Iloilo City has 4,700 hotel rooms ready for MICE events

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

ILOILO CITY – Iloilo City can host several large-scale events at the same time, with convention venues able to seat about 25,000 participants and at least 4,700 hotel rooms available for delegates, the Iloilo City Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Center said.

MICE Center Director Maria Lea Victoria Lara said the city’s accommodation inventory covers 4,700 rooms in 49 audited hotels, including the newly opened Belmont Hotel Iloilo.

That capacity could grow further if motels, inns, pension houses, and Airbnb units are counted, she said.

Data from the city government’s Business Permits and Licensing Division showed 55 hotels, three motels, 18 inns, 23 pension houses, 525 apartment buildings, and 1,863 boarding houses hold business permits.

Not all 55 permitted hotels are operating, Lara said, leaving 49 available for event bookings.

She said the combined floor areas of the city’s venues allow Iloilo City to accommodate about 25,000 participants if all function rooms are used at once for multiple events.

The Iloilo Convention Center remains the largest standalone venue, seating 3,500 to 4,000 people depending on the event layout and seating configuration.

The convention center opened in 2015 ahead of the city’s hosting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings, and it has since anchored Iloilo City’s push to attract national conventions.

Convention capacity is expected to expand with the completion of Grandium, a mixed-use development along Diversion Road scheduled to open this year with a function hall seating about 2,000.

Lara made the remarks after the recent Philippine Councilors League assembly, which drew more than 5,400 delegates and stretched the city’s hotel capacity.

The league is the national organization of city and municipal councilors, and its assemblies routinely draw thousands of delegates from across the country.

The influx pushed some delegates to stay in motels, while councilors from Iloilo reportedly gave up their hotel rooms to visiting delegates from other provinces and cities.

Lara said the city has enough accommodation if organizers coordinate with the MICE Center well in advance.

“If the request is for 5,500 delegates and reservations are made early, room sharing can be arranged. We also have pension houses, inns and Airbnb units that can be utilized,” she said on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Iloilo City has hosted events with more than 11,000 participants by using multiple venues for simultaneous plenary sessions and related activities, she said.

“Preparation is key. The earlier that you can reach out to the MICE Center, the more assistance we can give you,” she said.

The MICE Center assists organizers by coordinating with hotels, facilitating meetings with stakeholders, and recommending venues and logistical arrangements.

Organizers may seek help through the city’s MICE guidebook, by submitting a formal request to the Office of the Mayor, or by visiting the Visit Iloilo City website.

The website serves as the official online portal of the Iloilo City MICE Center, offering a one-stop source of information on venues, accommodations, transportation services, event calendars, incentives, and other resources for convention planners.

“We are appealing to those planning to hold events in Iloilo City to connect with us early so we can help address their requirements. It is very easy to stage events here when preparations begin early,” Lara said.

The growing number of organizations choosing Iloilo City reflects its rising standing as one of the country’s emerging convention destinations, she said.

“They have to really come in early with their events because there are many that are interested. It is a good problem. That is our directive because we want to be a MICE hub,” she said.

Lara said the city is also seeking more investments in the MICE sector, particularly in larger convention facilities and business event infrastructure.

“We really need investments in bigger convention facilities. We are open,” she said.

The city government has been positioning Iloilo City as a premier MICE destination in Western Visayas by expanding tourism infrastructure, strengthening public-private partnerships, and promoting the city as a venue for national and international conventions, exhibitions, and business events.