Montebello Gets Makeover Yet Keeps Tradition

Montebello Villa Hotel may have brought changes into its rooms lately but its President and General Manager Luis Martin Alvarez said this once exclusive, member’s only country club has kept its heritage look reminiscent of the time his father constructed it 44 years ago.

Alvarez said the renovation started in 2009 wherein standard and de luxe rooms had a total makeover from tiles to ceilings, electronics to furniture and fixtures. Last year, the hotel finished the conversion of the 43 superior rooms into premiere ones to meet the growing demands for a comfortable and a restful stay. These premiere rooms include a porch which leads to the adjacent garden.

Alvarez-Borromeo Development Corp., the company behind Montebello, spent at least P400 million for the seven-year renovation, but it is all worth it said Alvarez.

The general manager said since they had introduced high quality rooms to their guests, their occupancy rate had grown to 75 percent for this month alone compared to the past six months which was at 65 percent. Years back, he said, they would only “meet the target”.

About 55 percent of Montebello’s guests, Alvarez shared, go for leisure while 20 percent come for seminars or workshops organized by the government and the rest are just walk-in customers. He said Americans, Japanese and Koreans are their top-three foreign guests the past many months.

But even with the high quality accommodation, Alvarez said their rates have not gone high.

By next year, he said the rest of the rooms will be renovated to complete the whole package of a brand-new Montebello. But Alvarez said they may have introduced new changes to the hotel, its laidback setting–with a wide expanse of garden by the pool, trees and other vegetation in all corners, a man-made lagoon—and and its old charms (antique furniture and art pieces, wood carvings) are still very evident. At the bottom of the stairs of La Terreza (the restaurant by the poolside) still has the handprints of Miss Universe 1979 winners. Kirk Tarona, the hotel’s marketing manager, the Miss Universe 1979 ladies were guests at the hotel that year and to remember their stay they were made to leave their handprints at the wet cement which now serves as the restaurants stairs landing.

The sprawling 3.5-hectare garden resort hotel had the last addition to its low-rise buildings in 1979; it was the lobby. The last renovation it had was in the 1990s. Alvarez said they have to adapt to the changing times so travelers can experience the grandiose blends of charming heritage and contemporary chic in their extensively refurbished rooms.