This hotel will soon ditch the little shampoo bottles Filipinos love

Paul Hutton

The entry of Hilton Manila Hotel in the country comes with a commitment by the company to two things: the environment and the local community.

Hilton’s sustainability initiatives were unveiled by both Hilton Worldwide and Hilton Manila executives at the hotel’s official launch last Oct. 24 in Newport City, Pasay City. A few are already in place, such as their use of non-plastic straws and glass bottles instead of plastic ones for the complementary drinking water inside the hotel’s 357 rooms.

“We are strongly directed to reduce our impact on the planet,” said Paul Hutton, vice president for operations in Southeast Asia.

“We really looked at the procurement of everything we place in the rooms. We’ve taken out nearly every piece of plastic. There are currently glass water bottles in the room, a recyclable product, and within weeks we will be bottling our own water through our own bottling plants,” added Simon McGrath, Hilton Manila general manager. “We are also running a pilot program across Southeast Asia that will help us get rid of the small plastic bottles for [toiletries]—products that everyone loves, but we are conscious of the fact that it is something we need to change.”

The company was also working on a soap recycling program with local educational institution Don Bosco, added McGrath, to ensure that used soaps left behind at the hotel don’t go to waste. “We are also going to be working with them, on making a Don Bosco packaging for repurposed soaps so that they have another revenue stream for their cause,” he said.

Down the road, Hilton Manila and Don Bosco would be working together on other programs concerning food and beverage, said McGrath. “Dennis Leslie, our executive chef, is extremely passionate about good, local produce. We’ve actually been out there doing tree planting [with Don Bosco], and we hope to reap the benefits of this partnership in the future by buying produce from them seasonally.”

Another prospective initiative for the property is the regular provision of food for underprivileged children in a community center in Pasay City, according to McGrath.

“We’ve worked with them before, and we’d like to continue working on that relationship,” he said.

Aside from their environmental and community work, Hutton said the Hilton also took pride in the fact that people wanted to work with them.

Of Hilton Manila’s employees,  95 percent are Filipinos, he said.

Hilton Manila façade

“I think something that separates us from other hotels in the city is that we’ve really taken the time to develop our people, and have them understand that we are in the human service industry, and that we offer genuine service,” McGrath added.

For visitors, the Hilton Manila experience includes a number of dining options: Madison Lounge & Bar, located at the lobby entrance and reminiscent of New York City’s dining scene, which offers artisanal coffee and a grab-and-go selection available during the day, and cocktails, premium wines and bar bites in the evening;  Hua Ting on the second floor, which offers modern Shanghainese cuisine using traditional recipes and locally sourced ingredients; Kusina, an all-day dining restaurant which serves Filipino cuisine and features a dampa-style station where one can have fresh seafood cooked the way they want; Port Bar, for pre- or post-dinner drinks, has a range of craft beers, premium whiskies, cognacs and dark rums from around the world, as well as creative takes on classic cocktails; and  Freestyle Pool Bar, where guests can enjoy a light bite and cocktails.

Inside the rooms, guests can relax on the hotel’s famed Serenity bed. A “four-point bathroom” is also a standard feature, where the vanity area, toilet, bathtub and rain shower areas are all separate.

Members of the Hilton Honors loyalty program can go digital with the hotel’s “direct-to-room” technology, which allows guests to use their smartphone or tablet as their room key for seamless access.

From guests to employees to the environment and the local community, the international hotel brand is all about leaving a lasting impact no matter where they are, said Hutton.

“We will be here for a long time, for at least 20 years, and so we need to take a longer term view on the community. This Hilton effect has an economic impact, and we are good for the community. We’re not an international company that’s just here to run big business; we’re here to run business with the community,” said Hutton.