MACTAN, CEBU – Cebu’s already upbeat tourism industry is expected to get a further boost following the recent recognition of a resort-hotel in Mactan Island as the top 16th resort destination in Asia.

For the second consecutive time, Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards cited Plantation Bay Resort and Spa as the only five-star Filipino resort in the prestigious, New York-published magazine’s Annual Readers’ Choice Awards in 2009.
Conde Nast Traveler is focused on upscale, luxury travel and reviews top-of-the-line hotels and travel-related products and services.

“The recognition is a challenge for us in terms of sustaining international standards. The award is just an icing on the cake. It is always our practice to adhere to quality service and good management,” said Plantation Bay Resort and Spa General Manager, Efren Belarmino.

He added, “This reinforces our credibility as a lifestyle resort. This also shows we can cater to the most discriminating guests.”

In a related interview Saturday, Department of Tourism Undersecretary for Special Concerns Phineas Alburo lauded Plantation Bay for again making it to the elite Conde Nast award, adding that the award is expected to draw more tourists to Cebu.
“When you get such a prestigious award, you open a window for tourists, especially those from the high-end market, to visit Cebu. They will not only see the resort but get to visit the rest of Cebu and the Philippines. It spreads from thereon,” Alburo said.

Plantation Bay, which has just gone through a major renovation project for its 256 rooms, cited the Conde Nast report which showed that as of 2008, the resort has maintained its 16th spot out of 25 Top Asian Resorts with a score of 88.5. It is the highest-rated property in the Philippines, surpassing the four Manila-based hotels listed in the Top 100 Hotels in Asia.

Plantation Bay also ranked higher than some luxury resorts belonging to international chains, such as the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, Hawaii (85.9) and the Four Seasons Resort Provence at Terre Blanche, France (84.4).

It is the only Philippine resort among the 330 worldwide resorts with winning scores surpassing some resorts in Thailand and Indonesia like Koh Samui, Phuket, Bali and Langkawi, a release from Plantation Bay read.

For it to qualify in the Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, a property must reach a certain minimum number of responses.

A resort’s score represents the percentage of respondents who rated the property excellent or very good on specific criteria: Activities/facilities, food/dining, location, overall design, rooms and service.

In 2008, three of Plantation Bay’s restaurant also made it to Philippine Tatlers’ Best Restaurants for 2008.