THE openings of Fairmont Makati and Raffles Makati by next January will help to make up for the 20-year dearth of deluxe properties in the Makati CBD.
The 280-room Fairmont Makati, which will have six F&B outlets and over 1,700m2 of meetings and function space, is being positioned as a hotel for corporate travellers, while the 32-suite Raffles Makati is likely to appeal to luxury leisure tourists.
The last time a five-star hotel put down roots in Makati was 20 years ago, when Makati Shangri-La came to town.
With the opening of Fairmont Makati and other five-star international brands moving in over the next four yeas, industry players expect a levelling of Manila’s high hotel rates.
“More hotels mean more room inventory for us to sell to our clients at more competitive prices,” said Jayne Lim-Ong, inbound sales and marketing manager of Blue Horizons Travel & Tours.
Lim-Ong said there was a market for more upscale hotels as the Philippines’ economic growth remained steady.
“This means that more companies will be interested in investing in the Philippines. This will eventually lead to a demand not just for the high-end market, but also for tourism in the Philippines in general.”
