PREMIUM hotel furniture made in the Philippines have long been showcased in key hotels of the InterContinental Hotels Group, Ritz Carlton, as well as familiar landmarks to Filipinos like the City of Dreams Macau and Venetian Las Vegas.
They are now in 665 rooms in the four existing locations of Seda hotels, the AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts chain. By 2019, they will be in at least 1,900 more hotel rooms of Seda, which is projecting to open at least six more hotels in Metro Manila, Palawan and Iloilo City.
Described by an Asian travel and trade industry expert as an “affordable luxury” brand, Seda’s boutique hotels in Bonifacio Global City, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City and Nuvali in Laguna have been distinguished for quietly contemporary interiors. Seda’s public areas and guest rooms showcase the work of Philippine furniture companies, as well as those of renowned Filipino designers like Kenneth Cobonpue and Anne Pamintuan.
Aspiring to be the leading Filipino hotel brand highlighting the best of Philippine hospitality in prime urban locations, Seda is also naturally inclined to showcase the works of Philippine furniture makers, many of whom have made a name abroad.
Seda’s expansion plans have been welcomed by high-end local furniture makers. Previously focused on the export market, firms in Cebu, Pampanga and Metro Manila appreciate the increasing volume of local business from Seda and other expanding hotel chains because it frees them from “the hassles of having to ship goods out of the country.”
Eileen Escobido, AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts project development head, observes that the Philippines is known to produce furniture that matches the quality delivered by other key regional players like Malaysia and China.
Among the pieces that it has developed in partnership with local suppliers, Seda is particularly pleased with the beds now available in its guest rooms, which have gotten high ratings from customers. “They hold their own against the branded beds used by international hotels here and abroad,” according to Escobido.
Seda has also designed its hotels so that the guest experience will basically be the same whether one is in the Nuvali or Davao property. Guest satisfaction with the brand is illustrated by its high repeat rate of 50 percent, a factor that contributed to its being recently named the “Philippines’ Leading Hotel Group” in 2014 by the 21st World Travel Awards in New Delhi, India. Seda bested other Filipino hotel brands in the event organized to acknowledge and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry worldwide.
“In addition to exceptional and consistent service and a great location in an Ayala Land mixed-use community, our brand DNA includes quietly elegant and sophisticated surroundings that make use of straight, clean lines and contemporary design,” Escobido said.
“We’re happy that our Filipino furniture suppliers have the capability and craftsmanship to meet our requirements and achieve that ambiance.”