LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu – Cebu’s tourism industry has been further beefed up with the opening last Wednesday of the P4.5-billion Korean-led Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa, located in Bry. Maribago in Mactan Island.

Cebu’s latest hotel-resort development stands on an eight-hectare property and includes a 557-room condominium-hotel and resort project consisting of six medium rise buildings and 24 villas complete with water park resort amenities.

Lee Cheol-hee, President of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort & Spa, said the hotel-resort is proud of its spacious rooms, unique cuisine and a water adventure facility.

The resort is developed by Philippine BXT Corporation (Phil-BXT), a company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission organized in 2005 with the aim of developing world class resort facilities to complement Mactan's existing hotel-resort establishments.

“Almost three years have passed since the hotel’s construction in July 2006 and now we are proud of the product that we have introduced to Cebu,” said Imperial Palace General Manager Richie Kang.

Although Imperial Palace is partly a Korean investment, Kang said the hotel is targeting to attract guests of different nationalities including Japanese, Chinese, Europeans, and those from Northern America.

“We don't want to be known as just a Korean hotel. We're happy to be part of Philippine tourism. There are similarities between Korea and the Philippines so we also want to be identified with the Cebuano community,” he said.

Imperial Palace’s niche amongst the various international resort-hotel chains established in Cebu are its immense waterpark facilities that features an island pool, adventure pool- wave rider, and water slides all of which make the resort-hotel an ideal leisure destination among families.