With its embrace of diversity and commitment to inclusive travel by providing safe spaces for Muslim guests, Megaworld Hotels and Resorts recently secured the country’s first-ever ‘Muslim-Friendly Hotel Chain’ recognition by CrescentRating, the world’s leading authority on halal-friendly travel, at the Halal in Travel Awards 2025 in Singapore.

“We congratulate all the men and women of Megaworld Hotels & Resorts for this remarkable milestone, most especially in taking a bolder step in achieving our company’s thrust on inclusivity and cultural diversity across our townships,” says Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso, President of Megaworld Corporation, in a statement on Saturday.

Cleofe Albiso, Managing Director of Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, in her acceptance speech, expressed deep gratitude for the recognition and highlighted the group’s vision of inclusive hospitality: “This milestone is more than an award. It reflects the Philippines’ growing spirit of openness, learning, and cultural harmony. It is our heartfelt invitation to our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world—to make the Philippines, Asia’s Pearl of the Orient, your next home away from home.”

“As we celebrate this moment, we are reminded that inclusion is not an endpoint—it is a continuous path of learning, listening, and improving. We know there is still more to do, and we embrace that with open hearts and renewed purpose. We will continue to ensure that peaceful and restful stays are wrapped in the warmth of Filipino hospitality—the kind the world has come to cherish, and our Muslim travelers can call their own, and the kind we call the Sampaguita Brand of service excellence,” she added.

Yearly, CrescentRating recognizes efforts focused on promoting and enriching halal travel as part of its broader mission to empower the global tourism industry to better understand and meet the needs of Muslim travelers through research, insights, and strategic guidance.

The recognition given to Megaworld Hotels & Resorts builds on the Philippines’ recent recognition as an ‘Emerging Muslim-Friendly Destination’ for the past two years, which also reinforces the country’s growing role in halal tourism.

The momentum aligns with the national government’s National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023–2028, which identifies halal tourism as a priority product.

“It is encouraging to see how the Philippines has focused on developing the infrastructure, the capacity, and the capability to welcome Muslim travelers. The outcome of these is what we see in Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, how the bigger brands in the Philippines have embraced the Muslim travel market. It is great to see a hotel chain having 13 properties that are Muslim-friendly,” Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating and HalalTrip, said.

Under the leadership of Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, the Department of Tourism (DoT) has actively promoted halal and Muslim-friendly tourism, issuing Memorandum Circular 2024-003 or the Amended Guidelines Governing the Operations and Recognition of Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Establishments on April 16, 2024—further strengthening the agency’s commitment to inclusive tourism.

Soon after, the DoT and Megaworld Hotels & Resorts signed a Memorandum of Understanding during the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

In just nine months, all 13 of Megaworld’s properties were officially recognized as 100 percent Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Establishments, making the hotel group the first in the Philippines to achieve the milestone in record time.

In light of this achievement, Secretary Frasco expressed her heartfelt congratulations: “Megaworld Hotels & Resorts has been a steadfast partner of the Department of Tourism in advancing inclusive and culturally sensitive tourism. We congratulate them on this historic recognition as the first-ever Muslim-Friendly Hotel Chain by CrescentRating—an achievement that reflects both their commitment to innovation and their embrace of the Filipino brand of hospitality. This milestone reinforces our shared vision of making the Philippines a home for all travelers, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world,” Secretary Frasco said.

Complementing its accommodations, Megaworld Hotels & Resorts also ensures halal-certified kitchens in six of its hotels—Kingsford Hotel Manila, Grand Westside Hotel, Hotel Lucky Chinatown, Savoy Hotel Boracay, Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown, and Belmont Hotel Mactan.

Each facility is certified by the Halal International Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines.

Moreover, Megaworld, in partnership with the DoT and the local government of Malay, Aklan, launched Marhaba Boracay, a pioneering project that transformed a 300-meter stretch of white sand beach at Cove 2 in Boracay Newcoast into a dedicated Muslim-friendly zone, complete with family-oriented amenities and private spaces thoughtfully designed for Muslim women and children.