FROM Fort McKinley’s shady culture of war in the early parts of the 20th century to the bright and bustling premier lifestyle center of Bonifacio Global City (BGC) has progressed into over the last decade, BGC is a picture of a complete turnaround. An image, which, according to Ascott Regional General Manager for the Thailand and the Philippines Arthur Gindap, is clear, but still incomplete. “In developing business cities, like BGC in Taguig, serviced apartments are preferred, especially with companies just starting their offices in the city, which will require travelers [specifically business executives] to stay for extended periods,” Gindap said. “With this, we find Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila as the remaining piece of the puzzle that can cater to the upscale clientele in BGC to truly make the city the country’s newest CBD [central business district].”
Ascott BGC, located on 5th Avenue corner 28th Street, officially opened its doors on November 21. Prior to that day, the hotel has already reaped international accolades, including the “Best Hotel in Architectural Design” plum by the Philippine Property Awards and a high-recommendation rating from the Southeast Asia Property Awards. To top it off, Ascott The Residence is hailed as the Philippines’s Leading Serviced Apartment Brand by the World Travel Awards for back-to-back years.
“The Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila will be the second Ascott-branded property in the country,” Gindap said. “Ascott Makati successfully catered to the need of Makati City expatriates and corporate dwellers. Now, we are bringing this brand of hospitality to Taguig to help the city be recognized as another premier business hub of the Philippines. We’re very proud to be the first premier international hospitality brand to open up here in BGC.”
Aside from filling the void of BGC in its pursuit of becoming a full-blown CBD, he also struck a comparison of the brand with the continuously rising city.
“Similar to other economies we have chosen to set up in this year, we believe the business potential of Bonifacio Global City is great, and its growth in just a decade has been more than remarkable. This year Ascott is celebrating its 30th anniversary and, like BGC, our growth has also been quite remarkable. From the single property in Singapore in 1984, we now have almost 200 operating properties with an additional 66 underdevelopments, giving us a total of almost 260 properties globally. Our presence spans over 88 cities across 24 countries in Asia, Europe and the Gulf region.”
During a recent tour in the award-winning hotel, the reasoning behind the recognitions became clear. The vibe of the brand’s luxury welcomes guests at the lobby, which comes to life with elegant mirrors placed at the front desk and at the ceiling, conjuring an image of limitless space.
Amenities, such as the outdoor 25-meter lap pool, Jacuzzi and a well-equipped gym, all overlooking the posh BGC and Makati cityscape, are on the seventh floor. But, aside from these side notes, the hotel’s bread and butter, the serviced residence, lived up to the high billing.
The rooms, like the studio apartment measuring 49 square meters to 52 sq m, and the one-bedroom unit that spans a generous 75 sq m with a royal bathroom of sorts, are elegantly furnished and fully equipped with a home-entertainment system, functional kitchen and a washer with dryer. Office suites, meeting rooms, function rooms, a boardroom and a ballroom will be fully operational by the first quarter of next year.
Along with Ascott BGC’s list of firsts, the hotel will also be featuring renowned chef’s Margarita Fores’s first restaurant in BGC with Alta, which can accommodate 200 guests for sit-downs, and up to 600 in a cocktail setup.
Ascott has also made local products and talents a point of emphasis as, according to Philip Barnes, Ascott BGC Manila residence manager, all furniture come from Cebu and even the artworks on keycards are created by local artists.
The Ascott Ltd. is definitely on the right track, Gindap said, by riding the highs of the country’s booming economy. To put the growth in perspective, he attributed Ascott BGC Manila as the fifth operating service residence in the country and the second one launched this year, following Citadines in Salcedo, Makati. Also, in the next two years, The Ascott Ltd. is opening properties in Ortigas and Alabang.
“Ascott has always been very bullish, very confident on the prospects of the Philippine economy. We are in a very good position of having eight properties, one of the largest in the country.”
Image credits: Kevin De la Cruz