THE HEIGHT OF THRILL

TRAVEL / TOURISM
D-11
Sunday: November 2, 2008
By LESTER GOPELA HALLIG
http://beta2.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=411998&publicationSubCategoryId=87

Cebu City’s Crown Regency Hotel &Towers is considered the tallest hotel building in the country. That should clue you in that this is no ordinary hotel. For in this 40-story building, entertainment is taken to new heights through its Sky Experience Adventure.

Literally at the top of this latest attraction is the Edge Coaster. It is the world’s very first and only amusement ride of its kind. Consider: the Edge Coaster goes around the edge of the building’s 38th floor while riders are strapped onto a rail seat.

While riders will be rewarded here with a breathtaking view of the city, the Edge Coaster has another trick that will take your breath away – you can pull a lever that can tilt your seat up to 55 degrees. For thrill-seekers, this is the way to go. Even those who want to defy their fear of heights might as well take themselves for a ride here.

This is just the tip of Crown Regency’s innovative iceberg. It is, after all, the brainchild of Richard King, president and CEO of J King & Sons Inc.

“The Edge Coaster is a new concept. You cannot find anything like this in the world. The idea is to make our new developments the attraction of that destination. So if you are in Cebu City, whether you’re a guest here or staying elsewhere, you will want to come to see us,” says King.

He promises that the daring ride is a hundred-percent safe. Fact is, all the rides comprising the Sky Experience Adventure have seats securely held by double-redundant restraint systems.
If one has to ask, yes, it took specially made equipment for Crown Regency to bring up the rides to the top of the building.

“We are definitely elevating the hospitality industry to that of entertainment. Our future resorts and hotels will have their own Sky Experience Adventures. For Cebu, we are offering a whole new set of attractions,” he adds.

Part of that set is the Sky Walk Extreme. You must take that name literally as well. While you’re strapped to a safety harness, you can walk around the edge of Crown’s 37th floor. Talk about a walk in the clouds.

King reveals that another crazy ride is coming in 2010: the Insanity Orbit. This particular ride extends from the 40th floor of the hotel. It is an inverted centrifuge that will get this spin passengers at up to three ‘G’s’!

“It is going to be the second ride of its kind in the world. We patterned it after the Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas. The best part is that it pulls the riders out in escape-proof seats to an angle of 70 degrees,” he explains. “It will tilt you facing straight down from the 40thfloor!”

He chuckles, “Those daring enough will take that ride. Even the plain curious will come to this tower. Everybody will want to. I would have to say that we should be proud that we are starting all this here in Cebu.”

Those who simply want to enjoy themselves at this high playground have a lot going for them, too. At the 38th floor, there’s the Sky Observatory, which offers a spectacular view of the city with coin-operated binoculars and telescopes, and the Sky Bar. The bar’s floors are made of thick clear glass so guests can look down at the city below their feet.

Crown Regency Cebu, which opened in 2005, also houses such restaurants as the Sparkz RestoBar, Wang Shan Lo Chinese Cuisine, Night Talk Lounge, and Stratus Fine Dining, and a gaming arcade called Vivo Gamezone.

With all these trail-blazing features in a hotel, one wonders where King finds his creative streak. King, who is an engineer by profession, replies, “I’ve always been creative. Even when I was still in school, I thought differently. I look at things beyond, not what is in front. I always make my own analysis. I think like a customer.”

He cites the hotel’s Club Ultima, a lifestyle club that boasts of the most modern and complete facilities and amenities. With new and exciting attractions and developments on his plate, do not expect King to slow down just one bit.

As one of the fastest growing hotel chains in the country, Crown Regency is constructing additional hotels. The most notable among these is their Boracay hotel.

“It will be the biggest hotel in Boracay with 457 rooms and a water park. It is an attraction in itself. It will likewise have its own Sky Experience Adventure, just like our other future projects,” he discloses.

But of course, the hottest ticket this side of the world will be the Sky Experience Adventure.
He muses, “I think everybody’s looking forward to these new happenings.”

And that include us.

Crown Regency Hotel & Towers is located at Fuente Tower, Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City.
If you are interested in investments in Central Cebu City where the 41-story Crown Regency Hotel & Towers with sky experience adventure and 23-story Club Ultima with integrated wellness and health facilities are located, please contact:

Daisy Guo
Fuente Triangle Realty Development Corp.
International Marketing Assistant
E-mail: ftrdcmarketing@gmail.com or info@cebucondoreview.co.cc
Cell: (+63917) 462-1174
Skype & Yahoo! Messenger: daisy_guo_onlinemarketing
My website: http://www.cebucondoreview.co.cc
My wordpress: http://daisyguoonlinemarketing.wordpress.com/