Bellevue Manila joins month-long sale, implements sanitation solutions for a worry-free guest experience
By Patricia Mirasol
As The Bellevue Manila participates in the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association International’s September Online Sale (SOS), its management told BusinessWorld that it has invested in rigorous health solutions to bring a worry-free experience to its guests.
Other Bellevue Hotels and Resorts (BH&R) properties – B Hotel Quezon City and The Bellevue Resort Bohol – have also joined SOS, which is ongoing until Oct. 15
“We implement beyond minimum health and safety standards in all of our facilities to ward off the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and other diseases,” said Marivic A. Recio, resident manager of The Bellevue Manila, in an e–mail. Among the solutions the hotel has invested in are HEPA filter portable air purifiers, UV-C light disinfection, electrostatic spraying and misting solutions, dry steam cleaners, and World Health Organization-listed, hospital-grade surface disinfectants.
“[W]e have already begun upgrading our air conditioning filtration system by using hospital-grade merv13 filters. It’s an ongoing project,” said Ms.Recio. “Our HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system is also capable of regulating fresh air intake to meet the required number of air changes per hour.”
Areas with high foot traffic such as lobbies, reception areas, and lavatories are disinfected every two hours. High touch surfaces such as elevator buttons, meanwhile, undergo hourly disinfection with an eco-friendly disinfectant.
“Our employees are also required to have their own small bottle of alcohol in their pockets all the time,” added Ms. Recio.
Diners at The Bellevue Manila’s Phoenix Court – which is currently open at 10% capacity for dine-in because of the currently enforced Alert Level 4 community quarantine guidelines in the National Capital Region (NCR) – will be asked to present their vaccination certifications.
The Bellevue Manila has been certified as a Multiple-Use Hotel, and accepts both quarantine and non-quarantine guests. It is currently open for business stay. Ms. Recio told BusinessWorld that its Certificate of Authority to Operate for Staycations, issued by the Department of Tourism (DoT), will enable the hotel to accept leisure travelers when the NCR shifts to General Community Quarantine status.
As the different BH&R properties currently cater to different guests because of the pandemic — the B Hotel Quezon City is for quarantine use, and The Bellevue Hotel Resort – Bohol is for leisure guests — they observe different suitable health solutions from those of The Bellevue Manila.
For this year’s SOS, BH&R properties are offering packages that can be used up to December 2022:
- The Bellevue Manila – vouchers for ensaymada purchases and Phoenix Court restaurant patrons
- B Hotel Quezon City – discounts for Superior Room bookings, group dinners for 10, and the B Blissful wedding package
- The Bellevue Resort, Bohol – promos for themed party packages, as well as day use of select facilities.
Other hotels that have joined this year’s SOS include The Bayleaf Intramuros, Richmonde Hotel Ortigas, Crimson Hotel Filinvest, Banaue Hotel, Summit Ridge Tagaytay, Alta Vista de Boracay, Savoy Hotel Mactan, and Bacau Resort Coron.
The inaugural 2020 SOS generated P14 million in confirmed bookings. The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association is hopeful that the number will double this year.
Stability of public health is a minimum requirement for accelerating the opening of local tourism, according to the DoT’s 2021 Philippine Travel Survey, conducted in partnership with the Asian Institute of Management and Guide to the Philippines. A standardized set of health protocols was also found necessary for promoting tourist activity.
Among the health and safety guidelines the DoT issued for accommodation establishments are online bookings, contactless greetings, and the proper use of face masks.
