SM Prime Holdings Inc., the integrated property development arm of the SM Group, is open to bringing InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)’s fast-growing premium brand voco to the Philippine market following their successful partnership in China.
‘I think because of the experience in China, we’ll try to see if we can do something in Manila,’ SM Prime president Jeffrey Lim said.
‘So it depends. But if you see this (voco) hotel, it looks really good. And there is no voco yet in Manila,’ he said.
In June, SM Prime opened voco Xiamen SM City, a 325-room upscale hotel with direct access to the SM Xiamen shopping center.
The over P4-billion investment was SM Prime’s maiden hotel venture in China, strengthening its strategic presence in the country where the group’s founder, the late taipan Henry Sy Sr., was born.
Voco hotels is IHG’s fastest-growing premium brand which offers a hotel experience that is ‘consistently thoughtful and distinct,’ providing an ‘inviting and unstuffy atmosphere’ which create a space where guests can unwind and feel at ease.
As of March 2026, there were 137 open and operating voco hotels globally.
Lim said SM Prime has plenty of locations in the Philippines for potential hotel developments.
‘Like even in Mall of Asia alone, we still have areas. And with the reclamation, there will be more. We already have some plans for the reclamation, and we will have hotels in that area,’ he said.
SM Prime’s ongoing reclamation project, previously called as Pasay 360 but is now being referred to as Smart City and SM Bay City, is the company’s most transformative integrated property development that is intended to be developed into an urban estate that fuses connectivity, sustainability, livability, tourism and commerce.
The project is a 360-hectare development that the company is undertaking with the Pasay City local government unit.
It will be connected to the Mall of Asia complex and turned into a vibrant business district featuring world-class mall, offices, residences, entertainment arena, five-star hotel and convention center.