The big day isn’t until December but the celebrations start now!
In true Davao and Mindanao fashion, Dottie Wurgler-Cronin, Marco Polo Davao General Manager, banged the gong signaling the start of the yearlong celebration.
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| GM Dottie Wurgler-Cronin signals the commencement of the yearlong 18th anniversry celebration of Marco Polo Davao. |
Mindanao’s first and only premier hotel will celebrate its 18th year anniversary on December 17, 2016. “It was in 1998 when the first Marco Polo hotel was established here in the Philippines. The journey of the explorer started here in Davao. Today Marco Polo has reached Cebu and Manila,” said Dottie, the first lady General Manager of Marco Polo Davao.
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| PR Manager Josef Ledesma sharing the good things coming at Marco Polo |
The road to the big party was kicked off with a James Bond-themed New Year’s ball and a charity auction and turnover ceremony of the Marco Polo Hotels donation to the Philippine Eagle Foundation. The total amount raised for the endangered National Bird totaled to more than P 1-million.
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| Always a partner of the Philippine Eagle Foundation. A donation of more than P1million to the preservation of the engangered Philippine eagle was a good start for Marco Polo |
The intimate gathering with the media guests came next. GM Dottie gave a sneak peak of the promotions lined up for 2016. The coming months will drumbeat the big party at the end of the year.
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| A peek at the Valentine's offering of Polo Bistro |
Listed are the Chinese New Year celebration on February 8 will have the Dragons and dancing for good luck, the “Message in a Bottle” themed Valentine’s Day on February 14, a jewelry fashion show in middle of this year, a “Marco Polo Musical Gala”, which is organized together with its properties in Cebu and Manila, among the many.
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| The second course of the Valentines menu |
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| Norwegian Salmon for the fifth course of the menu. |
“These activities, among many others, will highlight the hotel’s coming-of-age. It has also been a meaningful 18 years for Marco Polo Davao, and we believe that the hotel has blossomed into a top-of-mind and most premier hotel in Mindanao because of your continued support. Rest assured that this will be a very festive year for everyone”, said the GM.
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| Who knows if your sweet end to the meal will start an even sweeter things to come. |
For a taste of the Love Month’s offering, we were invited to the Polo Bistro, the poolside dining area, to have first dibs on the Valentine special created by Executive Sous Chef Alex Destriza. Order it with a bottle of wine and you’ll win your date’s heart.
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| Executive Sous Chef Alex Destriza conceptualizes a hearty menu that will win everyone's hearts |
I can’t wait what else in store for the year at Marco Polo. They started it right and I’m looking forward to a year of great events especially in December when the birthday girl gets her eighteen roses.
Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com. For more lifestyle & travel stories, visit http://apples-and-lemons.blogspot.com and http://jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com.
Published in the SunStar Davao newspaper on January 24, 2016.
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