BOLD but not without bearing is the question in that headline, which also serves as the tagline of the newly unveiled premier lifestyle address in Cebu, The Residences at the Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort.
While residential fantasies are realized mostly on two- or three-night glimpses during hotel stays, this 22-story tower is poised to make those dreams lasting with turnkey units that will offer top-notch hotel features, not only in terms of design but in service, as well.
“We want you to feel like you’re living in a hotel 24/7,” said Alexandra Yao, Asia Pacific Senior Director of Hotel and Residential Development of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which heads the property alongside Cebu-based AppleOne Mactan Inc. “What’s more popular now among developers are mixed-use projects with residences and hotels. We brand ours in such a way that the two become a whole thing altogether.”
The Residences falls under the 3.8-hectare beachfront development and consists of 190 residential units, 154 of which are one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. There are also 36 Courtyard Pool Residences that each come with a private pool. With its groundbreaking ceremony held just last year, turnover for The Residences is slated in 2020. It will part of the 13 Sheraton-branded residences worldwide that are either operating or under development, and will be the first one in Southeast Asia.
Cyndy Tan Jarabata, president of AppleOne Mactan’s marketing partner Tajara Leisure and Hospitality Group, said the aim is to finish it together with the development’s resort, which is on pace for a 2019 completion, so people can fully enjoy the property’s facilities. Renowned hotel-and-resort designers Blink Design Group stood by their approach to be inspired by the spirit of their projects’ site, and made full use of The Residences’s environment of lush greens and vast bodies of water by choosing to employ a modern contemporary resort-style living concept with tropical aesthetics.
According to an earlier report of the BusinessMirror, 90 percent of the materials for the hotel and resort would be sourced locally. Also, each apartment unit will be equipped with panoramic windows with views of the surrounding Hilutungan Channel, Magellan Bay or the Courtyard pools.
“We finished it be similar to how a hotel room would be,” Jarabata said during a tour to the property’s model units. She underscored that units are turnkey, with deliverables that include air-conditioning units; kitchenware, such as refrigerator, conduction cook-top and range hood; built-in cabinets and laundry machines. “Even the flooring, that comes with the unit, as well. You don’t really have to upgrade anything anymore,” said Jarabata, adding the items are from the Italian home-appliance manufacturing brand Smeg, to ensure that “everything’s on the top-line.”
It’s evident that in the design process, there’s as much focus put on the units’ smallest details as to the biggest components. Case in point: for the one-bedroom space, Jarabata said they chose to have a sliding door—a minute change that bears great effect. “Contrary to the typical one bedroom, where you normally have just a small door that opens, what we were very particular about is how you open it. This feels like a one-bedroom suite.”
But beyond the aesthetics, Jarabata said what will really separate The Residences from the rest of the field is its service offering, which is also the reason it’s classified as a “branded residence” and not just a typical residential condominium. Instead of a typical receptionist or administrative staff that attends to the needs of residents, the property will have a director of residences that is pretty much like a hotel’s room-service catering.
“When you work so much, you want the ease of living,” Jarabata said. “You want someone to take care of the other things that stress you out. And sometimes, what stresses you out are the basics in life, whether it’s a plumbing, electrical, or some mechanical concern. Here, all that can be taken care of by the operator.”
She clarified that those services are separated from the residents’ dues—which covers basic services, such as maintenance and security, among others—and will be charged as extras.
“Property developers, in general, really just develop,” said Jarabata, who was also a three-term chairman of the panel of judges of the Philippines Property Awards. “The servicing part, you got to give it to the experts, and that’s the reason the partnership with Sheraton is just perfect. We don’t only deliver the project and leave it up to the residents; we make sure that residents also get the service they need. I call it a whole-cycle transition.”
Yao, the Starwood executive, said that aside from having a dedicated Sheraton staff, residents can also enjoy private access to exclusive amenities. These include the Residential Lobby, Resident’s Lounge, Courtyard’s lagoon pools, private beach club, dedicated parking and fitness center.
Located at Barangay Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City, the property is an easy 20-minute drive from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. With its expansion set to be completed in 2018, which is expected to increase flight capacity and bolster the region’s economy, Ray Go Manigsaca, president of AppleOne Properties, the holding firm of AppleOne Mactan Inc., said, “this is the right time for this project as Filipinos and foreigners alike are seeking options for homes in tropical locations, like Cebu in the Philippines.”
He added, “The Residences at Sheraton Cebu Mactan paves the way to an elevated lifestyle resort living where residents can enjoy staycations all year-round.”
Yao said they have been wanting to bring back the Sheraton brand to the Philippines for some time, and once Manigsaca presented them a beachfront location in Mactan—rated once again as one of Conde Nast Traveler’s Top 20 Islands in the World—they simply seized the opportunity. “The Cebu market is a great launching point for us to reintroduce Sheraton, and to also offer this new product to this particular market.”
She added they are “definitely” looking to expand in Manila and in other parts of the country. “We’re looking to expand in Cebu and all over the Philippines. Now as a combined company, we have 30 brands, so we definitely want to grow our footprint here. We’re the largest international hotel company in the world with 1,270 properties in some 100 countries, and the branded residences are important to us. It’s a footprint that we want to work with owners and we want to do more of these combined hotel and residential projects.”