Running a leisure hotel in a world-famous beach destination during a pandemic is no easy task. But Elmar Lina, the new general manager of Belmont Hotel Boracay is up to the challenge.
“Our story is no different from the rest of the stakeholders in the travel and hospitality industry,” Lina told Getaway.ph. “With the obvious decline on the demand for leisure travels brought about by this pandemic, we immediately looked into solutions to cut our losses.”
Lina said they diverted their attention from things they cannot control to opportunities that they can focus on. This includes taking care and empowering its people, creating more memorable stays, keeping in touch with loyal guests, and optimizing cost efficiency down to the last centavo.
What makes facing a difficult situation like this is a team of associates who value the spirit of teamwork or “bayanihan.” In these trying times, having people who continuously find ways to look for business opportunities without compromising their guests’ amazing experiences is a huge advantage.
“The pandemic pushed us to redefine our creativity, approach, and level of competitiveness,” said Lina, who graduated with a degree in Accounting.
Before taking up the reigns as Belmont Hotel Boracay’s general manager, Lina was first a Duty Manager under the Rooms division in Hilton and Marco Polo. With his strong desire to learn various functions of hotel operations and administrative roles, he moved to handling revenue management, sports & leisure, and then villa management.
“All of those previous roles led me to become a General Manager and I am grateful to the proud leadership of Megaworld Hotels by entrusting Belmont Hotel Boracay under my stewardship. Taking on this role gives me the privilege and responsibility to pay forward the knowledge and skills that I’ve picked up and learned in my journey,” said Lina, who concurrently serves as officer-in-charge for Savoy Hotel Boracay.
As to how he plans to keep Belmont thriving despite the continued lockdowns and many travelers who are still not comfortable to leave their houses, Lina said it’s all about making things more interesting.
To do this, Belmont rolled out romantic getaways and barkada trips for those who want to cherish the freedom of traveling again. For those who are looking for a change in their usual work-from-home situation, the hotel is offering their 5 days and 4 nights “Workcation” promo for as low as P13,580 with inclusions of P2,000 F&B credits, 60-minute massage at Aqua Spa, complimentary use of a meeting room, and non-motorized activities for two people.
To make sure their guests and employees maintain their health while staying at Belmont, Lina said they had put in place strict safety protocols to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmissions.
Belmont’s steadfast commitment has always been to offer its guests an extraordinary experience in a safe environment. Guided by this philosophy and the management of Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, the hotel follows the Safe Stay Campaign, a brand mandate that ensures they follow national, local, and branded property protocols that promote sanitation practices within its premises.
“We have also enhanced our safety procedures through the use of Ultraviolet-C light disinfection tools that effectively sanitize all interior and exterior spaces and surfaces in the hotel,” Lina said. “To ensure human touch is still felt, our Duty Managers contact each and every guest to make sure they have a truly personalized stay and that health and safety concerns are successfully addressed.”
A room “seal” process is also being implemented before it becomes available for occupancy again. All seating capacities at the restaurants are reduced to 50 percent. Electrostatic foggers are used each day before service commences. Hand sanitizer stations are available for guests and associates, and physical distancing is strictly encouraged by standing at least six feet away.