The wait has ended. Makati City – the well-known financial precinct in the Philippines' capital – witnessed the launch of not just one, but two luxury hotels last December 3. Besides the 32-suite Raffles Hotel and the 280-room Fairmont Makati, 237 Raffles Residences also made their debut.
As reported earlier (click news and news), the opening marked the arrival of the first international-brand hotel in the area in nearly a decade.
The development, conceived by leading architectural firm Arquitectonica with interiors by Bent Severin International, is a unique one. The 30-storey tower houses both properties, which connect on the ground floor with the white marble designating the Raffles side and the red marble the Fairmont portion, as well as on the fourth floor where the pool, Willow Spa (a Fairmont hallmark) and gym are located and shared between the two. Raffles occupants enjoy another treat: they have their own exclusive pool on the ninth floor.
Besides an 859 sqm ballroom and various function rooms at the Fairmont, both hotels feature an abundance of spaces suitable for private discussions or intimate social occasions. The Raffles brought over the fabled Long Bar from Singapore, along with the Singapore Sling and the invitation to litter the floor with peanut shells, and the Writers' Bar with piano music and traditional afternoon tea. At the Fairmont, Cafe Macaron and the Fairmont Lounge featuring high tea with a Filipino twist await those wanting to mix business with pleasure.
Spectrum, the all-day dining outlet used by both Raffles and Fairmont guests, boasts enough seating to accommodate the meeting clientele, along with the regular customer base.
With the economy of the Philippines on a roll, more hotel chains are poised to set down stakes in one of Asia's most underserved markets. These include Shangri-La and Grand Hyatt at the emerging Bonifacio Global City (also known as The Fort), Sheraton at Newport City, which already has a Marriott and The Westin at the future Entertainment City along Manila Bay. For more about the country's booming economy, read "Road map to success" in the January/February 2013 issue of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific.
For more details about the hotels, visit www.raffles.com and www.fairmont.com
Margie T Logarta
