Mandarin Oriental Manila

Mandarin Oriental Manila

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in 2005
General information
Location Makati Avenue, Makati, Philippines
Opening 1976
Closed 2014
Management Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Technical details
Floor count 18
Design and construction
Architect Leandro Locsin
Other information
Number of rooms 413[1] (2014)
Number of suites 29[1] (2014)
Number of restaurants 7 restaurant and bars[1] (2014)
Website
www.mandarinoriental.com/manila/
(Archived)

Mandarin Oriental Manila was a hotel along Makati Avenue in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines managed by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and designed by National Artist Leandro Locsin.[2] The old building is under demolition stage.

History

The hotel designed by Leandro Locsin and a British design consultant. The 18 storey building was built on a site which was known as the Diamond Triangle and opened in 1976. It also had the first in-house movie system in the Philippines[3] The hotel was known for its annual Chinese New Year celebrations which was started in 1996. These celebrations were cited among celebrations done within Metro Manila outside Binondo. In 2001, the hotel opened a luxury spa, dubbed as The Spa at Madarin Oriental, within its premises and became the first hotel in the country to have done so.[4]

Closure

On June 4, 2014, The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced that it would close the hotel by the end of 2014.[5][6] The management began closing the hotel gradually by area instead of ceasing operations of all areas of the hotel in a single date.[4] The hotel had its final day of operations on September 9, 2014.[2]

Fate of the hotel building

Gradual demolition works of the building. December 2015.

The Heritage Conservation Society (HCS), expressed concern on its Facebook page against the possible demolition of the hotel building of the former Mandarin Oriental Manila along with InterContinental Manila. Former HCS Vice President and member of the groups Advisory Council, Domic Garcia, who is also an architect urged for the buildings not to be demolished and argued that while not all of the works of architect Leandro Locsin should be preserved his best works should be referring to the two buildings. He also suggested that the buildings maybe reused for other purposes or the existing structure integrated to a new design specifically proposing that the Mandarin Oriental building maybe used as a base of a new and taller tower which compliments the architecture of the older building. The HCS also cited the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 states that works of National Artists such as Locsin is considered as an important cultural property.[7]

Under the National Cultural Heritage Act, a site could only be declared a heritage site if it is at least 50 years old. The Mandarin Hotel building was about 38 years old on its full closure in 2014.[2]

Ayala Land stated on September 2014 that the redevelopment of the site of the Mandarin Oriental Manila is being studied with architectural consultations with LVLP, the firm of Leandro Locsin. The redevelopment of the site of InterContinental Manila is also being studied.[7]

New Mandarin Oriental Manila

The lease of the management of Mandarin Oriental Manila with Ayala Land was due to end in 2026 but the board decided closing the hotel instead of waiting for the lease to expire. The new Mandarin Oriental Manila will be built across the street in Makati and is planned to have 275 rooms. The new hotel to be developed and owned by Ayala Land Hotels & Resorts is planned to be completed by 2020.[4][5][6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Hotel Information". Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Manila. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Marquez, Francine (10 September 2014). "Kind words, laughter, tears fill the Mandarin Oriental Manila on its last day". InterAksyon. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  3. ↑ "Top quality hotel for Manila". The Age. 28 March 1977. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Manalac, Shiela (26 June 2014). "History and memories at Mandarin Oriental Manila". Manila Times. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Existing Mandarin Oriental, Manila to close; new hotel to rise in 2020". GMA News. BM, GMA News. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  6. 1 2 "After 38 years, Mandarin hotel to close this year". ABS-CBNnews.com. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  7. 1 2 Macas, Trisha (3 September 2014). "Fate of Locsin-designed hotels in Makati redevelopment project a concern". GMA News. Retrieved 10 October 2015.

External links

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