Through SM Hotels and Conventions Corp., the group is also channeling much of this expansion into booming provincial locations.
It said 1,400 rooms—or about 82 percent of the program—will occur in Cauayan City, Isabela; Laguna; Cebu South Road Properties; Dasmariñas, Cavite; Laoag City; Olongapo Central; and Clark, Pampanga.
The remaining 300 rooms will be constructed in Metro Manila.
Emerging regions
“We are ready to support the growth in tourism as we move even closer to emerging regions to provide Filipinos and foreign travelers alike with quality accommodation,” said SM Hotels and Conventions executive vice president Peggy Angeles.
“Our hotel expansion contributes to the development of local economies, further creating jobs and boosting tourism and local growth through the increased demand for services and local products,” she added.
Big picture
Bringing in more tourists is a priority for the government, and SM is gearing up for this inevitable growth.
According to the Department of Tourism, around two million tourists had visited the Philippines as of April 24, 2024.
It projects this figure to reach 7.7 million tourists by the end of the year.
10 hotels
SM Hotels and Conventions operates 10 hotels with about 2,600 rooms, six convention centers, and two trade halls with over 42,000 square meters of leasable space.
It recently opened the Lanson Place, Mall of Asia, marking its entry into the serviced suites category.
More jobs
SM also underscored how this investment push will generate jobs for architects, engineers, construction workers, and other skilled workers.
Once completed, opportunities will be created for front desk associates, housekeeping personnel, chefs, security officers, and administrative-related positions.
SM also partners with local suppliers for food, beverages, and goods, lifting local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
“Depending on the project’s scale, a larger scale development for direct and indirect livelihood opportunities can generate 150-200 full-time roles per project,” the company said.
Sustainability
SM Hotels adheres to the guidelines under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
One of its recent projects is Tela Tales, a program that helps communities convert used linens from its hotels into beautiful handwoven bags.
SM also prioritizes hiring within the community as a minimum of 60 percent of employees in any SM Hotels property are local residents.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
