Men behind the Holiday Inn-Clark success /2

continuation...

Weiss said his pet project is the training of his people. He has

sent his staff to other Holiday Inn hotels in Malaysia, Indonesia

and Hong Kong for them to learn new things and skills. He said

this is part of the leisure estates vision and commitment for the

economic and touristic development of Pampanga in general and

the farther development of Clark as a destination in particular.

In the tourism industry, the

success really lies with the

people. Thats why we are

grooming them and giving

them as much training and

exposure as we can because

its the people in the junior

and supervisory positions

who will eventually become

the future tourism leaders in

the country, Weiss said.

After talking to him, I was not

surprised at all to learn that

he just received this GM award. In just four years managing the

resort, Weiss has already showed his amazing commitment and

dedication for the economic uplift of Pampanga and its people. It

was a pity though because I had to cut short my interview with him

as he was about to return to a book launching rites of a local

journalist. It was only then that I realized I was very hungry and

therefore must skip the hotel tour for the next day to go back to

the villa to meet my friends for dinner quick. To my regret, they

still couldnt decide where to eat despite the fact that there was

quite a number of restaurants in the estate. After a long

bargaining we finally decided for the Club Mimosa or Fun House

where we could also play video games for the rest of the night. At

close midnight when we had only a few money left, we stepped

into the Tea Bar, also inside the Fun House for a round of drinks

but the bar was already closed at 10 p.m. So we opted for a more

comfortable drinking spree at the villa.

Early the next morning, we had a unique breakfast in bed singing

along with the videoke. My friends except for one are all frustrated

singers and will not pass any opportunity to sing even if they just

woke up and havent brushed their teeth yet, it appeared. It was a

hilarious situation for all. It was a good thing the villas were built far

enough from each other to save our neighbors the agony of hearing

our loud and squeaky voices.

After playing golf at the driving range, I brought them along for an

ocular tour of Holiday Inn with its Guest Relations officer Cecille P.

Guevarra showing us around.

Only 90 kilometers from Manila, Holiday Inn is nestled within the

beautifully-landscaped former residential grounds and golf club of

U.S. Air Force Officers. The estate occupies the 215 hectares of

the Clark Special Economic Zone here. We Pampangueqos are

very proud of our province known for its exotic cuisine and as the

hub of the countrys finest crafts, woodcarvings, handcarved

furnitures and colorful holiday celebrations.

Holiday Inn boasts of 273 standard rooms and 30 junior suites, all

of which have complete modern amenities. Families can choose

from any of these rooms or at any of the 34 Holiday Villas which

feature a masters bedroom with spacious walk-in wardrobe and

bath, a guest room for two, a driver or maids quarter, a

comfortable lounge with exquisite fittings and furnishings, a dining

room, a relaxing patio overlooking a lush landscaped garden and a

covered garage. They are practically the same as that of the

nearby Montevista Villas except that they are much bigger, have

more furnishings with different arrangement of the dining hall.

Above all, they have a patio.

One can go on a gastronomic journey with its various food and

beverage outlets such as the Mequeni Cafi, an all-day dining resto

specializing in native and international cuisine; the 13th Lounge

offers exotic cocktails; Pool Bar compliments a refreshing dip in

the free-form pool with fresh fruit juices and light snacks;

Mequedeli serves sweets from cakes to pastries, croissants and

other delicacies; and al fresco dining is the style of Mongolian

Barbeque Restaurant located at the rooftop.

Facilities include a Business and Fitness centers, fully-supervised

Kids Inn, lobby shops, a rooftop jacuzzi, tennis courts, billiard,

biking, table tennis, darts and jogging trails.

Also, the hotel caters to the conference market with its several

functions rooms and a ballroom that can accommodate up to

1,000 guests for cocktails and 600 for banquets. They are all

equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

Travelers whether they come as families, honeymooners, friends or

businessmen need not go far to look for a perfect place to unwind,

spend intimate moments, get-together and convene. They only

have to travel at least one to two hours to get to a onestop

family-oriented destination in Central Luzon.

After that one-and-a-half-day weekend trip, my friends and I

returned to Manila reenergized and ready again for the pressures

of work.

As an aftermath of that memorable working assignment, the estate

made the headline when the armed police of the Clark

Development Corp. (CDC) reportedly took possession by force of

the premises of the estate after Mondragon Leisure and Resorts

Corp. failed to pay R325 million in back rentals and taxes to CDC.

Gonzalez request for a grace period of up to Jan. 15, 2000 to

settle his debts was ignored.

Earlier, on Dec. 1, the Angeles Regional Trial Court issued a writ

of execution that authorized the CDC to take over the estate.

While the legality of the CDC takeover was beyond question, the

way it was executed allegedly resulted in the injury of some 10

Mimosa managers and employes who were reportedly dragged out

of the Mimosa clubhouse. A complaint for human rights violations

are being prepared by their lawyers against the authorities.