A recent business trip to Davao City brought me closer to the one thing that has been my steady favorite since my childhood years—chocolate.
As I checked in at the Park Inn by Radisson Davao, I noticed right away their lobby poster, which advertised their food and beverage promo, “Chocolate Burst.” Of course, it got me very interested, so as soon as I was done with the check-in formalities, I immediately asked the clerk what it was all about. I hadn’t even gone to my assigned room yet; I was already comfortably seated in their restaurant, having made an order for the item in their poster.
Chocolate Burst is hot chocolate made from premium Malagos chocolates, the best in the country. It is served with fresh milk and some chocolate truffles to further satisfy one’s craving for this mouthwatering confection.
Posturing as the city’s hub for chocolate goodies, the hotel also sells Brownie Fudge, Revel Bars, Dark Chocolate Moist Cake, and Malagos Earl Gray Chocolate Praline Mousse. The hotel sources the best cacao beans from the popular Malagos Farm. Incidentally, the farm’s name is a contraction of “malakas na agos” (meaning strong flow), describing the creek that marks its boundary.
Malagos Chocolate is an award-winning tree-to-bar brand produced through ethical and sustainable farming practices. Its popularity has made Davao City the chocolate capital of the country. Owned by the Puentespina Family, the 70-hectare cacao farm produces premium-quality cacao beans, which the family has been exporting to the USA for 18 years now.
What endeared the hotel to me even more was when I found out that it also serves “Tsokolate de Batirol” for breakfast. This is how I want to take my hot chocolate drink every morning because that’s how my mother prepared it for us siblings during our growing-up years in Cebu. Unfortunately, I don’t have a “batirol” at home, and even if I did, I usually have breakfast in a hurry to be sure I get to the office at 6:30 a.m.
Chatting with my friend Sven Toune, the hotel’s General Manager, I commended him for making available to guests this homegrown chocolate brand, which, I later learned, has reaped several awards abroad. Furthermore, he told me that the hotel also serves smooth, creamy, and tangy Malagos Cheese, which is made from pure goat’s milk. The way he described it, I couldn’t help making an order right away, to go with some toast. It was delectable. Really made from heaven!
Since I was already having a relaxing repartee with Sven, I asked him what new developments we can expect from the hotel. The hotel is now undergoing a P170-million refurbishing of its guest rooms. No wonder my room looked nice, light, and bright—the same observation I had when I first entered the lobby.
Another commendable thing about the hotel is its initiative of helping the less privileged. They have a project called “Tela Tales,” an upcycling movement that transforms discarded hotel linen into purposeful new and essential products. This endeavor empowers local artisans through training while championing sustainability and community impact. They also have an ongoing “Yule Log Cake for a Cause” promo, which will donate 25% of its proceeds to the Cristina Foundation for Special Children.
Park Inn by Radisson Davao is also the first Department of Tourism-recognized Muslim-friendly hotel. To be accredited as one, a hotel has to provide a Qibla in at least 10 percent of its rooms, but this hotel has it in all its rooms. A Qibla marks a specific direction, toward the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, and is used by Muslims when they pray.
But what is even more exciting is the hotel’s plan to add a ballroom in the adjoining lot together with 156 more guest rooms, which will then give the hotel a total of 358 rooms. Although this additional structure is expected to be completed by 2027, it certainly is something to look forward to because, according to Sven, the hotel has been experiencing a fully booked status continuously these days. Its location, right next to a large shopping mall and the city’s biggest convention center, gives it a big advantage over its competitors.
Now that I know the hotel will soon get even bigger, I can already visualize a more extensive chocolate promo…from “Chocolate Burst” to “Chocolate Explosion!” Yum!
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