Boutique hotel focuses on Manila’s rich cultural tapestry
HOTELS, especially if they are located in tourist areas or in business districts, are often part of worldwide hotel chains or local conglomerates. Most of the times, this connection or link provides them the road to fame and success. And seldom are hotels which are owned and managed by independent individuals or groups given the chance to prosper given the competition.
But for Armada Hotel Manila president and CEO Estrella Dimaculangan, there’s really no sure formula for success. Her boutique hotel, which is situated in the tourist district and culturallyrich Malate and is owned and managed by a sole proprietor, herself, has been making waves since it opened last year.
The hotel is situated in an area teeming with hotels and accommodations ready to serve the diverse needs of guests based on budget, expectations and travel needs. And for a hotel to make it so to speak, it has to have the distinct combination of topnotch facilities and amenities as well as first-rate customer service.
“My goal is for travelers to enjoy another landmark in the already rich tapestry of Manila,” says Dimaculangan. “And we’re going to do that with our complete portfolio of accommodations, services, amenities and steady stream of special offerings.”
Armada Hotel Manila features 96 well-appointed guest rooms. Its location offers a waterfront vista as it overlooks the Manila Bay and its world-famous sunset, and the city skyline.
Guests can also chill out at the rooftop swimming pool with its own sundeck, treat themselves to traditional aroma therapy and modern treatments at its award-winning Sensui Spa, try the allday-dining Caliber Café at the ground floor and the rooftop’s Raja Asian Cuisine and Aruba Lounge that specialize in local and international cuisine, sweat it out at the Gym/Fitness Center which comes with world-class fitness equipment, or throw a fête at the roomy Entrada Function Room.
Shopping is also even made more convenient as it is very near malls such as the SM Mall of Asia, Robinsons Place Manila and Harrison Plaza. Want to have a round of night golf? The Club Intramuros Golf Course is several minutes away. In addition, its proximity to historical spots, parks and specialty restaurants make the hotel truly a traveler’s haven.
“Whether you are staying in your cozy suite, dining in our restaurant or lounging around, we really want our guests to feel comfortable (with their needs) looked after. We are just living out our claim as a boutique hotel for business and leisure travelers including local residents and balikbayans.”
The hotel also continues to provide guests value for money as it offers topnotch service but without them feeling like they’re breaking the bank. Until Nov. 30, it offers a special anniversary rate of P3,200 for an overnight accommodation for two in a superior room with a free 30-minute massage plus a surprise gift.
After a year of operation, she says that her hotel is making its mark as a favorite hotel destination by foreign and domestic tourists.
“We continue to have a steady stream of guests and we have proved our doomsayers wrong that we will last primarily because we’re a virtual unknown then when we opened the hotel,” she says.
Dimaculangan says that even her business partners in her other businesses discouraged her to put up one because she has no knowledge about hotel operations. She has a brokerage and forwarding company and a trading firm on nutritional raw materials for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries.
Armada Hotel Manila initially operated as Centara Hotel Manila. Several months back, it made a strategic move to reposition its hotel identity, rescale its operations and reintroduce its presence to both would-be and faithful patrons, thus, the change in its name.
Dimaculangan says: “Management’s goal has been to marshal its resources—as the term ‘armada’ signifies a moving of resources towards a specific purpose—to provide a hotel that will give utmost comfort, care and satisfac- tion to clients.
“The re-branding was a step in the right direction. As a result, the hotel has been able to focus its efforts towards developing a strategy that will attract domestic as well as foreign travelers. More importantly, hotel investors will have a say on the direction the hotel will be taking on,” she says.
Dimaculangan says she is also upbeat in the country’s tourism prospects. “We have high hopes for a continuing high demand for the tourism and hospitality industries’ facilities as we see as a continuing influx of foreign tourists amid the continuing interest by North Americans, Europeans and Middle Easterns on Asia.” (Armada Hotel Manila is located at 2108 M.H. del Pilar St., Malate in Manila. For inquiries, call 526-0888 or 559-9890, fax at 353-8838, e-mail at reservation@armadamanila.com or visit its website at www.armadahotelmanila.com.)