De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) reopens to the public, in a press launch last August 20, its Hotel Benilde Maison De La Salle, the first and only premier hotel school in the country, after almost a year of renovation.
During the recently concluded press launch, lunch prepared by the students was served to over 20 invited media organizations from newspaper, magazine, and television as part of its showcase. Afterwhich, selected School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (SHRIM) students led the guests in a tour of the hotel facilities.
DLS-CSB pioneered the “hotel-school” concept when it opened CSB Hotel in 1996 as a hands-on training laboratory for Benildeans who want to be entrepreneurs, hoteliers and restaurateurs in the local and worldwide hospitality industry. In 1999, the hotel expanded to include guest rooms, function rooms, and gourmet food and beverage in its services and facilities. The hotel temporarily closed last year, eventually emerging this year as Hotel Benilde.
Speakers in the press launch panel were Bro. Dennis Magbanua FSC (Broden), President and Chancellor of DLS-CSB; Mr. Robert Tang, Vice Chancellor for Academics; Mr. Benhur Ong, Vice Chancellor for Administration; Mr. Gil Acuña, Hospitality and Tourism track Program Chair; and Mr. Dennis Sebastian, Hotel Benilde General Manager.
According to Mr. Tang, the hotel serves as a venue where students can acquire actual experience through customer interaction. The first-hand experience they encounter teaches them early, on in their education, the best ways of handling the good and bad situations that commonly occur in the industry. As a result, their performance in their respective workplace after graduation is nothing short of professional. Broden considers them “industry-ready.” In fact, as Mr. Geronio Ulayao, SHRIM dean, shared Benildean graduates are trained in the ”discipline of fair business practices anchored on Lasallian values.” The training focuses not only on the remuneration but on the service itself.
“We position ourselves academically [as] the forerunner [of] hospitality and tourism education,” he said. “We have to step up the competition,” while “moving away from traditional ventures and case studies.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Ong considers the re-opening of the hotel as a “major renovation” and a major investment on the part of the school. It cost around Php 250 Million to re-build the four-floor establishment. “We want the DNA [of St. La Salle] to be there,” Mr. Ong shared, referring to the rabat-like icon seen throughout the interior of the hotel.
Broden said that the hotel has a modern and minimalistic feel to it, which “[respond to] the [technological] needs of the guests.”
“When we say renovate, it was not [just] about renovating the rooms, but we renovated the experience.”
Mr. Sebastian also summarized the quality of their service: “five-star amenities with a three-star price.”
“We just want to know what we can do,” referring to the development of the hotel-school industry. We “do not compare” [ourselves to] other hotels. Instead, Broden reiterated that Hotel Benilde is a “teaching hotel” whose main focus is not on the competition, but in “blazing the trail.”
The program ended with closing remarks by Broden encouraging media to be partners to share stories of encouragement and motivation.
“We take pride in this milestone opening of our Hotel Benilde because it reaffirms our school’s commitment to education as our means of fulfilling our mission,” said Broden.
Hotel Benilde has 49 guest rooms overlooking Makati and Manila. It also has two restaurants namely Café Romançon and Vatel Restaurant, and areas for events.
The grand opening for their target markets are on September 3 and 8.
