Opened during the pandemic, Hotel Casiana Tagaytay has been operating on and off for 1 and 1/2 years. But with the easing of restrictions and the lifting of border controls, the Hotel is expecting to have a stable weekend and corporate crowd, moving forward.
The Hotel is actually a popular destination for biking groups, mostly trekking their way up from the Metro below and from nearby provinces, as well, according to Jun delos Santos, manager of Hotel Casiana.
“Operations were on a smooth run since February 2022. We have a stable weekend crowd, several groups of bikers throughout the week but mostly on weekends, and a set of corporate and government accounts that keep us on our toes,” he said.
Not every hotel are doing well these days, he added, but Hotel Casiana is fortunate enough that competition in this part of the country is friendly, that competitors are willing to give each other businesses and share information on the hospitality sector in the City.
Making visitors come back for more
Maybe, it’s because of the shared sentiments and experiences industry stakeholders were exposed to during the pandemic that makes the hospitality sector join hands and share budding opportunities unleashed by the health crisis, delos Santos added.
One of the main attractions of the Hotel is its heated pool, where travelling families and groups congregate around the pool area, in proximity to the gazebo where refreshments are served.
Hotel marketing manager Trisha Mae Miranda said visitors are coming back from time to time because of the heated pool, establishing Hotel Casiana as a to-go destination for families on staycation.
“For the weekday crowd, we have the motoring and biking groups who love to lounge in our outdoor veranda on the second floor,” she said.
The veranda can sit 60 to 80 people and provides an excellent view of the main thoroughfare and the mountainside as the backdrop.
Hotel Casiana will be launching the lounge and bar in synchrony with the relaunched of the cafe and dining hall by end-July or early August 2022.
Delos Santos said hotel owner Jerry Sy envision the lounge as a cozy nook for late noon and early evening revelry, with plans for some musical entertainment that the managing partner, Enderun, may organize as weekend crowd stabilizes.
Global mantra of ‘safe travels’
Hotel Casiana is a 100-room hotel accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) as a “SAFEcation”, following the observance of the minimum health protocols, in keeping with the global mantra of “safe travels”.
Room choices are a penthouse suite, three-bedroom suites, two-bedroom suites, Casiana suites, deluxe family room, deluxe Twin and deluxe double room.
Enderun, the management partner, has applied for 4- stars rating for the hotel. It has all the required amenities for a 4-stars accreditation, delos Santos said.
All rooms include a balcony and a fresh air ventilation system to ensure guests enjoy the best #SAFEcation experience possible. To boot, all rooms are also equipped with air purifiers.
“We want to benchmark ourselves with the likes of Taal Vista Hotel, Hote Monticello Tagaytay, Twin Lakes Hotel and Escala Tagaytay,” Delos Santos said.
Expansion in the offing
Other leisure and business amenities and services include banquets and conference rooms that can accommodate up to a hundred guests indoors and up to 200 people through an outdoor extension, a full-service restaurant, a cafe, gym at the basement and an indoor children’s playground.
A 1,000 banquet hall is set to rise right behind the gazebo and forms part of the expansion plans for the hotel.
Hotel Casiana is also beefing up its dining menu to include signature dishes, as it boldly explores the City’s culinary pride—the fave and popular “bulalo” soup or boiled ox bones, as its prime offering.
Delos Santos noted the planned relaunch of its diner, which will be called “Casiana Cafe”, will also unveil signature Bulalo dishes prepared by Enderun chefs, to be enjoyed several ways, like Bulalo Pizza and Bulalo Nachos, among others. The new reataurant will be managed by Enderun, as well as the upstairs bar and lounge.
Good weather, better food awaits in Tagaytay
“It’s public knowledge that Tagaytay is known for good weather and better food. The culinary delights are endless in this part where food are always freshest – fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fresh meat, and seafood. Of course, our menu will highlight traditional Filipino dishes and a few fusion recipes that our chefs are preparing,” he added.
To give families a well-deserve staycation, the hotel is also offering irresistible promotional deals for long weekend get-away and will soon launch tour packages for groups and families.
“We want families, travellers, and the business people to get what they deserve the most, in a suburban setting outside the Metropolis,” Delos Santos said.