Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan holds grand opening

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, fifth from right, and Tan Holdings Corp. CEO and president Jerry Tan, fifth from left, raise their hands in a celebratory gesture after cutting the ribbon that signaled the grand opening of the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan yesterday afternoon—an event that was attended by key Crowne Plaza Resort and IHG management and members of the business community. Others in photo, from left, are Robert Coates, general manager, Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan; Thomas Mayrhofer, regional general manager, Crowne Plaza Resort Guam & Saipan; Abhijay Sandilya, managing director, IHG Japan; Lydia Tan, wife of Jerry Tan; Most Rev. Ryan P. Jimenez, D.D., Bishop of Chalan Kanoa Diocese; first lady Diann Torres; Jennifer Tan, director S.A.I Leisure (Tan Holdings Corp.), and House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan). (DONNA RIVERA)

Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan was officially unveiled to the public yesterday afternoon with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly revamped hotel in the presence of ranking Commonwealth officials in both the public and private sectors.

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and first lady Diann Torres were joined by, among others, Tan Holdings president and CEO Jerry Tan, his wife, Lydia Tan, Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan general manager Robert Coates, Bishop Ryan Jimenez of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, and House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) in cutting the ribbon that signaled the official opening of the resort. The occasion was also attended by key Crowne Plaza Resort and Intercontinental Hotel Group management that included Abhijay Sandilya, managing director of IGH Japan, and Thomas Mayrhofer, regional general manager of Crowne Plaza Resort Guam & Saipan.

This is the third iteration for the hotel. It was initially called the Da-Ichi Hotel and then became the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, after which it went through several months of renovations that cost a total of $43 million and transformed the property into the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan—a modern, island-inspired oasis with 422 rooms and five restaurants, all under the management of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The resort, however, remains a Tan Holdings Corp. property.

“Today is another milestone for the people in the Commonwealth and especially for our tourists that will be coming in to enjoy. …When you invest… for the next 40 years, that’s a lifetime investment for the people of the Commonwealth. So, on behalf of the Commonwealth, Jerry, thank you… for your continued support,” said Torres

Torres told the crowd at the grand opening that he started the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers amid the COVID-19 pandemic with the goal of making the CNMI a world-class destination and reopening a hotel with an international brand “is the first step. So again, thank you, congratulations, and welcome everyone.”

Tan recounted that the initial plans for the hotel began in April 2020 when they finalized and signed off on the new 40-year lease. He credited his niece, Jennifer Tan, who he said spearheaded the project and is now the director of S.A.I. Leisure of Tan Holdings. “It’s very special and important…for our family to see and witness myself the reopening of this hotel under the very prestigious brand… and celebrating our 50th anniversary at the same time,” he added.

“The family made a commitment. We decided to go under the…IHG family [brand]. …And this is the beginning of the journey—we want to play a part to elevate the CNMI into a world-class destination that will bring the tourists back and tourists that [are] actually going to spend in our economy and provide jobs for our people,” Tan said.

Sandilya congratulated the Tan family for investing in the future of Saipan tourism and the future of the hospitality industry by putting their investment “into this iconic Saipan asset in the heart of Garapan. …The entire resort has seen a huge upgrade. …An amazing 422 guestrooms, five restaurants, with a thoughtful design, modern island-inspired decor, and certainly we’ll be seeing that across our food and beverage and our accommodation across this wonderful hotel. …On behalf of IHG Hotels & Resorts, I’m very, very proud to welcome the first Crowne Plaza Resort in Micronesia, joining more than 400 hotels and resorts in gateway cities under the Crowne Plaza brand. And it also joins 6,000 IHG hotels around the world.”

Jennifer Tan said her grandfather, Tan Siu Lin, led the company with four words: integrity, trustworthiness, dedication, diligence. “And that is what I go by every day that I do my work. I promised Gov. Torres in February 2020 that we will bring brands into Saipan and we will together make the CNMI world class. So, the hard work starts now. Renovation is one big step… and many, many more to come.”