This budget hotel makes good even during crisis

A budget hotel in the heart of Manila has succesfully managed to maintain a brisk business despite the numerous problems that has plagued the tourism industry.

Taking advantage of the difficult times, the Corporate Inn Hotel, recently went on a major facelift, refurbishing not only the look of its facade but the rest of its facilities including the expansion of its functions rooms. It has also improved its coffeeshop by hiring an experienced connoisseur who have started to introduce a variety of international dishes to its loyal patrons and guests.

Rose Albar, the hotel’s sales and marketing manager said the newly refurbished function rooms and affordable guestrooms are two of the main features that lure guests which are composed mainly of corporate clients and local residents. Its Orosa function room, which can accommodate 10 people, can be used for small meetings or company presentations. She said the function room is available for R800 per hour (rental only) but it can be waived if a guest avails of a package set menu for as low as R200 per person for lauriat and R250 per person for buffet. The Kalaw room, meanwhile, is ideal for small Christmas parties or other occassions with a group of about 50-60 people. The rental fee costs a modest R1,200 per hour. The Rizal room, on the other hand, can fit in a big group of 100-150 people. Rental fee is priced at R1,500 per hour. All three function rooms can also be combined together to accommodate a larger group of about 200 people.

“The hotel is also flexible enough to adjust to the budget of its clients and design a set menu according to their liking if the available packaged set menus do not suit their tastes and budget,” Albar said.

Among Corporate Inn’s top clients who usually hold their yearly Christmas parties at the hotel are the Department of Tourism, National Youth Commission, PhilamLife, WG&A Philippines, Jollibee and ShoeMart.

Manager’s Café, the hotel’s coffeeshop has also began attracting a steady crowd of diners especially during lunchtime and dinnertime. Its fresh new line of affordable dishes has put the hotel in a leading edge from its stiff competition with nearby restaurants, fast-food chain and a 5-star hotel.

The man responsible for the emerging success of the café is 41-year-old Executive Chef Allan Pascual. He brings with him some 24 years of extensive culinary experience both here and abroad. At the age of 17, he began his career as a waiter at then Century Park Sheraton in Malate. After nine years of rising from the ranks at Century, Pascual decided to try his luck overseas, at the Kuwait Regency Hotel and Sultan Center. Again, he was promoted from senior cook, demi chef to chef de partie during his 7-year stint.

Later on, he worked at a first-class steakhouse in Cyprus for two years, and then onboard the NFD Makati, a general cargo ship, and cooked for Norwegian officials. He also worked at the Royal Palm Hotel and Stanford Hotel in Salcedo, Makati. Prior to his recent post, he worked to establish a name for Coquina Restaurant.

Pascual said he has introduced a fusion of European and Asian cuisine into the café’s menu. His best-selling specialties include Mixed Seafood Special, Linguine ala Pesto Cilantro, Chinese and Italian Pasta and Crispy Lumpia.

He added that the hotel management had also decided to slash 20 percent from the prices of dishes to become more affordable to diners.

Meanwhile, Albar said during these tough times, guests are now looking for the comforts of a 4-star or 5-star hotel but at an affordable rate. Each one of the 50 tastefully-furnished guestrooms of the 6-storey hotel are equipped not only with the basic neccessities but as well as the amenities found in big hotels such as cable TV, NDD and IDD telephone service, air-conditioning with individual thermostat controls, card-locked system and private bathroom with hot and cold shower. The hotel’s ongoing room promotions start from as low as R998 per head in a single room, R1,500 for two persons in a deluxe room and R3,600 for four persons in a family deluxe room. All promos are inclusive of set breakfast at the Manager’s Café.