Manila

In the heart of the financial and entertainment district, this superb hotel has everything for the business traveller and tourist. In-house, there are restaurants, bars and a nightclub whilst leisure facilities include a fully equipped fitness suite and spa. The modern building has been furnished to create an air of colonial grandeur.

When I relocated to Asia Pacific and took over as VP Technical Services, the planning for the total renovation of this property had begun. They were proposing to shut down sections of the Hotel for renovation and do the work over a period of more than 2 years. I proposed that we shut down the entire Hotel and do the renovation in 6 months. The people at the meeting were very surprised. They said, "it's not possible to work that fast in the Philippines". I said that if I could choose the contractor we would finish within the 6 months.

A financial study showed that if we closed the Hotel for 6 months, as opposed to stretching the work over several years, there would be a net gain in income of one year's revenue. That was enough to convince the Owners to take a chance that I might know what I was talking about. I selected a Japanese Contractor. We closed the Hotel, gutted the building, replacing all plumbing, electrical, air conditioning, decor, etc. We reopened the Hotel, complete, exactly 6 months (to the day) later. I won several bets on this venture.

We did have to "steal" our furniture from a bankrupt manufacturer to make the Opening Day.

The following are a few photos of the Hotel:

The Hotel	A Guestroom