Banned In Baguio: Bob Arum trashes Manny Pacquiao’s hotel
Published on: 30th October, 2009
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That could be the headline as to Manny Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum if he ventures to Strawberry Land the next time the Pinoy Idol trains there.
Uncle Bob has been giving me lessons in how to promote fights for decades so it’s only fair that I give him a journalistic tip.
Bobster, when you rip someone or something, name names! Don’t take the weasel way of not naming the target of your vitriol.
I’m sure media mogul Brian Greenspun, whose legendary father was my boss back in the day at The Las Vegas Sun will also appreciate me pulling his new columnist’s coat.
Arum, who surely has a ghostwriter, has been keeping it real in his Sun columns but he outdid himself in his reportage of his journey to and from Pacman’s camp in Baguio.
(For the full and less than imaginatively named “In My Corner” column, go here.)
The target of Arum’s derision—which is a fancy way of saying he “trashed” the place—is the Cooyeesan Hotel where Pacman stayed.
Arum praises Philippine Airlines, the mountain vistas of the Baguio area and more, but he makes the Cooyeesan sound like it’s a homeless encampment.
Here’s a snippet from Columnist Arum’s offering:
“Baguio itself is a mountain town 5,000 feet above sea level. It was built by the United States after taking control of the Philippines from Spain after the Spanish American War. Our government constructed Camp John Hay, a beautiful recreational area with huge pine trees, a great golf course and other amenities. It served as a rest and recreation area for U.S. servicemen in Asia until 1990, when it was transferred to the Filipino government.
“Camp John Hay now houses the Manor, a luxury hotel constructed entirely from Canadian logs. This is a very popular summer vacation resort for the Manila elite. Freddie Roach, Manny’s trainer and Alex Ariza, his conditioning guru, were both ensconced at the Manor when I arrived.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, chose to stay in a hotel in town which housed the gym in which he was training. If Freddie’s hotel rated five stars, which it does, Manny’s hotel was so awful it would not even get one star. If there was a minus category, it would rate a minus five. But there is no accounting for taste. Manny was happy as a clam at his hotel and refused constant requests to move to the more luxurious Manor Hotel where the rest of us stayed…”
Like I said, the least Arum could’ve done is to name the “minus five category” lodgings. Arum made it sound like a dump I once stayed at on Miami Beach where the main attraction was the cockroaches (no relation to Coach Freddie) marching single file. Not to mention the hot and cold running hookers and always available crack pipes.
Can the Cooyeesan really be that horrible? Or is Arum just too used to Beverly Hills type accommodations?
Could’ve fooled me as I heard the Cooyesan with its basketball court and other amenities was a swell place, suitable for even the most jaded multimillionaire such as Arum.
I hope the good folks of Baguio and the owners and staff at the Cooyeesan will battle back.
Next thing you know Arum will slamming the hotel on Twitter, Facebook and Trip Advisor.
I think this fight is not over.
Btw, while Arum thinks the hotel is not fit for a dog maybe that’s the difference. Pacman the human being brought Pacman, his dog, to Baguio.
In fairness, here is a less critical review of the Cooyeesan:
The Cooyeesan Hotel Plaza is well tailored to the needs of the discriminating business traveler. It offers a relaxing stay in a deluxe atmosphere accented by unobtrusive flawless and personalized services, charming
