The new hotel chain is opening its first property, Grafik Hotel Pine House in Baguio City, by the end of 2025.
Elegant accommodations, tasty cuisines, and warm customer service—all these make for an enjoyable vacation. But to have a truly memorable break, it’ll be good to pick a location that truly energizes you—one that gives you a new experience.
Enter Grafik Hotel Collection, the up-and-coming experiential hotel chain of Filinvest’s hospitality management arm, Chroma Hospitality Inc. This collection of distinctive properties “speak their own language, shaped by their surroundings,” according to Chroma.
It aims to offer guests top-rate amenities and, at the same time, a deeper sense of travel by immersing them in the culture, history, and daily life of their locations. They are designed for the curious travelers who visit various parts of the country not just to see, but to feel.
“We found that in the market in the Philippines, there was a gap for people to go to a hotel that would give them opportunities to immerse themselves in the destination. So what we are trying to do with Grafik Hotel is take on experiential travel,” said Chroma Hospitality Inc. country manager James Montenegro. The hotel executive spoke with The POST during the launch of Grafik Hotel Collection in Whitespace Manila on May 20.
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Chroma is fulfilling its commitment to showcase local culture through partnerships and collaborations with local artisans in the cities where it is constructing its properties. Montenegro explained, “We are working to build more collaborations to bring out the uniqueness of the city, to harness what makes the destination different. It could be the cuisine, culture, or arts and crafts. It could actually be just a simple story that’s untold about the destination.”
Guests can expect to see this in the hotel’s design, which draws from local textures, landscapes, and materials that inspire creativity and calm. It can also be found in as simple as the hotel’s location, which Chroma says, is rich in history, “whether it be a vibrant cultural enclave, a tranquil coastal town, or a creative urban hub.”
To provide a deeper understanding of local culture, Grafik is also offering activities exclusive to guests of its properties. These bespoke experiences are rooted in local narratives, like weaving traditions and coral reef explorations, allowing each stay to feel deeply connected to its setting.
“I think what makes Grafik Hotel Collection different from our other hotels is that it blends the local environment and the local culture, arts, and crafts into our brand. And then we weave them in various touchpoints in the hotel,” Montenegro added.
The hotel chain, which caters to the “mass middle market,” is set to open in four locations—one in Baguio, another in Negros Occidental, and two in Cebu, particularly in the municipalities of Moalboal and Duawon.
If you and your family have been visiting Baguio every Christmas season, expect a more memorable experience at Grafik Hotel Pine House, which is set to open by the end of 2025. Located within Camp John Hay, the hotel is ideal for those seeking a peaceful and scenic escape just a few hours from Manila.
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Grafik Hotel Pine House offers guests 5,700 square meters of high-quality amenities, which Montenegro said feels like that of a five-star hotel sans the hefty rates. It will have 256 rooms and four dining outlets: Sierra Bistro All-Day Dining, Saleng Signature Restaurant, Saddle Room, and Mountain Club bar.
In true fashion, Grafik Hotel Pine House is designed to give guests the best of Baguio City all in one place. “So once you enter the hotel, you won’t see Grafik, the brand, anymore. Everything is just Pine House, and everything is about the story and culture of Baguio,” Montenegro told The POST.
The restaurants, for one, highlight the art of Cordillera cuisine using ingredients locally sourced from Baguio and nearby highlands. Montenegro particularly revels in Saleng, which will offer gastronomic delights inspired by Kalinga cuisine. Grafik Hotel Pine House further proves just how creative local talent can be, with the inclusion of a drive-thru restaurant within the property.
All these, Montenegro said, are grounded on Chroma’s desire to “create an emotional connection” with its customers. “In the end, hospitality is about creating and writing memories. We want our customers to tell us how they feel about our properties and what they feel about the destination and local culture so that we can share their stories with everybody else,” he remarked.
After Baguio, Grafik Hotel Collection is opening its properties in Moalboal and Duawon in Cebu, which will be followed by its branch in Dauin in Negros Occidental. Grafik joins Chroma’s expanding portfolio of established brands like Crimson Hotels in Mactan, Boracay, and Filinvest City; Quest Hotels & Resorts in Cebu, Clark, and Tagaytay; and Timberland Highlands Resort in San Mateo, Rizal.
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