The Boracay Island, traditionally a summer hotspot renowned for its white beaches, crystal-clear waters, and breathtaking sunsets, is increasingly becoming a choice holiday getaway for families, couples, and friends during the Christmas season.
To celebrate the festive season, Mandarin Premier Hotels and Resorts Group (Mandarin Premier) organized its Paskong Pasasalamat, a Thanksgiving event for their business partners across Asia, at the premier tourism destination in the Philippines.
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MANDARIN PREMIERE: PASKONG PASASALAMAT
Mandarin Premier Hotels and Resorts Group, as envisioned by Chairman Robert Po and his brothers, Mr. Peter Po and Mr. Eddie Po, boasts a collection of five hotels.
These include Island Inn, Mandarin Island, Mandarin White Sand, and their latest additions: Mandarin Nest and Mandarin Bay Resort and Spa.
Mandarin Premier also manages top dining venues in Boracay, including Eight by the Beach; Don Vito Restaurant located at Mandarin Island; Hakuna Matata at Mandarin Nest; La Fiesta and Mamma Mia Ristorante Italiano at Mandarin Bay Resort and Spa.
Additionally, the Po family is preparing to launch three more restaurants: La Castella, Hoshikura, and Red Chopsticks.
The Mandarin Spa in Boracay is also one of their offerings.
At the Paskong Pasasalamat event, Lily Po, Robert's wife and managing director of Mandarin Premier, expressed her appreciation to their most loyal business partners.
She highlighted their support for their brands, particularly during challenging times such as the Boracay rehabilitation in 2018 and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We started with Boracay Island Mandarin Hotel. It has been 17 years now," she started her speech.
"We have been together through so many challenges in the tourism industry. We went through a six-month Boracay closure and almost two years of pandemic.
"I'm sure everybody here knows that. Yet, you are still here to partner and support us.
"Thank God and thank you because today, from Mandarin Island Hotel, our budget hotel, Island Inn was born.
"Then came Mandarin White Sand in Station 3, beachfront. Last year, Mandarin Nest and Mandarin Bay started operations.”
The event, hosted by Kalibo-based Love Radio DJ Ben Balasador, highlighted performances from Tawag ng Tanghalan finalist Eric Celino Serenades and featured vibrant Filipino folk dances by Mandarin Premier's talented dance troupe.
Boracay Mayor Floribar Bautista took an active role in leading the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
MANDARIN PREMIERE: 17 YEARS AT THE HEART OF BORACAY
In a private interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) and select press members, Christina Po, the vice president for Sales and Business Development at Mandarin Premiere, reiterated her mother's message.
She emphasized that the event was their way of showing appreciation to their business partners for their unwavering support.
Christina said, "Mandarin Premier is a brand that has been in Boracay for 17 years...
"It's been quite the journey. And we know for sure that we wouldn't be able to do that... we wouldn't be able to open these hotels without, of course, our team and our travel partners.
"So, today's event is actually about saying thank you, to put it very simply."
The event also provided an opportunity to reintroduce their resorts and restaurants.
"Recently, we opened two of our newest hotels, Mandarin Bay and Mandarin Nest. So, we're very excited about these two properties," Christina shared.
She added, "Kasi a lot of people who come to Boracay don't know na, ay, may ganun pala, may Mandarin Premier pala doon where we have five properties for all markets.
"So, we have all the way from budget for less than 2,000 pesos per room, all the way to our luxury property, which is Mandarin Bay.
"For all ages also. We have for... parents, And then we have for Gen Z, we have for millennials, seniors. For all ages, really.
"We have a different property no matter which one, which kind you're looking for. So, today is really about just saying thanks and really celebrating this milestone."
Offering a variety of accommodations to suit every budget, Mandarin Premier has carved out a distinct identity over its 17-year journey in Boracay.
Lily, on the other hand, shared, "This is my passion. To serve together with our team. Together with my team. Because I started with Mandarin Island Hotel.
"So it really started from there. So Island Inn, the budget hotel was born. Then came Mandarin White Sand and Station 2 beachfront.
"After that, comes last year, later of last year, 2023, came Mandarin Nest and Mandarin Bay.
"Mandarin service is different because it's from the heart. It's from the heart. It's not only just the action or just the outer appearance.
"But it really sincerely comes from the heart... the service that we give."
MANDARIN BAY RESORT AND SPA
Christina and Lily take pride in Mandarin Bay Resort and Spa, which stands as the only five-star hotel in Boracay's Station 2, currently reveling in its soft opening phase.
This five-star sanctuary features 365 exquisite rooms, opulent VIP amenities, and the island's longest pool, stretching over 220 meters.
A "spa village" will soon be part of the hotel, complemented by a spacious ballroom for major events, scheduled to open in March 2025.
For Christina, however, the ambitious undertaking has gone beyond merely offering rooms and luxurious amenities.
The Po family aims to provide an experience where guests genuinely feel at home.
Moreover, they place a strong emphasis on caring for their staff, a holistic approach fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and part of the Mandarin family.
Christina said, "A lot of times, we talk to our team. And we tell them about how we're not selling rooms here. Because if you are just selling a room and a bed and the aircon, then you can just go anywhere.
"People don't go on vacation to sleep in a nicer room. That's a nice thing. But people come on a vacation to feel taken cared of.
"And so for our team, we always say, I mean, it's far from perfect. We have a lot of things that we are working on.
"But we believe that our team knows that we are on this process of really taking care, not just of our guests, but of our team also.
"Because if we don't take care of our team, how will we make our guests happy? So this is all something we're really trying to do because we believe that that's something the hotel industry needs, the hospitality industry needs also.
"We believe in making people happy. Not just our guests but also our team members."
HOLIDAY RESORT EXPERIENCE
As Christmas Day approaches, Christina shared that guests can anticipate many exciting offerings from Mandarin Premiere hotels.
Christina said, "Boracay is actually a tradition for a lot of families. A lot of families come to Boracay because they want to spend Christmas and New Year here, especially New Year, it's so beautiful."
Naturally, the festive season wouldn't be complete without their elaborate decorations.
Mandarin Premiere is particularly proud of its life-sized gingerbread house situated in the lobby of Mandarin Bay Resort and Spa.
Christina said, "We're going to have a lot of activities also for kids during the Christmas season.
"We have our gingerbread house. It's made of real gingerbread. So you can really smell the gingerbread in the lobby. It adds such a festive feel."
Christina continued revealing that thwy will have exquisite food offerings for Noche Buena on Christmas Eve and Media Noche on New Year's Eve at La Fiesta, the Filipino buffet-style restaurant at the five-star resort.
"This year we're very excited because we have new offerings like La Fiesta. We're going to have our Christmas buffet, our dinner buffet.
"Even for our other properties, we also have offerings for food. We do a buffet dinner for both Christmas and New Year. And that all comes with a program talaga.
"It's not just a meal. We have entertainers. We have a theme. I think each hotel in Boracay brings a different theme.
"So for us also, for each property, we have different themes of what each hotel can bring. So we're very excited to show that to our guests also."
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