Manila Hotel gets its sexy back

For a long while there, the Grand Dame let herself go.

The historic Manila Hotel, which hosted such familiar names as General Douglas MacArthur, the Beatles and His Royal Highness Prince Charles, did not invest enough in the daily maintenance work and grand multimillion-peso changes that would have allowed it to retain its appeal and keep up with changing customer tastes.

And so corporate clients, as well as leisure travellers who could no longer stay on nostalgia alone, gradually left and transferred their considerable business to the more modern luxury hotels that now crowd the Makati and Ortigas central business districts.

But as the country’s first five-star hotel moves closer to its 100th birthday, Manila Hotel is getting itself back into serious shape to lure them back in.

The first order of business was to invest in the long-delayed renovation of the

98-year-old hotel, and the new owners of the hotel led by businessman Emilio T. Yap have opened up their wallets and let go of millions to see that those renovations bring Manila Hotel to the 21st century.

Renovations started in the last quarter of 2008, starting with Mabuhay Palace, the Manila Hotel’s Chinese restaurant. Sweeping improvements of the pool, garden and guest rooms followed in the first quarter of 2009, then the spa and health club in the second quarter of 2009.

The rooms in the older main building were refurbished while those in the Tower section underwent full renovation. All 500 rooms will be touched by the renovation.

“Our renovations around the hotel revolve around one objective: further elevating our lofty standards to create an inimitable hotel experience,” Manila Hotel President Marcelo S. Ele Jr. told the Inquirer.

“As we near our 100th year, our resolve to deftly balance tradition and innovation—and to make that fusion apparent in our outlets and amenities—is stronger than before,” added Manila Hotel General Manager Leon Keekstra, “We are, after all, the country’s first five-star hotel. And the legacy of service and luxury that we have preserved throughout the years will get better and better with time.”

The changes go all the way to the amenities and features of the guest rooms. These include a waterproof television in the bathroom, L’Occitane bathroom essentials, and a walk-in shower. For those who cannot leave business behind, high speed Internet access is available.

Keekstra said the renovation at such a grand scale was made more difficult by the need to keep intact much of what makes the Manila Hotel unique.

At one time, the Manila Hotel on Roxas Blvd. was the standard of opulence and the essence of Manila. And traces of those bygone days can still be found in abundance, such as the new and improved grand lobby—with its original Amorsolos and chandeliers of expensive capiz, crystals and brass—and the Filipinana-themed suites with a perfect view of the famed Manila Bay sunset that have appealed to such luminaries as author Ernest Hemingway, astronaut Neil Armstrong and actor Marlon Brando.

“As a testament to our legacy of luxury complemented by genuine Filipino hospitality, we are now undergoing major renovations to keep up with society’s demanding needs,” Keekstra said, “This transformation is not easy, especially when the original one is a masterpiece in itself.”

“We therefore make sure that as we complement Manila Hotel with the convenience and modernity of the present times, we continue to preserve our rich history and the elegance of the past. Further, we are in a constant quest to elevate our level of service, ultimately treating every guest as royalty,” he added.

That the investments are coming in at a time of great global economic uncertainty confounds many observers. Because while others are cutting down costs, the management of Manila Hotel is spending on renovations and new amenities.

Ele said, however, that these investments would pay off in the end.

“We are optimistic about the market and we believe that our guests deserve the very best. This ultimately makes all of the improvements worth it. Our guests can expect that this is just the beginning,” Ele said, “The all-new Manila Hotel will be a landmark in Asia that will rank alongside the world’s finest hotels such as Raffles in Singapore, The Ritz in Paris and The Sukhothai in Bangkok.”

“Manila Hotel is not here to compete directly with the other hotels. We are here to create a category of our own. Besides, Manila Hotel will not be regarded as the Grand Dame and considered part of the patrimony of the country for nothing,” he added.

Now all the Manila Hotel hopes for is that travelers will go and see how it is getting its sexy back.