Those who live “anywhere else” cannot, however, say that all’s lost for them. After all, they have a chance to experience the south by staying in a Microtel Inn & Suites hotel. Fact is, there are two Microtels here: Microtel Sto. Tomas, Batangas and Microtel Eagle Ridge, Cavite.

Microtel Batangas is located in the First Philippine Industrial Park in Sto. Tomas town, while Microtel Eagle Ridge is inside the Eagle Ridge Golf & Residential Estate in Gen. Trias, Cavite.

Microtel Batangas at the First Philippine Industrial Park in Sto. Tomas town has suites (right) and double rooms (far right), all offering Microtel’s trademark creature comforts.

While both are located in different surroundings — one in a business area, and the other in a leisure spot — guests will be glad to know that they will enjoy the kick-back-and-relax atmosphere of the south. Plus, these Microtels are the same great hotels everywhere they go. The location may be different, but Microtel’s trademark creature comforts are the same.

Of course, we cannot miss their chiropractic-approved mattresses. Sleep well, and let the beds care for your back. There is also the complimentary breakfast, the cable TV, the multi-function phone system, the Internet-ready port, the fully automated fire safety system, and a lot more.

Microtel Sto. Tomas has met the approval of discriminating expats and locals alike who work within the 300-hectare industrial estate. It even has its own pool, and provides access to the Malarayat Golf & Country Club, and an oasis gym with covered tennis and basketball courts.

Microtel Eagle Ridge, on the other hand, has the golf and country club as its advantage. Eagle Ridge is known in the golf world for its four championship courses designed by Isao Aoki, Andy Dye, Nick Faldo, and Greg Norman. There are also provisions for sports, recreation, food and beverage, and meetings. It is also a leisurely drive to Tagaytay City.

While all these are good news to the ever-growing number of Pinoy tourists looking for excellent places to stay, these Microtels are also looking after the needs of the communities they serve.

“Microtel Batangas won the Community Relations Award last year. We represented the Philippines and competed with the other Microtel brands in the US,” says Norman Eusebio, Microtel area general manager for South Luzon. “We help maintain peace and order within the community to encourage more businesses.”

Eusebio adds that Microtel’s corporate social responsibility program extends to education, health, and sports. Their education programs are linked with schools and partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). They also have the Stay & Learn package wherein students learn about basic hotel operations and management. Plus, they adopt schools and help improve learning conditions in partnership with the Department of Education.

Their feeding program adopts six schools with 40 malnourished kids from each class. Eusebio says, “We want to make a difference with this five-month program.”

“We likewise hold medical missions. Recently, we donated linens to local hospitals. Since our tagline is ‘Life could be better,’ we really take that seriously,” Eusebio says. “It is also our priority to invest in tourism. In Batangas, we are anchored on ecotourism.”

Microtel Eagle Ridge resident manager Maggie Gabutin says, “In Cavite, we do our part in helping promote the province’s tourist destinations. We did our own tour to make, say, students aware that there’s more to Cavite’s tourism than Tagaytay.”

Gabutin shares, “We have also become the choice of company seminars. We have ‘Theme Building’ wherein we offer themed seminars: Amazing Race, Wet ‘n Wild, Art Attack, Sports Fest, Iron Chef, Wild Wild West, Artistic Director, and Boot Camp. Our guests are given access to the clubhouse.”

“Because of our packages, we get to help small-medium enterprises in our own way. We increase tourism value in the area and partner with small local business,” she says.

The hotels’ advocacy also covers becoming green hotels. Eusebio says, “We want to take care of the environment. We use solar panels. The lights we buy and use are energy-savers. It is all about making a difference.”

We are very sure all this is just the start. Way to go, south.

This is an article by Lester Gopela Hallig (The Philippine Star)