Hotels in Cebu City are full packed with local and foreign tourists mostly here to witness the city’s premier festival, Sinulog. It is celebrated every third Sunday of January. In 2014, Sinulog week falls from January 17 to 19.

In fact, Hotels, Resorts and Restaurant Association [HRRAC] head in Cebu, Cenelyn Manguilimotan, said most lodgings in the city “are running high” starting on the 17th of January, Sinulog being a major crowd drawer among the many festivals of Cebu. Manguilimotan assures that most of the hotels are now set for Sinulog.

Room Vacancy Lessens by the Day

To give us a picture of the excitement gaining in the city, Cebu Marriott Hotel PR Manager Charlene Go said their hotel occupancy is increasing by the day and is expected to go up further as Sinulog approaches. Marco Polo, on the other hand, is reportedly full for the festival weekend.

Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu is occupied by both local and foreign guests, said Ann Olalo who is director for sales and marketing of the hotel. Lots of Cebu hotels are confident of reaching no less than 100 percent occupancy by the weekend. But Best Western Lex Cebu has already declared no vacancy status through its general manager Bernard Tanchan.

Earlier on, Regional Director Rowena Montecillo of the Department of Tourism 7 said Sinulog is the biggest tourist attraction in the first quarter of the year, bringing in massive crowds from all over to experience the almost month-long event.

Hotels Gear Up for Sinulog

To keep their guests more excited throughout the celebration, hotels come up with various relevant gimmicks. Activities like face painting and street dancing hype up tourists and make them anticipate the best in the festivity, Go of Marriott Hotel said. Moreover, Marriott will provide guests with Sinulog kits which contain festival info, city events and programs, plus maps. Even survival kits will be handed out.

For their part, refreshments and pastries booths will be set up in different spots where the festivities will be held to add color and variety to Sinulog, Janine Vienna Matig-a of Best Western Lex Cebu said. In addition, she said Best Western Lex is all set for Sinulog and even have extra rooms, just in case.

Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, conversely, offers add-ons to their room package, said Kyra Cabaero, who is the hotel’s PR and Media Communications manager. This includes transfers to the Marco Polo Plaza grandstand and back, grandstand seats facing Mango Avenue, face painting, and parade paraphernalia.

Radisson Blu Hotel will offer Cebuano food and beverage as part of their preparation for the Sinulog week, said Olalo.

Cebuano Cuisines Special Feature

On January 17, the Pasundayag Sugbu event will highlight native Cebuano cuisines, Manguilimotan announced, who is also general manager of Cebu Parklane International Hotel. Incidentally, this event will also feature a Sinulog dance preview.