A grand experience of living

It’s the word “grand” that says it all. And it refers to both the space and the experience.

Bonifacio Landmark Realty and Development Corp. (BLC), a joint-venture company between Federal Land Inc. and Japanese financial services group Orix Corporation, is bringing to the Philippines the Grand Hyatt Residences, the first in Asia, and Grand Hyatt Hotel in Federal Land’s Veritown Fort, a 10-hectare, 11-tower development in Bonifacio Global City.

Alfred Ty, president of Federal Land, calls the Grand Hyatt the “crown jewel” of Veritown.  “Grand Hyatt is a great addition not just to Veritown but to the whole Bonifacio Global City. The brand brings a high level of prestige to Veritown, which we try to associate with the New York lifestyle. Of course, we cannot replicate it, but it’s a good description of how the development will be, and we are proud to have Grand Hyatt there as our anchor property.”

Ty adds that the all the residential condominiums at Veritown are going to be upscale but the Grand Hyatt will be different in terms of exclusivity.

The Grand Hyatt Manila and Residences are expected to open in 2015, a two-tower mixed use project in the residential, entertainment and business district of Bonifacio Global City.

Grand Hyatt Manila will be located on the top 14 floors of the 66-story office and hotel tower, and will offer 438 guestrooms. Additional hotel amenities will include a dramatic and energetic lobby, multiple food and beverage offerings, a spa, fitness center and pool, and comprehensive business and meeting facilities with state of the art technology. Grand Hyatt Residences will be located in the second tower, and will offer 227 luxury units with private access to the hotel’s amenities, including the spa, fitness center and pool and restaurants.

Grand Hyatt Residences offers two to five-bedroom units at price points ranging from P20 to P80 million. Ty says the units are selling fast. “There’s always a market for luxury with discerning people,” he says. “We’re not talking about unnecessary luxury, we’re talking about high-end locals who want to live in a hotel-like environment. For the hotel, we have foreigners traveling to the Philippines for business or leisure, and you see that all around Asia. It’s about time the Philippines levels up and offers something equal to what you see in Hong Kong and Singapore.”

Peter Sears, Hyatt senior vice president for Asia Pacific operations, says, “It’s been a fantastic collaboration with Federal Land. We share a lot of the same values. They’re very visionary, always ahead of the market. Hyatt is a lot like that in that we try to be the leader in building hotels and Grand Hyatt is a brand we’re very proud of. It’s about grand spaces and beautiful architecture.”

Gordon Fuller, Hyatt area vice president and general manager, says, “BGC is such a new development. Today was the first time we went up the 26th floor and the developing structures in this area are quite impressive.”

Sears and Fuller were in Manila recently to top off the substructure of Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Both the hotel and the residences are designed by the architects and engineers of Wong + Ouyang, and Ove Arup & Partners who also worked on several Hyatt properties including Grand Hyatt Shanghai and Hong Kong. Bilkey Llinas Design will design the interiors of the hotel.

 Signature elements of Grand Hyatt include dramatic architecture, innovative dining options, state of the art technology, spa and fitness centers, and comprehensive business and meeting facilities appropriate for corporate meetings and social gatherings of all sizes.

Fuller adds, “Any company that’s going to invest in a new market has to do research in that particular market. The talk about the Philippines is that it is a country that is very forward thinking and dynamic. We are so excited to be opening this hotel here. In Manila, we’ve had the Hyatt Hotel & Casino for nine years, and then to fold into that, a Grand Hyatt, is really an exceptional opportunity. And we’re very comfortable with our partnership with Federal Land, which has so many developments under construction now, and they’re really confident about the future of the Philippines.”

Gordon acknowledges that a number of luxury residences have built or currently building in Manila and says, “The market has the potential for a number of luxury hotels to come aboard so we’re not anxious about it.”

How does Grand Hyatt differentiate itself from other luxury residences? “When we’re planning our interiors and designing the hotel, the Hyatt DNA is what we focus on — to establish ourselves as the leader. The service we provide around the world is consistently high but also very personalized.  We make sure that everyone who walks through the door is treated as an individual,” Fuller says. 

Sears adds, “Of the residences that I’m familiar with, Park Hyatt in New York and Chicago, they’re both built for the local community and very indigenous in their design. Here, there will be lots of great services, a number of restaurants, and a great support system for the residences, whether that’s housekeeping or concierge services.  The residents will have the availability of things that hotel guests will have.”

Ty adds that he foresees buyers of Grand Hyatt Residences to be “relatively young, they understand the brand and what it represents. We have a lot of locals buying for their children. It’s people who value security, privacy and exclusivity.”