The Caylabne Escapade

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2007-01-28T05:19:00.000-08:00

In line with the objectives of the Tourism 182 Class on Resort and Club Management, a field study was arranged for the class to Caylabne Bay in Ternate, Cavite. The field study was from Jan. 20 to 21, 2007.

T-182 is the management and operations of clubs and resort hotels and their services, including the technical and administrative aspects. Thus, it is important that an actual field study of a triple A resort be conducted for better discussion in class.

Caylabne Bay in Ternate, Cavite is an excellent choice as it provides the following ideal environment conditions imperative for the learning of future resort managers, based on the modular syllabus of the course:

Module 1 on Introduction to Resort Concepts – the resort allows the students to observe two resort kinds – a seaside and mountainside resort

Module 2 on the Resort Guest – the resort allows for contact of students to a world-class market with distinctive tastes, the market that they will be training for to cater to

Module 3 on Resort Planning and Development – the resort allows the students an excellent avenue to observe a well-planned themed resort

Module 4 on Resort Facilities: Planning and Design – the resort allows the students to observe a wide range of facilities, from several dining options, to a variety of accommodation options, and the well laid out resort complex

Module 5 on Guest Activity Programming – the resort offers a variety of guest activities that the students can experience and benchmark for future guest activity planning

Module 6 on Marketing the Resort – the resort has an excellent marketing campaign from its website to its brochures and collaterals which can contribute to student learning

Module 7 on Resort Operations and Management – the resort has an effective organization structure, with efficient resort employees who can give the students a clear picture of back-of-house and front-of-the-house management practices

You may want to visi their website at http://caylabne.com.ph

Mediterranean Hideaway

2007-01-01T23:56:00.000-08:00

Caylabne Bay Resort is a resort-hotel located in Ternate, Cavite. It has a deluxe and bedroom suite type of rooms. Our class which was composed of 33 persons opted to stay in the resort’s villas. These villas are two bedroom suites with an area of 150 sq. meters. Our group of five stayed in room 503M along with the other group of three persons who on the other hand stayed on the other room, 503G. The villa where we stayed was a Spanish Mediterranean-themed hideaway. Every room has two bedrooms with a double bed and two bathrooms. A safety deposit box was also available. It has a balcony and terrace that let you view the resort’s panorama. Its facilities include a 21-inch colored television, a mini refrigerator, and a mini bar. Aside from these, it has a living and dining areas that give a very open and spacious appearance to the place and thus allows movement for longer stay.

Our group’s sum total experience in this accommodation was satisfying. Although the room was only good for four persons, we decided not to let anyone from our group to be separated from us. In the end we were five people accommodating the room which suddenly became smaller while the other room’s occupants seemed to jump and talk in echoes for the much wider space.

We had the trip on Saturday and Sunday and an exam the incoming Monday. We slept late because of this but studying had been pleasing for the atmosphere and lighting of the room was aptly equipped even for this purpose. There was even a bible that we believed reflected their considerations on their visitors’ religious belief.

The whole room was centralized that we were almost chattering on the later night.

The TV was not cable and we were left out with nothing else but to wait for the next movie the operator would play. We waited in vain.

In the toilet, there was no bathtub but there are bath facilities with hot & cold water. Everything was in order. There were an extra towel, a bath rug, a set of shampoos and bath soaps, a tissue paper, and a waste bin. There was one thing left forgotten though, there was no toothbrush.

Oh, joy. =)

Overindulgence

2007-01-01T23:52:00.000-08:00

It’s more than a week already since we had our trip in Caylabne Bay. I must say, I really enjoyed our trip there. There were a lot of activities, pleasant view of the mountains and sea, the nice ambience and of course the food…. (only shows I’m a food addict, who’s not anyway?)
Before arriving in caylabne bay, we were already informed that we are going to have buffet meals. 2 buffet lunches, 1 buffet dinner, 1 buffet breakfast and 2 snacks. Sad to say, we weren’t able to avail our snacks which is very bad for the resort in terms of meeting customer’s expectations. As far as I’m concern, in this industry, you must not only meet the expectations you settled with your customers but as much as possible, exceed it.

Me? On diet? No way! =)

I was very optimistic with the food, I’m thinking of crabs, shrimps and all the mouthwatering sea foods. However, we only had crabs in our lunch on the first day. But, that’s okay since there are other dishes but most of these are beef and pork. They only have one dish of fish on every meal. Too bad for those who are in diet (good thing I’m not one of them). But anyway, I really appreciated that they prepared a complete course of food for us, from the soup/chowder, salad, main dish till the dessert. I just hope that we also had juice or any other beverage except for the water and coffee.

I also remembered that we always have a potato dish every time we have our meal; either fried potato, mashed potato or sliced potato with white sauce. They also never run out of watermelon, pineapple and papaya. That’s why it made me think that the resort has its own plantation of those fruits and crops.

Empty plates. Full tummies.

On our second day, I noticed that the foods they are serving are usually Filipino dishes which really match the structure of the restaurant which has a tropical theme. However, I think it could have been better if they only have one theme for the complex, if they want the resort to be a tropical resort, then everything must be tropical, if they want a European styled resort, everything must be European. The problem is the restaurant is very Filipino but the hotel suites are very Mediterranean. Contradicting, right?

