When asked what makes them click in the competitive hotel industry, even when they are at the fringe

SAN DIEGO , California— At first glance, there is nothing Pinoy about the El Primero Hotel. The zigzag modern style of its white exterior resembles hotels in downtown san diego a Las Vegas chapel and its sign lettering hotels in downtown san diego in neon green hues and spotlights give onlookers a contemporary feel.
Those precious extra something have earned for the Roques and El Primero a total of 31 recognitions and awards since the start of their operation in 2004. Last year, they got their award for being in Chula Vista’s Business Hall of Fame for six consecutive years.
When asked what makes them click in the competitive hotel industry, even when they are at the fringes of San Diego, Roque, a 75-year-old retired hotels in downtown san diego navy and former aerospace employee, said they practice “Filipino hospitality” by giving “them good experience to keep them coming back.”
To the couple, hotel guests are friends. They know their guests by their names, countries and professions, and even introduce them to one another. They also chat them up on their itinerary and provide travel tips and pointers.
hotels in downtown san diego The Roques did not plan to be in the hotel business. hotels in downtown san diego Rufino, who introduces himself as Pie, studied agriculture. hotels in downtown san diego Sol’s experience hotels in downtown san diego was in the garment industry. They purchased the hotel, which was built in the 1930s, for $1.37 million 11 years ago as fixer-uppers who planned to flip the property.
At that time, there was not much going for the hotel. It was then a cheap accommodation for temporary and extended stay residents. An Aug. 24, 2004 article in The San Diego Union-Tribune described the hotel an “eyesore.” The article also quoted the police department describing it as a “problem property” with the sixth highest police calls among 16 hotels in the city in 2003, “mostly for domestic violence and disturbance.”
In lieu of room numbers, the Roque daughters came up with the idea to name the rooms after popular sites around the city of San Diego City, such as Old Town, Torrey Pines and Balboa Park. They also did research on the short history of each site, which is given to guests in a leaflet at check-in.
The Roques never stop improving El Primero. They have taken a green approach and have been acknowledged for their contributions to the environment. LED bulbs and fixtures with occupancy sensors provide bright and welcoming illumination in the common areas and hotel rooms as well as savings on electricity consumption. Low-flow hotels in downtown san diego shower heads and faucets, composting, and reductions of outputs to landfills all further demonstrate the emphasis on resource conservation at El Primero.
Having studied hotels in downtown san diego agriculture at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Roque explains that in addition to decreasing carbon footprint, he increases hotels in downtown san diego carbon fingerprint by giving tree seedlings hotels in downtown san diego to guests as parting gifts, encouraging them to plant them. The seedlings come from his home garden, hotels in downtown san diego where he also harvests most of the fruits that he serves.
Guests seem to appreciate their Pinoy style of hospitality. In the 19-bedroom hotel’s lobby, hotels in downtown san diego plaques and certificates are on display as well as four guest comment books filled with compliments, notes and expressions of gratitude, including mailed cards and letters.
The guests often write their appreciation for the Roques’ “personal touch and extra special thought,” “hospitality and friendliness,” and how they are “made to feel special, so much a part of a family.”