of electricity, we have been exploring various green sources for our properties, and this has jump-started our journey to eventually source 100% of our power requirements from renewable energy.

As we continue our growth and expansion plans, we are constantly integrating our sustainable practices into our plans. From responsible materials sourcing to the installation of solar panels, we aim for a bigger, better, and greener RHR.

RVT: What can guests expect at NUSTAR Resort and Casino, the newest premier integrated resort in Cebu?

AGG: NUSTAR boasts of a 300,000 sqm gross floor area for all of its offerings. We will have the biggest gaming floor outside of Metro Manila with a two-floor 21,000 sqm gaming area that will offer 1,500 electronic gaming machines and 250 tables at full capacity.

We will also have hotel towers, namely: NUSTAR Hotel—an ultra-luxurious accommodation for our most discerning guests, and Fili—the first authentic Filipino 5-star hotel brand and concept that the Robinsons Hotels and Resorts Group is introducing within the NUSTAR property.

NUSTAR will also be home to The Mall | NUSTAR, which will house high-fashion boutiques, luxury goods, and a mix of global and local dining concepts. Pockets of entertainment will be launched to the public, such as the NUSTAR Convention Center, a MICE facility with a capacity of up to 2,000 pax; a state-of-the-art Live Performance Theatre; an immersive Leisure Park located at the podium level of the building; and an iconic Sky Deck on the 26th floor of NUSTAR Hotel. 

NUSTAR Resort and Casino also offers specialty restaurants—Il Primo, Fina, Xin Tian Di, and Mott 32, which is set to open its first Philippine outlet in NUSTAR.

Acclaimed and award-winning Cantonese restaurant Mott 32, with locations in Hong Kong, Singapore, Las Vegas and Vancouver, is renowned for its signature approach to regional Chinese cuisine. The menu is characterized by time-honored recipes handed down from generations, prepared using progressive cooking techniques and premium ingredients. Paired with an exceptional mixology program and a stunning ambiance designed by award-winning interior designer Joyce Wang, Mott 32 represents modern Hong Kong as well as a new chapter of Chinese dining. Mott 32’s signature dishes have been lauded by diners from other outlets across the globe, including the Chinese-European dish called Barbecue Pluma Iberico Pork and the Apple Wood Roasted Peking Duck.

Fina features some of the best Filipino specialties from Cebu and other regions of the country, punctuated by the promise of an authentic Filipino dining experience. Fina’s signature specialties include Cebu’s famous Bellychon, Angus beef tapa and Crispy dinuguan. The design and aesthetics of Fina aim to showcase Filipino flair, served with a personal welcoming touch and decorated with local design elements. The restaurant aims to be distinguished through the distinct Filipino service culture that solicits comfort and familiarity set in a contemporary Filipino space.

Il Primo, “the first and only Italian Steakhouse in Cebu,” boasts a mix of cosmopolitan and contemporary interiors coupled with European signature dishes and beverages. Il Primo takes pride in its premium quality steak prepared using Josper grill to bring out the best in every meat, preserving its aroma, delicacy and succulence.

Xin Tian Di gives diners the comfort and authentic taste of Southern Chinese and Southeast Asian specialties for daytime and nighttime gastronomic pleasures. Xin Tian Di translates to “New Heaven and Earth” and offers a comprehensive menu featuring dim sum, noodles and Cantonese roasts.

RVT: What remains to be accomplished? Can you give us a brief overview of your expansion plans for the future?

AGG: Located in our integrated resort in Cebu, the ultra-luxe NUSTAR Hotel will be the epitome of authentic and sophisticated Filipino hospitality that we will target to be a globally-known brand. In 2023, we plan to open the NUSTAR Hotel, which will cater to and entertain the most discerning luxury travelers in the world.

In the same year, we are also set to welcome our fourth international branded hotel, The Westin Manila Sonata Place, in Ortigas Central Business District.

We are constantly looking to grow our portfolio, having recently launched our first Fili Urban Resort Hotel, the Philippines’ first ever five-star homegrown hotel brand; Grand Summit, our very own upscale deluxe hotel; and GO Hotels Plus, an upgraded essential value hotel, in the past year. We hope to expand these brands in urbanized and targeted tourist destinations around the Philippines. 

It’s clear that Gindap is passionate about his work, and he truly believes in the potential of the Philippine hospitality industry. It’s exciting to see companies like RHR leading the way in showcasing what the Philippines has to offer to the world.

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