Hotel with a view to the future

Philippine tourism is taking off. One of the signs that point to an upward swing in this potential economic goldmine is the number of hotels being planned, or currently being built all around the metropolis. One that is surely going to stand out (and stand tall) is the Grand Hyatt Manila. At 66 stories in total height, and containing 10,000 square meters on a 1.5-hectare site, the hotel will be one of the largest in Metro Manila.

Size does count in the hotel business but the Grand Hyatt Manila is not just going to be grand in room size and height but more importantly, grand in amenities and in luxury. This distinction was sought after by the project’s chief proponent, Federal Land Inc., the real estate arm of the Metrobank Group of Companies.

I was at the launch of the project recently. The site is in Bonifacio Global City, at the cusp of Makati and Taguig. The location, in fact, is about the highest in the metropolis and this will give future hotel guests (in the upper half of the tower) an amazing panorama of the city, the beautiful Manila Bay and vistas as far as Laguna, Cavite and Antipolo.

The launch was hosted by Alfred Ty, chairman and president of Federal Land Inc. He was brimming with optimism as I greeted him at the foot of the deep excavation that will be the basement of the complex’s podium. He explained to me and other guests that the podium’s six floors above ground will house the hotel’s reception and ballroom while the next two levels will have restaurants and the expansive pool deck. The eighth to the 30th or so levels will contain financial and corporate offices and the rest — all the way to the penthouse restaurant would be the hotel rooms and suites.

Of course, Ty did not need to explain all this to me. I was in attendance at the launch wearing two hats, the first as a columnist for the STAR and the second as the project’s landscape architect (I’m designing the landscaped deck, swimming pools, al fresco dining areas and all the outdoor amenities). I am privileged to join a top-notch consultant team that includes Meloy Casas of Casas Associates, whose architectural firm is collaborating with Wong & Ouyang of Hong Kong and the British engineering firm Ove Arup.

The grand unveiling of the huge scale model of the hotel was led by George Ty, chairman of the Metrobank Group of Companies, with the main guest of honor, President Noynoy Aquino. The president congratulated the Tys and the Metrobank family for this much-appreciated contribution to his administration’s tourism effort and for attracting investors to the country. He said that tourism is bringing with it thousands of jobs in an emerging industry which, until now, has remained untapped for its full potential.

Attesting to the fact that we are on the verge of getting into the center of tourism universe was Secretary Bertie Lim, who boasted several dozen new hotels being planned or rising in the country. I explained to him that the Grand Hyatt Manila is envisioned not just as a hotel for tourists and business visitors but a destination in itself, with its elevated vistas of the city and the countryside, its five-star restaurants and a ballroom and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibits) amenities.

Other guests at the affair were representatives of Hyatt International led by Gary Kwok, vice president of Hotel Finance; David Udell Sr., vice president of operations;  Francisco Sebastian, vice chairman of Grand Hyatt Manila. Also present were Richard Gordon, chairman, Philippine Red Cross; Liu Jianchao, Chinese Ambasador to the Philippines; Lani Cayetano, mayor of Taguig; Senator Edgardo Angara; and Aloysius Santos, chairman, Bases Conversion & Development Authority (BCDA).

The Hyatt officials assured guests at the launch that the new Grand Hyatt Manila is not going to be “just another ordinary hotel.” It would be a “triple-wow development with 5aces, the signature elements of Grand Hyatt, which include dramatic and energetic lobby elements, innovative dining options, state-of-the-art technology, spa and fitness centers and comprehensive business and meeting facilites.”

Although I had seen it before, the model of the Grand Hyatt Manila still wowed me as it is huge, fueling the anticipation for the reality that’s going to be a few years from now. The hotel’s location at Global City is another wow as this makes it just a few minutes ride to the international airport and to both EDSA and C5, from where guests can travel to points north and south.

The hotel and its proponents definitely have a view to the future. It is poised, in fact, to become the metropolis’ main landmark, a nexus of business and social activity and a key hub of the country’s tourism compass.

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Feedback is welcome. Please e-mail the writer at mailto:paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com.

I received a lot of e-mail feedback about The First and Future Azkals last week, including one that identifies a Filipino who played in Europe even earlier than Paulino Alcantara. I’ll feature these e-mails and a proposal for a national football stadium in this column next week.