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Robinsons Hotels recognized as Muslim-friendly by DOT

Article (news)

Jekki Pascual

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768908981854616812981_1398321032343149_8020522421453660836_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Department of Tourism recognizes 21 hotels of Robinsons Hotels &amp; Resorts as Muslim-friendly. They have halal menu, prayer rooms &amp; some rooms with Qibla directional guide. Jekki Pascual, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Department of Tourism recognizes 21 hotels of Robinsons Hotels &amp; Resorts as Muslim-friendly. They have halal menu, prayer rooms &amp; some rooms with Qibla directional guide. <em>Jekki Pascual, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Department of Tourism has recognized all 21 hotels of Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR) as Muslim-friendly. This brings the total to 51 hotels officially approved by the DOT as friendly to Muslim visitors.</p><p>At a ceremony in Makati, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said recognizing Muslim-friendly establishments will help entice more visitors to come and stay in the Philippines, particularly those coming from the Middle East and other Muslim-majority countries.</p><p>“They will experience the cultural sensitivity, the inclusivity, and the very specialized care that is the result of both their brand as well as their collaboration with the DOT,” Frasco said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/food-travel/2025/11/3/halal-town-eyed-in-manila-1532">Halal Town eyed in Manila</a></div><p>RHR Senior Vice President and Business Unit General Manager Barun Jolly said they are happy to follow the guidelines set by the DOT, adding that this will improve tourist arrivals and tourism spend in general. RHR owns several hotels, including Summit Hotels, Go Hotels, and NUSTAR, among others.</p><p>“Middle East traveller is a booming travel segment that you must tap into… This is something that will not just get us a high number of travelers, but travelers who have a much higher spend per person. Because Middle Eastern travelers tend to spend a lot more per head,” he added. </p><div><strong>What makes a hotel Muslim-friendly?</strong></div><p>According to DOT Usec. Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar, who heads the Halal Tourism and Muslim Concerns office, said they have specific guidelines on what makes establishments Muslim-friendly. This covers the rooms, the food, the facilities, and the training of hotel workers on how to interact with visitors from Muslim-majority nations.</p><p>“At least 5 percent of guest rooms are equipped with Qibla direction, prayer mats, and Quran availability. These establishments also provide facilities for ablution, designated prayer rooms with separate spaces for male and female guests,” Valderrosa-Abubakar said.</p><p>Jolly added that their staff are also trained. </p><p>“What is the right interaction level? For example, I’ll give you a very minor example, in the Philippines, it’s ok to shake hands with everyone, right? It might not be the same when you are dealing with travelers from Muslim countries.”</p><p>Frasco said DOT is in talks with many hotel chains to also follow the guidelines to be Muslim-friendly. She said this will help beef up the number of tourists and tourism spending as the country recently approved visa-free entry for Indian and Chinese tourists. She added that more flights were also added between Manila and the United Arab Emirates.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/16/marcos-joins-muslim-community-in-observing-al-isra-wal-mi-raj-0846">Marcos joins Muslim community in observing Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj</a></div><p>The initiative will also help the country welcome more visitors from ASEAN members, some of whom are Muslims. The Philippines hosts ASEAN meetings this year.</p>

<p>The Department of Tourism has recognized all 21 hotels of Robinsons Hotels and Resorts as Muslim-friendly.</p>

The Department of Tourism has recognized all 21 hotels of Robinsons Hotels and Resorts as Muslim-friendly.