But anyway, enough for my criticisms, I have to say goodbye for now. It’s already 9 o’clock and I still have to study for our quiz tomorrow in tour 182. Ow! I’m just hoping that the exam is EASY. =)

articles

2007-01-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

Caylabne Escapade: All about the resort
Getting There: How to get there
Overindulgence: Food and... more food!
Mediterranean Hideaway: Accomodation in Caylabne Bay Resort
The Who: Getting to know Sir Mon and more!
Vending Caylabne: Marketing the resort
Crusin' Caylabne: Amenities and activities in Caylabne Bay Resort

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Hi. We have no Haloscan here for your comments. But, if you want to, you can use the Tagboard instead. We would like to hear from you. Thanks. ;)

The Who

2007-01-01T06:19:00.000-08:00

A photo op with Sir Miguel Manuel

Upon reaching the resort, we are welcomed by the staff at front office. They seved us with some refshments which really helped after our long and hot trip. They greeted and smile at us which really made us feel at ease at the place. Then we headed to the restaurant to eat. The place was so big we don't know where to go. We are expecting that one of the staff there will assist us to find the restaurant but they did'nt do it which made me think that hey, you expect us to find the restaurant immediately at this super big property without at least guving us directions? Whew, or we were just really hungry at that time that we easily get irritated?

At the restaurant, we were assisted by the waiters. To be fair, they are accommodating to our requests, even taking our pictures.

After satisfying our stomachs, the manager, Sir Mon and anoher staff took us on a tour around the resort discussing and explaining evey details that we should know about the place, facilities and others. They also answered our questions directly. I was impressed that even he was only six months in that position, he was able to deliver the informations with expertise.

The resort offers different activities and water sports. They have staffs in charge of these and they treated us properly. The man on the cruise handled the boat very well that agve me the impression that they have been doing this for a long time and we are safe. This is important because for me, the staff should be good so that their guests will feel that their lives are safe at their hands.

Sir Mon knows everything you need to know about the resort.

On our second day, we had a discussion with the manager and one of the front office personnel. There he explained to us the organizational structure of the resort and the different departments that composes the resort. He answered the questions from the students and told us that they are open for any suggestions, reactions and compalins if any. One of my classmates ask about the training that their staffs are getting because some of them seems not to get enough o9f that training. The manager admitted that the staff only have the basic training but they are planning to give more exensive training for them to be able to render excellent service to their guests. He said that they are really looking forward for more improvents for their resort and one of these is at their human resources. As Sir Mon Said, “ the biggest room is the room for improvement."

gallery

2007-01-01T05:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some of our pictures during the trip. Click to enlarge. ;)

Waiting in vain in AIT

Road Trip

At the lobby

Buffet

Luau Party

Beach

Villa Vanity

Meet and Greet

Tour

Gaming Room

Sunset Cruise

Cruising Caylabne

2007-01-01T01:42:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for the Sunset Cruise

When we were given the itinerary for our two-day trip in Caylabne Bay, there were these activities that really caught our interest: the sunset cruise and the luau party. We were looking forward to experiencing the sunset while sailing and having our dinner and costume party in the sea shore. The plan was really promising, and we ended up expecting loads of exhilaration from the trip.

We were the first group to sail for the sunset cruise. That was around 4:30pm, quite early to see the sunset. Since we were given only 30 minutes to enjoy our cruise trip, we made the best out of it by laughing, shouting and exerting our best effort not to lose our grip in the handles while our brave boat bravely faced the angry waves. It was not a sunset cruise after all. Definitely, no sunset! It was just a plain joy ride.

After the thrilling ride, we prepared ourselves for our much-awaited dinner and luau party. Mr. and Mrs. Hover and our group shared the same table. We enthusiastically exchanged stories, jokes and thoughts, including the issue on Magic Sing which, according to the waiter, was to be provided by Ms. Hover. After eating, we started the party. We had our group presentation… And, that was it! We thought that there would be sort of dancing, but disappointingly, there was none. Sigh! Since there was nothing left to do, some of us took that opportunity to have a night swimming at the pool while the rest of us went to Marina Bar to check if a party was going on there. Unfortunately, there was none! Marina Bar was a place for people who want to drink alcoholic beverages, play billiards and/or darts. And we certainly were not for that place. Talking about disappointments, we’ve got two that day!

The second day of the trip was more of knowing the resort well. The manager facilitated a seminar for us to tackle internal details and issues of the resort. We had this at a fully-air-conditioned conference room. The atmosphere was very professional, which was good, but the room was pretty small. Supposedly, a row seats six people. In our case, some rows were filled with seven students.

We had our lunch after the seminar, and then we packed our things. Before we had our departure, we visited their souvenir shop. It was very small with very few souvenir items. We ended up not buying anything.

