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A NEW
five-star hotel, located on the site of the historic
Manila Opera House in Manila’s bustling Chinatown, will
be inaugurated on August 30 this year.
The new
hotel, named Manila Grand Opera Hotel, marks the latest
investment foray in the buoyant property and hospitality
markets, reflecting the sustained confidence of
investors in the economy, said the youthful Lawrence
Tan, general manager of the new hotel.
Tourists
from China, Asia’s economic giant, are expected to
account for the bulk of the foreign guests of the Manila
Grand Opera Hotel, Tan said.
“The
tourism industry remains on the upswing, encouraging us
businessmen to invest and cash in on the government’s
massive promotion of our country as a major tourist
destination,” said Tan.
The new
deluxe hotel is on the site of the historic Manila Opera
House at the corner of Rizal Avenue and Doroteo Jose
Street in Chinatown.
The rise
of the new hotel comes on the heels of a surging inflow
of visitors from China, not only as tourists but also as
businessmen pursuing investment projects in the
Philippines. China is a major tourist market target of
the Department of Tourism.
Though
it boasts of modern amenities for the guests’
convenience, the Manila Grand Opera Hotel will retain
its historic ambiance as venue of arts and culture shows
from the mid-1800s to the early 1950s, affording
visitors a glimpse of its colorful past.
Hotel
rooms and halls, conceptualized by Manila’s leading
architectural firm One Design Consultancy Corp., will
display photographs, artifacts and memorabilia about the
events it had hosted decades ago, including those of
popular opera, concert, vaudeville and zarzuela artists.
These make the Manila Grand Opera Hotel unique in the
hotel industry.
The new
deluxe hotel will also feature paintings highlighting
the significant role of the former opera house during
the Philippine colonial period when it served as the
venue of the historic First Philippine Assembly presided
over by United States Secretary of War William Howard
Taft.
“This
hotel will showcase our rich historical and cultural
legacy to help promote international understanding as a
cornerstone of our tourism industry,” Tan said. |
