Megaworld Hotels named first Muslim-friendly Philippine chain 

Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, the largest hotel developer and operator in the Philippines, was recognized as the Philippines’ first “Muslim-Friendly Hotel Chain” by CrescentRating, a leading authority on halal-friendly travel. The award was presented at the Halal in Travel Awards 2025 in Singapore, according to a report by Manila Standard.

This marks the first time CrescentRating has given such an award, highlighting Megaworld’s efforts to promote inclusive travel and create welcoming spaces and services for Muslim guests.

“We congratulate all the men and women of Megaworld Hotels & Resorts for this remarkable milestone, especially in taking a bolder step in achieving our company’s thrust on inclusivity and cultural diversity across our townships,” said Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso, president of Megaworld Corp.

Cleofe Albiso, managing director of Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, cited the group’s commitment to inclusive hospitality in her acceptance speech.

“This milestone is more than an award. It reflects the Philippines’ growing spirit of openness, learning, and cultural harmony. It is our heartfelt invitation to our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world—to make the Philippines, Asia’s Pearl of the Orient, your next home away from home,” she said.

“As we celebrate this moment, we are reminded that inclusion is not an endpoint—it is a continuous path of learning, listening, and improving. We know there is still more to do, and we embrace that with open hearts and renewed purpose,” said Albiso.

CrescentRating annually recognizes efforts to promote halal travel, aiming to help the global tourism industry better serve Muslim travelers. This recognition for Megaworld Hotels & Resorts follows the Philippines’ recent designation as an “Emerging Muslim-Friendly Destination” for the past two years, aligning with the national government’s National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023–2028, which prioritizes halal tourism.

“It is really encouraging to see how the Philippines has focused on developing the infrastructure, the capacity, and the capability to welcome Muslim travelers,” said Fazal Bahardeen, chief executive of Crescent Rating and HalalTrip.

“The outcome of these is what we see in Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, how the bigger brands in the Philippines have embraced the Muslim travel market. It is really great to see a hotel chain having 13 properties that are Muslim-friendly,” said Bahardeen.

The Department of Tourism (DOT), under Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, has actively promoted halal and Muslim-friendly tourism, issuing Memorandum Circular 2024-003 in April 2024, which outlines guidelines for Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Establishments (MFAE).

Following this, the DOT and Megaworld Hotels & Resorts signed a memorandum of understanding at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

Within nine months, all 13 Megaworld properties were officially recognized as 100-percent MFAE, making Megaworld the first hotel group in the Philippines to achieve this rapidly.

“Megaworld Hotels & Resorts has been a steadfast partner of the Department of Tourism in advancing inclusive and culturally sensitive tourism. We congratulate them on this historic recognition as the first-ever Muslim-Friendly Hotel Chain by CrescentRating—an achievement that reflects both their commitment to innovation and their embrace of the Filipino brand of hospitality,” said Frasco.

Six Megaworld hotels — Kingsford Hotel Manila, Grand Westside Hotel, Hotel Lucky Chinatown, Savoy Hotel Boracay, Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown, and Belmont Hotel Mactan — have halal-certified kitchens, certified by the Halal International Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines (HICCIP).