Grand Hyatt Residences Manila is set to be the landmark premium residential choice
Before becoming the mega city that Filipinos flock for its happening shopping malls and trendy restaurants and bars, Taguig City — specifically Fort Bonifacio — was once a large military reserve and served as the headquarters for organizations such as the Philippine Scouts and the Philippine Division of the US Army. Today, it remains the home of the Philippine Army and the Philippine Navy.
In recent years, Taguig has risen to become the location for quality and privileged living. The city is continuously evolving into one of the fastest-rising and exciting central business and lifestyle districts in the country. It is home to numerous luxury shopping centers, dining spots, corporate offices, recreational options and residential condominiums.
One of those condominiums is the Grand Hyatt Manila Residences, which is rising at Grand Central Park in Fort Bonifacio, next to the 66-story Grand Hyatt Manila Hotel.
When it comes to residences or hotels, the overall component is always lifestyle. “We want to respond to the lifestyles of today’s modern household. We see lifestyle changes for travelers who have different needs and desires,” says Johannes “Hans” Hauri, president of Bonifacio Landmark Realty and Development Corporation. Grand Hyatt Manila Residences is a joint venture of Federal Land and Japan’s Orix Corporation, while Bonifacio Landmark is responsible for the sale and marketing.
Grand Hyatt Residences brings residents and visitors worldclass service with the brand’s legendary hotel services such as daily housekeeping, limousine service, concierge and 24-hour front desk. Residents can luxuriate in state-of-the-art units with finishes like white marble and timber flooring, and cook in a Gaggenau kitchen.
“Fundamentally, it’s always how we can be different from others and not just what is necessarily existing. It is also looking at ourselves as a company, how we can become a landmark,” he says. “If you want to be a landmark, you need to be recognized by being different. We worked with specialists who really define the word ‘landmark’ and give it meaning. For us, it is our rooftop. If you look at the rooftops across the skyline of Bonifacio Global City (BGC), you would see that most of them are flat. Because we have chosen a different rooftop, we now have the distinction of being the tallest hotel in the Philippines,” he adds.
PREMIUM AMENITIES AND SERVICES
When it comes to condominium buildings, discriminating residents are concerned about privacy and density rate per floor. The traffic in-and-out of corridors, the elevators and even the swimming pools are some of the things prospective buyers consider.
The Grand Hyatt Residences Tower One has a total of only 239 units of two, three and four-bedroom units. From the 7th to the 25th floors, there are eight units per floor. From the 26th to the 30th floors, there are six units per floor. And finally, from the 28th to the 38th floors, there are only four units per floor. The last 10 floors will have two units per floor.
“We have a total of 50 floors for both Towers 1 and 2. For Tower 2, which we call the South Tower, the unit cuts are the same but we minimized the density or the number of units per floor. For the low zone, we only have a total of six instead of eight units, and these are from the 7th to 25th floors. From the 26th to the 38th, we have only four units per floor. And from the 39th to the 50th floors, we have two units per floor,” explains Hauri.
The amenities and services of Grand Hyatt Residences are top-notch. Aside from a swimming pool, it has a business center called “the library,” an entertainment room with a big-screen TV set and Play Station, a gym and yoga room, a culinary room that is more like a show kitchen for resident’s to entertain their guests and show off their culinary skills, and multi-purpose function rooms including a glass function room that residents can rent for private use.
Residents also have access to use the facilities of Grand Hyatt Manila hotel for a fee. These facilities include the Illume Spa and Fitness, and the hotel’s numerous dining options including The Grand Kitchen, The Cellar, The Lounge, Florentine, No. 8 China House, Pool House and The Peak.
A BOOM IN THE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT
Over the course of Hauri’s 50-year career, he has seen a lot of changes in the Asian landscape, having worked in hotel and asset management in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Korea, China and now the Philippines.
“Aside from what we have been doing with Grand Hyatt, we’ve been seeing a lot of branded residences and developments especially here in BGC,” he says. “I always count the number of cranes I see on the skyline and their number means that there’s prosperity in the construction industry. If you look at Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Korea and now the Philippines, all these countries have something in common — they started from somewhere. Look at photos of Singapore and Hong Kong from 30 years ago, they look very different from today. Every country levels up in stages, and today is the movement forward for the Philippines. It could not be more exciting,” he exclaims.
With the numerous infrastructure projects in the works under the government’s “Build, Build, Build” initiatives, these developments are complementing the property boom.
“Ten years ago, the industry was talking about brick and mortar. Today, we’re talking about purpose. We have grown beyond what I would call the basics, and have moved on what the purpose the building should have for you, the buyer. Buyers today are asking different questions. They don’t ask anymore how much bars are being put into foundations and if you are using concrete hollow bricks or concrete pouring. Today, buyers are looking for services, convenience, what is fast — this also applies to elements of technology. Does the unit have WiFi and cellphone coverage? Are the elevators the high-speed kind? The soft side is the deliverables, the hard side is the technology,” explains Hauri.
STRONG BRAND GAME
The Grand Hyatt brand is a strong one, considered to be a pioneer in the hotel industry. “The brand gives residents and potential buyers confidence, an assurance and insurance. They want to sign up with somebody they can trust. They want to make sure that their investments will still be around for years to come, especially when they pay every month or every year for it,” he says.
Hyatt is also supervising the quality standards of maintenance, cleanliness, sanitation and higher life safety. As a company, it wants to provide peace of mind for its customers and unit owners, and future buyers in the case of the South Tower.
“We are sitting in the center of the Grand Central Park, a 10-hectare lot owned by Federal Land. We have another development in the works called Seasons, which is a Japanese-influenced design concept with shopping mall and four residential towers,” shares Hauri. “We still have more land bordering Kalayaan Avenue, where we are most likely to do more commercial office space, multipurpose spaces, another five-star hotel and residences.”
The location of the property is also ideal as everything is within walking distance. All the buildings are somehow connected and residents are never more than a phone call away from what they need, whether it’s transportation service, certain information or a dish they want a chef to cook in their unit.
“In the end, signature is very important — the distinction, the landmark appeal that one wants not just for today but for the next 50 years,” says Hauri.
‘Ten years ago, the industry was talking about brick and mortar. Today, we’re talking about purpose,’ says Johannes ‘Hans’ Hauri, president of Bonifacio Landmark Realty and Development Corporation.