3 Pinoy properties chosen by Conde Nast Traveller readers
THREE Philippine properties made it to Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards for the Top 25 Resorts in Asia for 2021. The list counts the top resorts in the region outside of Indonesia and Thailand.
The El Nido Resorts in Lagen, Apulit, Pangalusian, and Miniloc islands placed 9th with a score of 98.8; Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort & Spa placed 11th, with a score of 98.14; while Discovery Shores Boracay ranked #17 with a score of 97.11. Six Senses in Bhutan took the top spot with a score of 99.38.
On that note, a sister property of Discovery Shores, Club Paradise Palawan, under the Discovery World Corp. umbrella, was the only Philippine-based property included in the Top 100 Sustainable Stories awards.
Jose Parreño, Director and President of Discovery World Corp. said in a statement, “We are deeply grateful for these international recognitions for both resorts. Our dedication for service and our commitment to our guests, the environment and the community where we belong have been our driving force, especially during this very challenging time. We proudly carry the Philippine flag in all our wins and we are extremely delighted to be have been able to put the Philippines on the map of world-class tourism.”
Discovery Shores Boracay has consistently won awards since at least 2018: an e-mail from the company lists the property as the Hall of Fame winner of The Choice 2019’s Favorite Beach Resort Hotel, and the 2018 Winner of the Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence Best for Families (Asia). Club Paradise, meanwhile, won the Hall of Fame award and the Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor in 2019, and was the 2018 winner of the World Luxury Hotel Awards for the category Global Winner – Luxury Wedding Destination.
In an e-mail to BusinessWorld, he discussed how the properties won the awards, despite the pandemic putting on hold travel plans for millions around the world. “Our passion for what we do, our dedication for service, and our commitment to our guests, the environment and the community where we belong have kept our spirits alive especially during these challenging times. The pandemic has not stopped us with our trainings and guest engagement activities. We used this time as an opportunity to renovate, to train and develop our skills, and to enhance our safety standards. This moment has allowed us to strengthen our brand culture,” he said.
“We remain positive as vaccines are being rolled out and we look forward to the restoration of confidence among travelers and eventually, an immediate rebound of the tourism industry.”
In the same e-mail, he continued: “We believe that the pandemic is just a momentary pause and that the tourism industry will bounce back because it is in people’s nature to travel and explore. This is our belief and our inspiration as we continue to innovate and develop our people and our product.”
“All of us at Discovery Resorts are true ambassadors of Filipino hospitality,” said Mr. Parreño in a statement. — JLG
