SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (SMHCC), a member of the SM Group under SM Prime Holdings Inc., is opening 1,700 new hotel rooms in the next four years, largely in the provincial areas to serve the growing local tourism industry.

In a statement, SM Hotels said it is adding over 1,400 hotel rooms in the growth areas of Cauayan City, Isabela; Laguna; Cebu South Road Properties (SRP); Dasmariñas, Cavite; Laoag City; Olongapo Central and Clark, Pampanga. 

Meanwhile, around 300 rooms will be added in Metro Manila for a combined count of 1,700 rooms for both NCR and the provinces by 2028.

As of April 24, 2024, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reported 2,010,522 million tourist arrivals in the country. It projects a baseline target of 7.7 million tourists this year. 

“We are ready to support the growth in tourism as we move even closer to emerging regions to provide Filipinos and foreign travelers alike with quality accommodation,” said SMHCC Executive Vice President Peggy Angeles. 

She added that, “Our hotel expansion contributes to the development of local economies, further creating jobs and boosting tourism and local growth through the increased demand for services and local products.”

As SM plans to extend its footprint across the country, it said it is poised to generate many livelihood opportunities, directly and indirectly benefiting local communities.

The development phase of new projects entails many workers for direct employment opportunities. These include architects, engineers, construction workers, and other skilled workers. 

Inside these developments, there are opportunities for positions in hotel and convention centers from front desk associates, and housekeeping to chefs, security officers and administrative-related positions.

For indirect employment opportunities, the SM group relies on the partnerships of local players and suppliers for food, beverages, and other goods to better serve the communities. 

It leads to the creation of increasing demand for local products and services, while also driving growth for MSMEs in the area. 

Depending on the project's scale, a larger scale development for direct and indirect livelihood opportunities can generate 150-200 full-time roles per project. 

SM Hotels recently launched Lanson Place, Mall of Asia. This milestone further bolsters the company’s portfolio as it enters the serviced suites category.

This expands SM Hotel’s current footprint to 10 hotels and over 2,601 rooms, six conventions centers, and two trade halls with over 42,000 sqm of leasable space as of end-2023. 

SM Hotels also expressed optimism in the potential growth outlook of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) in the Philippines. 

In March earlier this year, SMX Convention Center Manila was named the Philippines’ Best Convention Center in the recently concluded World MICE Awards. 

The recognition realizes the advocacy of SM to only uphold the highest level of quality in hosting and organizing events in its convention centers. 

Anchored on its Seven Green Goals (7Gs), SM Hotels consciously directs its efforts to support the communities where it operates. 

These goals are based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), which cover Consumption, Diversion, Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG), Sustainable Tourism, Water, Diversity and Equal Opportunity. 

One of SM Hotels' recent projects -- Tela Tales, teaches underserved members of its communities to convert used linens from its hotels into beautiful handwoven bags. This initiative promotes social entrepreneurship and aims to create more livelihood opportunities for the community.

This comes on top of ensuring at least 60 percent of employees in any SM Hotels property are local residents of the community. 

In addition, the company also prioritizes locally sourced products to have its food and beverage suppliers in support of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) where it operates. Wherever possible, SM Hotels partners and supports the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) program of SM Foundation, Inc.

“Guided by our 7Gs, SM Hotels is dedicated to uplift the communities it serves. We strive to create livelihood opportunities in the areas where we operate to strengthen local partnerships and foster inclusive economic growth,” said Angeles.