Taal Vista Hotel (TVH), one of the country’s pioneer hotels and among the best along the Tagaytay Ridge, hosted the recent 23rd national convention of the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines (ATOP).
The three-day event, the group’s first physical mass gathering since the pandemic, was attended by 1,055 delegates from local governments, local chief executives and recipients of the ATOP Pearl Awards from all over the country.
The four-star, Department of Tourism-accredited accommodation was chosen as venue of the confab because of its splendid convention facilities and meeting rooms, 262 well-appointed bedrooms and suites, several food and beverage outlets and boutique shops, and various ancillary services.
TVH boasts of a 1,292-person grand ballroom, seven 58-person capacity function rooms, a view deck and premiere garden which can hold 947 and 448 persons, respectively.
One of the properties of the SM Hotels and Convention Corp. (SMHCC), TVH is a leading MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism center, south of Metro Manila, which has hosted prestigious national and international government and private events in recent years.
Opened in 1939 as the Taal Vista Lodge, it is considered as a heritage hotel because of its being part of historic Philippine events, particularly during World War II when it became a quarters of Imperial Japanese Army officers and later on, for American Army officers from the 11th Airborne Division who parachuted along the Tagaytay Ridge to assist in the liberation of Manila in February 1945.
To highlight its historic past, it offers “A Walk Through Time,” a one-hour guided walking tour through the colorful history and heritage of the hotel, Taal Volcano, and Tagaytay City, as depicted in the photo wall of carefully curated vintage pictures. The tour is paired with packages rooms, meals and afternoon tea for guests.
The ATOP convention, which registered the biggest attendance in the group’s history, was hosted by the Province of Cavite and the City of Tagaytay, and supported by the DOT and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).
As part of the familiarization of the province’s destinations, the delegates visited historic, natural, culinary, leading establishments, farm tourism and wellness attractions.