For many businesses, meetings and conferences are key to developing new clients as well as keeping employee morale high. This also means that the choice of venue plays an important role in creating an atmosphere that is conducive to both productivity and leisure.
In the heart of Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown, Megaworld’s Hotel Lucky Chinatown has been steadily building a reputation as the top destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) with its well-appointed meeting rooms and ballrooms.
In an exclusive lunch meeting arranged by Megaworld Hotels and Resorts’ group director of public relations Nico Ivan Velasquez, Hotel Lucky Chinatown general manager Jeremy Go and area director for sales and marketing for Hotel Lucky Chinatown and Kingsford Hotel Manila Gigi Gaw shared with Malaya Business Insight the distinctive offerings of HLC.
“Hotel Lucky Chinatown is fast becoming a hub for government offices and businesses to hold their meetings. There are a lot of government agencies within the area, and with the development of new roads and the new bridge, the hotel has become more accessible for people living in Quezon City, Pasay, and other farther areas,” Go shared.
The hotel currently offers three different ballrooms: the Escolta ballroom with a floor space of 225 sqm, and the Ongpin and Benavidez ballrooms, which are perfect for smaller events with floor areas of 123 sqm and 113 sqm respectively. All three of these ballrooms can be combined to form the grand ballroom, which has a total capacity of 461 sqm, comfortably seating 350 people in a banquet setup, making it a perfect fit for large-scale events such as exhibitions and conferences. The ballrooms all offer a high ceiling of 12ft, giving an airy feel to the space and allowing for larger light and sound installations for a more impactful event.
Hotel Lucky Chinatown also offers four meeting rooms for smaller functions. These can be arranged in several configurations, from boardroom-type layouts for executive meetings to classroom types for training and seminar purposes.
Leisure is also key to maintaining productivity. Recognizing that some downtime is needed to keep spirits up, the hotel has crafted hybrid meeting packages priced at P1,888 per person that aim to combine business and leisure for its MICE clients. These packages allow companies to get a taste of Chinatown while providing a space to hold company-wide events for employees.
In the morning, clients can use the ballrooms or meeting rooms for business activities. As a special treat, before the meeting or event starts, clients will also be given a chance to learn how to write their own name in Chinese via ink brush on paper. After business has concluded in the afternoon, guests are then whisked off for a guided walking food crawl around Binondo to savor some of the culinary gems that the area offers.
“There will be eight stops during our food tour. Guests will have their own private tour guide, and there will be several activities that guests can join. These include hopia making as well as a tour of Binondo Museum,” Go said. The hotel can also work with clients to provide a shorter tour for those with tighter time constraints.
The hotel has also taken steps to make the food tour a comfortable experience for the participants. Each guest will be given a bag filled with goodies and bottled water to keep them hydrated. Parasols will also be handed out to help shield against the summer sun as guests roam around Binondo. Bigger contingents will be broken up into smaller groups, with a minimum of five people and a maximum of ten. Each group will visit the different stops at varying times to minimize congestion and ensure that guests have ample time at each stop to enjoy the dishes and delicacies served to them.
“In each stop, there will be selected food inclusions that guests will be able to try. Over the course of the tour, guests will be able to try dumplings, fried siopao, fresh lumpia, and so much more. They can also buy other food items for pasalubong if they wish to do so,” Go added.
While it is recommended to do the food tour on foot, Hotel Lucky Chinatown also offers an e-trike version for those who would be unable to do so for a small additional fee of P700.
After the food crawl, guests will then be given a tour at the Binondo Chinatown Museum located at the adjoining Lucky Chinatown Mall. The museum gives a glimpse of the history of Binondo, from its humble beginnings to the influx of Chinese merchants that gave rise to the vibrant community that now stands today.
The meeting and tour package is also aimed at companies that want to hold company get-togethers during the summer. “It is a good respite away from business. It is a culturally enriching experience for employees, and since Binondo is in the heart of Metro Manila, there is no need to go out of town to experience something different,” Go stated.
“It can be difficult to come up with creative ideas to engage company employees. But with this meeting and food tour package, there is a baseline template that companies can then tailor-fit for their needs. From a baseline rate, companies can then add on additional services. If they want to top up for an e-trike ride, they can do so. If they want to stay overnight, the rooms can be had at a discounted rate,” Gaw said.
