16/06/2026
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=863752276790464&id=100094670981712
Hotel del Rio on M. H. del Pilar Street in Molo was inaugurated on December 8, 1965 by Manuel Gay Loring Jr. and his wife, Milagros Causing Ledesma. It offered guests first-rate accommodations and a serene view of the Iloilo River.
Loring (8 October 1917–23 November 2006) was the grandson of Wright Boott Loring of Boston, the first American vice-consul in Iloilo. His parents were Gregorio Manuel Loring Sr. and Concepcion Soriano Gay.
Loring’s maternal uncle, Jose Maria Gay, served as the first mayor of Iloilo City under the American Insular Government. Plazoleta Gay, where Arroyo, J. M. Basa, Iznart, and Ledesma Streets converge, was named in his honor.
His maternal grandfather, Vicente Gay, was Iloilo City’s last mayor under Spanish rule. Together with Governor Jose Maria Romero, he formally surrendered Iloilo—Spain’s last capital in the Philippines—to General Martin Delgado on December 25, 1898.
Loring’s wife, popularly known as Milly (15 June 1931–29 November 2011), was a niece of Demetrio B. Ledesma, municipal president of Jaro from 1920 to 1931, after whom D. B. Ledesma Street was named.
From 1965 to 2004, the hotel’s general manager was Loring’s brother-in-law, Jesus Ledesma, better known as Jesse. His wife, Ardis Paulette Ledesma, fondly called Arlette, served as Food and Beverage Manager from 1975 to 2011.
Hotel del Rio began with 33 guest rooms, two function rooms—the Golden Salakot and the Sunset Terrace—a coffee shop, and three commercial spaces for lease. In 1975, an annex building was completed, adding 24 more rooms to accommodate the growing number of guests.
Additional function rooms were later constructed, including The Executive and The Manangguete on the second floor. By 1980, the hotel’s swimming pool had been completed.
In August 1980, Treasure Hunt Disco opened and quickly became a popular nightlife destination, attracting patrons who previously frequented other hotels in the city. The disco closed in June 1990 and was replaced by Plazoleta Gay, another function room.
July 1983 saw the opening of Igmaan Hall, a riverside native restaurant specializing in local cuisine. It became a favored venue for press conferences and hosted the Budyong Kapihan, a popular radio program aired over the now-defunct dyBQ Radyo Budyong.
In 2009, businessman and philanthropist Alfonso Tan leased Hotel del Rio for a period of 25 years as part of his expansion into the hospitality industry after establishing a distinguished reputation in the construction sector.
Tan’s International Builders Corporation has earned recognition as one of the country’s leading construction firms. Today, Hotel del Rio is managed by Premiere Islands Management Corporation.
The construction of Esplanade II along the Molo side of the Iloilo River reduced the hotel’s riverside property, affecting the area where its swimming pool is located and necessitating the demolition of Igmaan Hall.
Despite these changes, the hotel’s poolside area has retained its romantic ambiance. Overlooking the tranquil waters of the Iloilo River, it remains one of Hotel del Rio’s most captivating and picturesque attractions.
𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘐𝘭𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘰’𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦? 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘭𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘰.
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