How Marco Polo’s rebrand is catering to business and leisure travelers

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By Aubrey Rose A. Inosante, Reporter

MARCO POLO Hotels, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Wharf Holdings Ltd., has rebranded to serve the “bleisure” market, targeting travelers who combine business and leisure activities in the Philippines.

“Part of our touch points for Marco Polo, and especially in connotation to the rebranding, is Marco Polo events,” Holger Jakobs, vice-president for sales and marketing at Wharf Hotels, told BusinessWorld in a video call on Oct. 4.

“All these ideas circle around the fact that our guests need locations and spaces to spend time together, either in a discussion, in a meeting, or in a group,” he added.

Marco Polo Hotels have club floors and continental club lounges, and accommodation with full business facilities, Mr. Jakobs said.

Bleisure trips or workcations are expected to continue growing due to the demand for work-life balance and the expectations of a modern workforce, the company said.

Among the hotel additions is SAVVY — a modern day-to-night restaurant offering shared plates with a focus on Italian-inspired food and local specialties.

“Both of the hotels have extensive meeting facilities on a bigger level. If somebody would want to bring a group of travelers, I think we are well geared for that, and if it is on a conference level,” he said.

Mr. Jakobs said the company’s Ortigas location is equipped with a ballroom that has a maximum capacity of over 500 square meters (sq.m.), and the one in Cebu an even larger 800 sq.m.

“The hotel in Davao closed during the pandemic and is currently undergoing review for renovations by the owner,” he said.

For Manila as a metro market, the brand reported 63% occupancy in its hotels in the Philippines while revenue per available room increased by 5.5%, which is higher than the Asia-Pacific average.

“I think that correlates also to the growing arrival figures into the Philippines, where I think the targets that the central government has given out have been surpassed several times this year already, which is where I think both business travel as much as leisure and then a combination of both have contributed,” Mr. Jakobs said.

Business travelers in the Philippines usually stay for about three nights, while leisure guests stay for around two nights on average.

“If you travel to Singapore, no matter what you do after your meetings are done, you’re still in the city. While in the Philippines, we have our hotel in Ortigas in Manila, and you could travel to our sister hotel, which is Marco Polo Cebu,” he said.

He said guests can extend their stay by visiting the company’s Cebu hotel, allowing them to attend meetings in Manila and then enjoy leisure time in a hotel in Cebu.