Fit for a president: The hotel owned by one of Manila’s richest men that is home to Xi Jinping during Apec summit
Lure of the Century Park is due to security logistics and its owner, a Filipino-Chinese tycoon
Plenty of eyebrows were raised when the police-escorted motorcade carrying President Xi Jinping on his arrival in Manila stopped at the lobby of a decades-old hotel far from the city’s business centre of Makati.
Read more: Full coverage of the 2015 Apec summit
The Century Park Hotel was little known even to the press officers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, who had to look it up on the internet in response to media requests.
The hotel is owned by Filipino-Chinese tycoon Lucio Tan, a famed patriot who was among the dignitaries appearing at Tiananmen Gate for Beijing’s military parade on September 3.
“It’s necessary to heighten security when the top Chinese leader is staying in [your hotel]. Besides hotel security guards, both the Chinese and Philippine governments sent security officers,” the tycoon’s son Michael Tan said, adding that Xi’s delegation was “a large team”.
The hotel had been on complete lockdown since the night before Xi arrived, with only the Chinese delegation and hotel staff allowed to walk on the roads in front of its entrance.
Xi’s delegation are the only guests at the 19-storey, 478-room hotel during the summit.
“The Chinese were happy with what they saw before Xi’s arrival, even the parking lot nearby was on lockdown,” he said.
State leaders often choose hotels based on security logistics. American presidents visiting the Philippines usually stay at the Sofitel, close to the US embassy.
Manila has beefed up security since the attacks in Paris.
Traffic has been rerouted around the hotels where leaders are staying. Most hotels allow the public to enter after screening.
Our hotel has received so many Chinese leaders, including Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin and other leaders
“It’s my family’s honour to receive President Xi, just like my father’s participation in the military parade,” Michael Tan said.
“Our hotel has received so many Chinese leaders, including Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin and other leaders.”
Jiang stayed there for an Apec summit in 1996, while Hu was received by Lucio Tan in April 2005 during a state visit, according to a website owned by Lucio Tan.
The hotel was built in 1973 and acquired by Tan’s family in 1985. It received a Chinese delegation led by Li Peng , the former premier, in 2002.
Lucio Tan, 81, was born in Jinjiang , Fujian. He moved to Manila with his parents in 1938 and formed his family business in 1966.
He is one of the five richest men in the Philippines, with a net worth of US$3.9 billion, according to Forbes.
