Raffles Hotels & Resorts will open its first luxury hotel in Makati City in Manila, Philippines for 18 years in February 2013. The 32-suite Raffles Makati will be housed in a 30-storey tower, Manila’s new landmark, and will be designed by Bent Severin & Associates. All suites will have louvered blinds and sustainable wood flooring, with hand-made rugs.
For extended stays, Raffles Makati will also offer 110 spacious one-to-four bedroom Raffles Residences, laid out according to feng shui, a report in travelbite.co.uk stated. The hotel will house Raffles Long Bar, complete with punka fans, a black-and-white tiled floor, and a 14-metre long bar.
Guests at the hotel will have access to the Writers Bar, styled as a library; a new take on the original Writers Bar at Raffles Hotel in Singapore. There will also be two swimming pools, a spa, hairdresser and a nail salon. The opening of Raffles Makati will bring Raffles Hotels & Resorts portfolio to nine hotels and resorts - from the flagship Raffles Hotel in Singapore, to China, Cambodia, the Seychelles, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Paris. There are plans for hotel openings in Istanbul, Jakarta and China over the next 18 months.
John Johnston, President, Raffles Hotels & Resorts, said, “There couldn’t be a better time for Raffles to be opening in the Philippines. The country is full of a new-found optimism as the economy expands, with a modern infrastructure and an international presence. We bring 125 years of heritage and experience in luxury service and a portfolio that includes some of Asia’s greatest hotels. I believe this puts both parties in a very favourable situation, where Raffles is the right hotel company, at the right time, to be opening in Manila.”