Westin Phil. Plaza sports a refreshing new look

Hip, chic and funky.

These are the three words which aptly describes the Westin Philippine Plaza’s new look which will be unveiled today via a corporate events fair.

Dubbed as “Events by Westin”, this one-day seminar-exhibit cum sale is a first for the hotel as it goes full blast in introducing to the market the changes that it has adopted to keep up with the times.

The refreshing new look with a contemporary design theme will be seen in the next few months with the renovation project covering all the rooms, suites, function rooms and even the lobby, which is scheduled for completion in September. Much of the renovation is being undertaken in the Bay Wing and City View Wing. The construction has been proceeding as scheduled with minimum disturbance to operations and guests in the functional areas.

During the seminar-exhibit, companies planning their product launches, team building workshops, training sessions, seminars and just about any event will have access to over 50 of the country’s best event organizers, production houses, lights, sounds and staging supplies as well as entertainment providers and PR consultancy firms.

Informative sessions will be held throughout the day on the topics of E-commerce, profiling, packaging for success, and tips and tactics for successful staging. Guest speakers include: Emily Abrera; Joy Ortega; Anthony Pangilinan; Tina Maristela-Ocampo; Joey Espino; Gigi Bautista; and Westin’s director of catering and conventions Patricia Puyat-Palanca.

The highlight of the event is a fashion show by Laurel et Ross, a collaboration of the country’s top designers, Rajo Laurel and Digna Rosales. They will present their 2002 executive and corporate wear collection and showcase the smart, new uniforms of Westin.

There will be a noon breaker session – a one-hour corporate make-over by Franck Provost Salon, and a make-up and beauty tips demonstration for the lady executive by Clinique.

The event will be held at the newly-renovated Grand Plaza Ballroom, which is considered as one of the most elegant and most spacious pillar-less hotel ballrooms.

The new Grand Plaza Ballroom now sports a bright and fresh look. It retains its signature Austrian hand-blown chandeliers cascading from its gilded ceiling while a fresh color scheme in warm hues of cream, butter and white on the walls and carpets create brighter interiors. Mirrors adorn the walls while modern light sconces and mahogany panels accentuate the refined look. Audio-visual equipment and conference amenities were also upgraded. It can comfortably seat 1,500 people in a banquet set-up and 2,000 in a theater style.

14 other function rooms including the new Davao Room on the Plaza Level provides a breathtaking view of the manicured Westin Gardens and its lagoon-shaped pool set against the famed Manila Bay. It can accommodate 150 people for banquets and 200 for cocktails. The 13 other newly-renovated function rooms can accommodate small meetings of 12 or up to 180 people.

Guests will also be welcomed soon by a transformed porte cochere where they drive up to enter the main lobby. The pillars will be embellished with lamp sconces complementing the new furniture using indigenous materials like rattan combined with leather for a modern design twist. Area rugs and carpets brighten the interiors and accentuate the gleam of the all-new marble in the entire lobby.

The grand staircase will remain, winding elegantly to Café Plaza, which will be upgraded with purpose-built buffet stations. The scenic Sunset Bar will likewise sport new pool furniture.

The introduction of new luxurious beds at the Westin Executive Club on the 10th floor is the highlight of the renovation program. Appropriately named “The Heavenly Bed,” the all-white bed consists of ten layers which will be installed in 54 guestrooms and suites.

The new rooms will also have modern furniture, improved lighting and other technological support features. A complete mechanical and electrical upgrade for all of the hotel’s 609 guestrooms will provide a new airconditioning system with state-of-the-art, energy-saving and ecology-friendly features. The hotel will also be equipped with new security and safety devices which are capable of sending out both auditory and visual alerts for hearing- and sight-impaired.

The renovation project will reinforce Westin’s position as the country’s premier business-convention hotel right in the city with a beautiful resort setting.

“Events by Westin” is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Raffle prizes every hour will also be given away to lucky guests. Visit all the booths and have your passport stamped for a chance to win the grand prize of a trip to Bangkok with hotel accommodations and a weekender traveling bag courtesy of The Leather Collection. Guests may also get a 25 percent discount on food and beverage on their function if they book their corporate event at “Events by Westin.”