Generally speaking, Caylabne Bay is a very beautiful resort. It is a place suited for relaxation and recreation. It has basketball court, tennis court, soccer field and aqua bikes. It is perfect for nature-lovers. But despite of these advantages, there is still a need for improvement. The resort has to be in ability of catering all the needs and wants of their visitors. A bigger souvenir shop for one..=D

profiles

2007-01-01T01:02:00.000-08:00

The owners of this website are these 5 ladies. All of them are studying in Asian Institute of Tourism, University of the Philippines, Diliman.

ADZ

Adz is a 19-year-old girl with a mind of a 12-year-old kid. She loves blogging, Friendster-ing and YM-ing and goes by the name superadz in the Cyberworld. She has tried rappeling, and cried a couple of times after doing it. She has low tolerance on spicy food and would never ever dare eat again a red hot chili pepper. She's HOT enough anyway. ;) For more, visit her website here.

DAYAN

The author is a first-timer. Wore a two-piece swimsuit the first time. Been on a field trip the first time. Went to Cavite the first time. Experienced a sunset cruise the first time. Even learned that she could feel that calmness on board a speeding boat against the current the first time. That makes her a virgin.

RAM
Ramllyn enjoys reading novels during her free time. When she feels like relaxing, she gets a cup of tea and play Mozart on her cd player. Whenever she has the time, she never fails to go to the movie house and watch the latest movie. In school you could easily spot her either in the lobby or in the library hanging with her friends. You would rarely see her alone because she is someone who is full of spirit. Thus, she always wants to have some good time with the people she loves. She dreams of becoming a flight attendant by the time she graduates because traveling is her passion. But since she’s not too confident about her height, she also considers working in a hotel as another option.

CAREN

Caren loves going to the beach and enjoys nature tripping. She is interested in meeting people at different places and knowing more about their ways of living. She dreams of travelling around the world someday

MAU

Mau is just a simple girl with simple hopes and dreams. Guess, what that is, to be a hotel or resort owner 7 years after graduating in AIT. Very simple indeed!

ACE

The author likes to be called as ACE. This Aquarian's birthday is coming sooner and would love to get a gift from you. She is a carefree person who loves to read books and watch TV. She is not a fan of music. No, no. Her voice tells you so. She is a parsimonious. She believes that one must always be optimistic and live life to its fullest.

KARLA

Karla is a very bubbly and high-spirited person. "No dull moment with Karlita talaga." She does not believe thatat first impression lasts because people always come up with a not-so-good first impression on her, and more often than not, she proves them wrong. She considers herself a sexist. She so loves her girlfriends, so as her boyfriends. ;) But beware, this girl can be a b*tch sometimes. =P

Vending Caylabne

2007-01-01T00:44:00.000-08:00

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.

links

2007-01-01T00:16:00.000-08:00

University of the Philippines Diliman
UP Asian Institute of Tourism
Peyups
CRS
Department of Tourism
Caylabne Bay Resort

Friendster
Multiply
UAAP
UP AIT Students' Blog
Bottomless Happiness

Caylabne Escapade

2007-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Caylabne Bay Resort is a Filipino-owned corporation which is a partnership between Kuok Properties Philippines, Inc. and the Virata Group, a Philippine entrepreneurial group headed by Luis Juan L. Virata. It is situated in a cove at Caylabne Point, Cavite with a total land area of 160 hectares. It is surrounded by these islands: El Fraile, Caballo, La Monja, Carabao, and Corregidor. The resort is aimed at providing its guests with convenient and accessible leisure/vacation destination for families, business professionals and tourists alike by offering variety of activities catering to all age brackets with food and beverage offerings, by delivering excellent personalized service and by providing areas for team buildings and creative theme setups for meals. Just 90 kilometers south of Manila, Caylabne Bay Resort is a panorama of pristine beaches and virgin forests. It is best known for its wide expanse of white sand embraced by a boundless blanket of water.

Our stay at Caylabne Bay Resort is a great experience for us because not only did we have the time to relax and enjoy, we also had the opportunity to meet people from the resort industry. By sharing their experiences, thoughts and opinions to us, we learned things that we cannot just learn inside the classroom. We were treated well by the staffs and they were all very accommodating. Unfortunately, the itinerary was not strictly followed. It all started when we arrived at the resort later than we expected. There has been a miscommunication between the marketing manager of the resort and our facilitator. The snacks that we were expecting to have weren’t provided. And some of our classmates have not experienced the sunset cruise. But even though the itinerary was not exactly followed, the important activities such as the seminar and open forum still pushed through and that’s the most important thing. The ambiance in Caylabne Bay Resort was really nice. The lush tress, green grass and the clear blue sea make the resort a great place to be close to nature and unwind. The design of the villas makes you feel like you’re in another country because of its Spanish Mediterranean theme. As a resort that was once owned by the Marcoses, it’s no wonder why the area was carefully planned and developed. The resort property is really big in terms of land are and there are still a lot of unused properties in the area which the developers could develop. Having a good marketing strategy, it wouldn’t be a surprise if this resort becomes the number resort in Luzon. The staffs of the resort also believe in this too because according to Mr. Miguel Manuel, he sees Caylabne Bay Resort as a tourism establishment that will flourish in the future.