Exciting times ahead with Hilton Manila

Hilton Manila promises to be a sophisticated oasis, whether you are here for leisure or business.

Like love, some things may indeed be lovelier the second time around. Take the case of Hilton Manila which came back to the Philippines nearly 30 years after bidding Manila adieu in the late ’80s.

Now nestled in the Resorts World Manila complex, Hilton Manila promises to be a sophisticated oasis, whether you are here for leisure or business.

“The tourism sector in Manila has seen healthy growth in recent years,” said Hilton Manila general manager Simon McGrath.

“Strong economic growth and infrastructure development in the Philippines—particularly in Manila—has also prompted an increase in both business and leisure travelers.  With the growing demand for accommodation, it’s an exciting time to be opening a Hilton hotel under our flagship brand in Manila,” McGrath noted.

Explained McGrath of its location:  “Resorts World has fantastic facilities.  It has 38 different meeting spaces and plenary venues, but up to this day Resorts World has noted that it doesn’t really have enough premium rooms at the top end of the market to really service the demands of the facility.”

He added: “As much as (Resorts World) has its own brand, the addition of inventory of rooms at Hilton will certainly help to stimulate further the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibition) market utilizing the facility.  It’s a great facility, it has a positive reputation and certainly Hilton will add value to it.”

McGrath noted that it would be “interesting to see how we can flex, because you’ve almost got to change from a corporatized hotel midweek to a leisure-based hotel on the weekends.”

Being adjacent to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, Hilton Manila provides travelers ease of entry and ease of departure.  “If you’re based here, you can do your business, come back here and feel very comfortable about leaving,” said McGrath. “Travelers can literally go across the runway, (through) the link bridge with the airport and come down into Resorts World, get picked up there, and dropped off at our front door.”

In the not so far-away future, guests will also be able to walk from the airport directly to the hotel without touching the ground. “I think that is the main reason that the corporate market will aspire to stay here.  Because if they’ve got more than one venue to attend to, this is a great central location,” McGrath said.

The premium hotel has 357 rooms and suites.  Each accommodation has Hilton’s signature Serenity bed to make sure that guests will be sleeping in luxury; a four-point en suite bathroom with vanity area, toilet and a separate bathtub and shower; a 55-inch smart LED TV; an advanced digital room selection and check-in, as well as digital key direct-to-room technology.

“We’ve always been at the forefront when it comes to technology,” explained McGrath.  “We were the first hotel company to have telephones and TV sets in the rooms. We will also be the first international hotel in the Philippines to come up with something that’s really different.  We already have digital check-in. A number of brands talk about this but what our digital check-in has is, it allows you to choose your room just like you can choose your seat on a plane.”

Hilton Manila also provides an extensive pillow menu, for discerning guests who need to have a specific type of pillow.  Crabtree and Evelyn complements the bathroom amenities.  For guests with special or accessibility needs, king-bedded rooms that interconnect with twin rooms are available, as well as extra conveniences such as wider doorways, accessible wardrobe, and a roll-in shower.

Guests will not run out of dining options at Hilton Manila with its Madison Lounge+Bar, an airy cafe with a selection of artisanal coffees and grab-and-go items, and which transforms into a sophisticated bar that offers innovative signature drinks and fine wines come sundown.

There’s also Hua Ting, a Hilton signature restaurant that offers authentic Shanghainese cuisine with a modern take, and Kusina Sea Kitchens, which offers an interactive all-day buffet experience where diners can enjoy Asian and Western breakfast options, as well as lunch or dinner offering Filipino cuisine with a focus on seafood.  At Kusina, all dishes, whether local or international are  prepared right in front of you.

Hilton Manila also features six possible meeting spaces, including a 545-sqm ballroom, all of which enjoy natural light.

“One of the things that I think really defines Hilton’s culture and its commitment to be the most hospitable company in the world is its sense of community and regard for the environment,” said McGrath. Just as Hilton focuses on guests and looks after the people it employs, it also makes a real commitment towards sustainability.

“The tagline that we use for sustainability across Hilton is ‘Travel with purpose’ and we’ve recently flowed that into meetings as well.”

The hotel looks at minimizing consumables, like filtering their own water and moving away from single-use plastics.

Hilton Manila executive chef Dennis Leslie, extremely passionate about fresh, local produce, has also created a food and beverage menu that utilizes ingredients that are locally sourced.  “Sustainability isn’t just about sustainable produce but also what we call food miles, or making sure the food doesn’t travel too far so you are not affecting the environment,” said McGrath.

Being genuine is what differentiates Hilton Manila from other hotels with regards to their service, he added.

“Filipinos are absolutely famous for service delivery. We’re determined to add a more personalized, a more genuine approach to that.  By being a little bit more clever in the way we utilize our team, we hope to get greater recognition straight away from our customers, who deserve greater personalized service,” he concluded.