Megaworld, fresh from the launch of their Upper East Township development in Bacolod, announced their plan of building their first luxury hotel concept in the 34-hectare former sugarcane estate and refinery, a press release said. To the delight of heritage conservationsts, they will utilize the Araneta Farmhouse and Guesthouses, which once served as transient housing for the executives of the Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company and the Araneta Group, as the core of its luxury development. 

To be designed by renowned heritage architect and conservationist Dominic Galicia, the hotel will have the old structures undergo ‘adaptive reuse’ to form part of its complex. Galicia was the architect of the redesigned building of the National Museum of Natural History in Manila, which opened late last year. 

“The entire hotel complex is anchored in the oldest structure, and it expands from this like wings, with the Ballroom Wing to the left, and the Guest Room Wing to the right.  As a landmark of Bacolod, it will express the noble intent of remembering and anchoring in a glorious past as we move towards what we dream to be a glorious future,” explains Architect Dominic Galicia.

This P500-million boutique hotel along the township’s six-lane Upper East Avenue, will feature 48 spacious suites, an all-day dining restaurant, café, courtyard, swimming pool and pool deck, fitness center, lanai, and its own Zabana Bar, Megaworld’s signature hotel bar concept.

The hotel ballroom, which will be connected to an expansive tropical garden, will become the city’s biggest hotel ballroom facility that can fit around 1,000 guests in a banquet setting. It can also be divided into three separate ballrooms for smaller event requirements. Beside the Main Hall will be another wing that used to house the guest rooms for visitors, which will be converted into a ballroom facility.

‘This luxury boutique hotel will be another landmark in The Upper East. The hotel will be a perfect venue for conventions, weddings and memorable celebrations as it integrates an outdoor garden setting into its ballroom facility. Megaworld is keen on helping boost the MICE tourism industry of Bacolod,” says Rachelle Peñaflorida, vice president for sales and marketing, Megaworld Bacolod.

Megaworld Bacolod also announced that they will add two penthouse floors to their originally 9-storey One Regis, which will now total 12 floors. This is in the light of its record-breaking sales, with all floors sold out in 2 weeks. On the hand, the luxury hotel development is expected to be completed in 2022.*