Red Planet opens first budget hotel in BGC

With the wide array of posh and luxurious hotels in Bonifacio Global City, a budget hotel proved that it is not impossible to go against big names in the hotel industry.

This 30 May, Red Planet Hotels will unveil its 14th property, ushering economical yet cozy 245 rooms strategically located at the heart of BGC in Taguig City.

Red Planet BGC, a privately owned and operated by a Japanese-listed company, is strategically located near 9th Avenue in BGC, which offers easy access to Taguig's premium spots within a 6-minute walk.

“We are the first budget hotel inside BGC. Also, we have in Davao, Cagayan De Oro, Cebu, and Clark. We have 10 hotels in Manila and four outside the NCR,” said Florent Humeau, CEO of Red Planet in a media interview on Monday.

He said they remain considerate in putting up budget hotels in other tourist destinations such as Boracay and Baguio City.

Compared to its 13 hotels scattered all over the country, Humeau said Red Planet BGC is the most innovative, equipped with cutting-edge technology, including Google Chromecast for seamless streaming of movies and shows, and advanced WiFi 6 for faster speeds and broader coverage.

Aside from it, he said Red Planet Hotel is the only budget hotel that is pet-friendly.

“We have chosen BGC because it is one of the most attractive areas in Manila. We are targeting business-oriented clients, so, BGC is a target for us, as most of the big companies are here or moved here. There is an opportunity for us here. We also accept pets here, namely small dogs and cats,” he said.

Double-digit targets

Meanwhile, the Red Planet Hotels CEO said they anticipate a double-digit growth in its revenue this year in line with a new branch set to open this month, an executive official said.

Humeau said they aim for a 20 percent increase in revenue by end-2024.

“We saw last year in the last quarter a really surge in demand in business and usually the best year of the year for us is from October, November, December is very high demand. So we see a huge growth from that,” Humeau said.

He added that currently, their revenues are reaching the pre-pandemic level and are approximately above the level in 2023. Red Planet cited the growth of tourism, and the return of government and corporate business as reasons for the good performance of their hotels.

“We expect a lot from this hotel. This hotel will be the number one in revenue for sure,” he added.

Moreover, Humeau stated that the budget hotel industry in the Philippines has experienced significant growth over the past decade.

Currently, the country hosts more than 15,000 budget hotel rooms, catering to a diverse clientele of domestic and international travelers.