Just a few months since it opened, OneMGM is already primed to become the entertainment hub in Boracay’s Boat Station 3 area

In an island reputed to be the world’s best beach, it’s not easy to make a big splash.

That was the challenge faced by the men and women behind Boracay’s “newly reborn” resort, OneMGM. For its inaugural event, they brought in foreign crooner Matt Monro Jr. for a special performance—a tack common among major hotels in large cities like Manila, Cebu or Davao but not in this Aklan municipality.

OneMGM chief operating officer and general manager Rey L. Fuentes says the Monro concert was appropriate considering the grand ambitions of the resort.

“This area of development is aimed at making OneMGM known as the social hub and entertainment center for this part of Boracay,” the hotel’s top guy tells BusinessMirror.

OneMGM is a newly reestablished resort village located in the Boat Station 3 area of the popular resort island.

Then known as Paradise Garden Resort Villas, the property was purchased from the original German partners by a Filipino consortium and started operating last October after it was handed over to Ghpiresort Inc. with a new management team led by Fuentes, formerly of Ayala Land Cebu.

“OneMGM means, ‘One of My Greatest Moments,’ which one can have here in Boracay,” Fuentes says. “It’s experiential and perfect for somebody who likes to be laidback while staying away from the hustle and bustle of the [outside] world.”  

OneMGM is set on a lush, landscaped resort village with green palms and other verdant foliage. The hotel is equipped with first-class amenities including three swimming pools and six clusters of architectural-designed accommodations: The Mansion House, The Country House, The Summer House, The Bougainvilla, The Villas and The Cottages.

All the 100 air-conditioned elegantly appointed guestrooms and suites have hot and cold running water, potable water supply, cable TV, minibar, safety deposit box, Internet access, and telephone with IDD facilities. Two powerful generators guarantee continuous electricity supply for guests.

“These high-end facilities aimed at meeting our guests’ discerning needs and tastes only show that we are committed to making their stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible—a memorable experience they could share with their loved ones,” says Fuentes.

Employees also come first

WHILE satisfying the needs of guests with efficient, quality service coupled with the world-famous Filipino brand of hospitality is to be expected from establishments like OneMGM, it also extends this commitment to its employees.

Guests are pleasantly surprised to discover that among the resort’s high-ranking employees is a midget named Ron. Formerly employed in a bistro named House of Hobbits in Manila, Ron is indeed a testament that OneMGM gives equal employment opportunity to everyone. 

“In managing this property business, my personal policy is to always take care of our people—give them equal chance to grow professionally. And Ron is a manifestation of it,” explains Fuentes.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are black or white; tall or short. Physical or regional differences are no issue in here.

“In fact we have a multiregional crowd here—Cebuanos, Ilonggos, Tagalogs, and even Mindanaoans. Despite their regional and cultural disparities, they still work together as a team to the benefit of OneMGM,” Fuentes points out.

Brisk business

BARELY three months after it officially opened, the hotel is already enjoying brisk business.

“Our occupancy rate is really good,” boasts Fuentes. “In fact, our rooms have been fully booked already until January since we opened in October last year.”

Fuentes recalls that at the start, occupancy was low—ranging from a mere 10 percent to 20 percent.

But with good marketing strategies, its occupancy rate dramatically quadrupled to between 78 percent and 82 percent last December. This month, it has even enjoyed full occupancy.

OneMGM’s guest mix is almost even between foreign and local tourists—mostly couples and honeymooners.

“Right now, we have about 45 percent Filipino guests and 55 percent who are foreigners,” Fuentes says, noting that the bulk of its local guests come from the corporate segment and repatriating overseas-based Filipinos, while a big chunk of its foreign guests are from South Korea and the Southeast Asian region. 

“Because we owe to our growing market-base [local and foreign] the brisk business we are enjoying at the moment, we will always make their stay with us in a complete privacy—solemn, very quiet and laidback,” Fuentes says.

Best of both worlds

WHILE OneMGM is currently in transition—with continued refurbishing of its facilities—massive developments have already been planned, including a hotel and leisure center on an adjacent property.

“This is currently master planned in our Makati office and should be implemented in January 2008,” reports Fuentes. “The two-hectare expansion area is designed to have the best of both worlds—a sanctuary and a beachfront.”

He says the beachfront is intended to be an action-packed development with places for wellness, quick over-the-counter food establishments, and for its centerpiece an amphitheater for world-class entertainment.

The sanctuary, on the other hand, is designed as a spacious resort village for people who would like to relax and stay away from the usual boisterous lifestyle in the beachfront.

“We expect this to bring to us the distinction as the oasis of tranquility and solemnity for a total respite or retreat in this island,” Fuentes says. “These developments [the sanctuary and beachfront] form part of the kind of market positioning we are pushing this year and beyond.”

Business expectations

GIVEN the continued developments in Boracay, OneMGM remains bullish this year.

“I think Boracay will be a sustainable premiere destination for the country,” Fuentes says. “With its business-friendly atmosphere and generally peaceful surroundings as shown by its zero crime rates, we did not think twice to reestablish the brand and go for opportunity trends in the marketplace.”

He also notes that although big investments from the other hotel and resort groups continue to pour in the island, OneMGM remains confident.

“We are not threatened by the influx of new players who will be constructing and opening their own facilities here starting this year. They have their own market as we are niching to others—the couples and honeymooners,” the hotel executive explains. “In fact, we welcome them because they will be of help to greatly enhance the marketplace which is good for us all.”

As for his expectations for the hospitality industry in Boracay in general, Fuentes said: “I just hope for the continued concerted effort between the government and the private sector to further boost the potentials of the industry and keep the island as pristine and clean from any irresponsibility.”

One great moment

In an island reputed to be the world’s best beach, it’s not easy to make a big splash.

That was the challenge faced by the men and women behind Boracay’s “newly reborn” resort, OneMGM. For its inaugural event, they brought in foreign crooner Matt Monro Jr. for a special performance—a tack common among major hotels in large cities like Manila, Cebu or Davao but not in this Aklan municipality.

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