A tale of two Sedas

It’s worth recalling that Cebu was double-hit by disasters in recent years: the COVID crisis starting in 2020, followed by typhoon Odette in December 2021. In typical fashion, Cebu canceled its lockdowns and got back on its feet earlier than Metro Manila, and used its skills and resilience to get over power outages and crippling damages quicker than most.

Two Seda properties now straddle Cebu City — Seda Central Bloc Cebu in its I.T. Park and Seda Ayala Center Cebu located within the Business Park area.

With more to come in the future, these two hotels tell part of the story of how Seda brings out the best in this City of the South.

When the Ayala-owned Marriott here was rebranded as Seda Ayala Center Cebu in 2018, it took sharp management to guide the transition. Not to mention protecting the new Seda when Odette hit. Enter general manager Gwen Dela Cruz.

Gwen mentions her past experience helped when Odette came. Managing another storm-hit hotel (Shangri-La) had taught her to place the pool furniture “in the pool” during the typhoon so it would be weighed down, not tossed around in the air; it worked; “not a single window or glass door” was smashed during the height of Odette.

They even won an award for it at last year’s Singapore Employee Experience Awards, where Seda Ayala Central Cebu won for Best Crisis Leadership and Management.

Sustainability is another factor for this hotel. They use Japanese GUUN company “reverse osmosis” technology to recycle the hotel’s water — even sharing it with neighbors during the typhoon power outages.

Seda Ayala Center Cebu sits in the hub of Cebu Business Park, alongside the massive Ayala Center Cebu. With 232 Deluxe rooms (king and twin beds), 50 Club rooms (king and twin), 16 Junior Suites, two Club Suites and one Seda Suite, it’s got all the conference space you’d need (its 300-pax halls were fully booked on our arrival), plus the signature Misto buffet and a Club Lounge on the 12th floor serving breakfast, cocktails (5-7:30 p.m.) and snacks for Club guests.

Some changes took place when it became Seda. The lobby chandeliers, maroon tones and curtains of Marriott were replaced with Filipino touches: lobby furniture, lanterns