Megaworld Hotels & Resorts (MHR), the country’s largest hotel operator, has been officially recognized as the Philippines’ first-ever Muslim-Friendly Hotel Chain by CrescentRating, the world’s leading authority on halal travel. The award was given during the Halal in Travel Awards 2025 in Singapore.
This milestone affirms MHR’s commitment to promoting inclusive tourism by creating safe spaces and tailored services for Muslim travelers, in line with its mission of embracing cultural diversity across its properties nationwide.
“We congratulate all the men and women of Megaworld Hotels & Resorts for this remarkable milestone, most especially in taking a bolder step in achieving our company’s thrust on inclusivity and cultural diversity across our townships,” says Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso, President of Megaworld Corporation.
In her acceptance speech, Cleofe Albiso, Managing Director of Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, expressed deep gratitude for the recognition and highlighted the group’s vision of inclusive hospitality: “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.”
Every year, CrescentRating recognizes efforts focused on promoting and enriching halal travel as part of its broader mission to empower the global tourism industry to better understand and meet the needs of Muslim travelers. The recognition awarded to Megaworld Hotels & Resorts contributes to the Philippines’ recent acknowledgment as an ‘Emerging Muslim-Friendly Destination’ over the past two years, further solidifying the country’s role in the halal tourism market. This progress aligns with the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023-2028 of the national government, which identifies halal tourism as a key product.
Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of Crescent Rating and HalalTrip, expressed his admiration for the Philippines’ efforts in catering to Muslim travelers. He commended, “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,
The recognition comes after all 13 Megaworld Hotels & Resorts properties were certified as 100% Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Establishments (MFAE), a milestone achieved in just nine months following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Tourism (DOT) at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.
In light of this achievement, DOT Secretary Christina Frasco extended her heartfelt congratulations “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. This milestone reinforces our shared vision of making the Philippines a home for all travelers, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world.”
Further supporting its commitment to halal tourism, MHR operates halal-certified kitchens in six of its properties and launched Marhaba Boracay, the country’s first dedicated Muslim-friendly beachfront zone in Boracay Newcoast, in partnership with the DOT and Malay LGU.
These initiatives have already shown significant results, with MHR reporting a 40% increase in Muslim guest stays and a 58% increase in revenue from January to March 2025, compared to the same period last year. India, Indonesia, and Malaysia have emerged as top source markets.
“Inclusion is a continuous journey,” Albiso emphasized. “We will keep learning and improving to provide stays wrapped in the warmth of Filipino hospitality—what we proudly call our Sampaguita service.”
