Vending Caylabne

How do resorts differ? One puts up a bar on top of a mountain, another would place a shopping mall, with perfect view of the setting sun; one comes up with a scuba diving activity, another would do just the same, or worse, even better.

Caylabne Bay is one such resort with a couple of other resort right under its nose. Sure, there’s the DOT accreditation and a Triple A rating. But what does it do exactly? Authorize them to sprinkle the food they serve with gold ores so they could price it the golden way. But that is beside the point.

Koreans playing volleball

Apparently, Caylabne is for those who can pay. They have function rooms for businessmen who are less hesitant to spend (since its their company’s money anyway). And who wouldn’t want to befriend Koreans now that they start their grand invasion of the Philippines?

They don’t want people who love bird watching though. But they’d take you in if you were the type of person who would take the trouble of climbing a mountain just so you could it. Or maybe it’s just a strategy – they’d tire you to death on the way up so you’d be famished, then you’d buy more food! Could be. =)

But I couldn’t help going back to the “what makes it different” question. Because its not just the mountain or just the sea, but both? You could find dozens of that in Cagayan Valley. Because of its Victorian-inspired villas? Others could just as easily build igloos. Because it’s near Manila? Oh, come on! Or because it’s Triple A? Couldn’t comment any further.

Then how do they bring people in? People like us?

To have us go there, they cut their prices. They are willing to bargain only to have guests. And that’s not a bad idea at all if you want people to like your place! Nothing beats an affordable price (keeping in mind the other stuff it offers of course). They also came up with membership programs to make their guests return at lower prices and more perks.

Not all resorts have a website and links to other travel websites. Caylabne has this nice little page on the Internet where you’d really be awed by the photos. And the website lets you know just about everything about the resort: except what I need to write this paper.

But those things are of little value. I agree with the Manager at the Open Forum, in the end it’s the service that defines the experience. The kind of service they deliver takes precedence. It’s how their guest feels while staying and interacting with the employees that matters. It’s the big shot marketing they have, defining and branding their resort through the service they give.

And I think that Manager is smart. He knows that by focusing on the service, they’d have a shimmer-y little future ahead. Even if it wouldn’t create a household recognition; at least Caylabne would then have a definition.