Ultra-luxury hotel brand will return to global capital after 15 years

A country made up of more than 7,600 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, the Philippines has experienced a significant spike in tourist numbers as travelers come to experience everything from the country's diving and white-sand beaches to the historic walled city of Manila.

Chosen as the capital of the Philippines by Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi in 1571, Manila offers a remarkable combination of history and modernity as the city goes through constant reinvention to meet the needs of a metropolitan population of more than 14 million people, as well as burgeoning tourist interest.

With the number of international arrivals to the Philippines growing from 5.45 million in 2023 to 6.48 million in 2025, the luxury market is also seeing significant growth driven primarily by tourists from the U.S., South Korea, and Japan.

InterContinental, Mandarin Oriental opening new luxury hotels in Manila's Makati

Since the start of spring, two ultra-luxury hotel chains have announced that they will return to the Philippine market after exiting it years ago under different circumstances.

Initially built in 1969, the InterContinental Manila in the Makati financial district closed down in 2015 to make room for the new mixed-use One Ayala development.

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The IHG Hotels & Resorts chain has now revealed plans to bring its ultra-luxury brand back to Manila with a new 212-room hotel in the Bonifacio Global City district, developed from a former military base into an urban business core adjacent to Makati.

With the opening slated for 2032, the hotel will take a long time to build. IHG Managing Director for South East Asia & Korea Vivek Bhalla heralded the property as a "wonderful milestone, and a perfect fit for the city with strong long-term fundamentals and increasing demand for luxury travel."

"The InterContinental brand has a storied history in Manila, having first opened in the city in 1969 and for 46 years it was a symbol of luxury and a hotel icon," Bhalla said in a statement. "[...] This signing reinforces our commitment to expanding our luxury and lifestyle presence across the Philippines and the wider region."

The Mandarin Oriental Makati, Manila marks the brand's return to the city after the original property shut down in 2014.

Mandarin Oriental

"Contemporary expression of Filipino luxury": Mandarin Oriental Manila opening by December 2026

Another ultra-luxury hotel brand, the Mandarin Oriental, is slated to open its own five-star hotel in the Makati district later this year.

The luxury brand established in Hong Kong in 1963 was also present in Manila from 1976 to 2014 when it was torn down due primarily to the high costs around renovating the property on the corner of Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas.

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Plans to develop a new hotel across the street on the corner of Ayala Triangle Garden were initially slated for 2020 but were pushed back by the Covid pandemic.

Mandarin Oriental touted the new 275-room, 98.7-meter high-rise building as a "return [...] to the city where it helped shape Manila's social and cultural landscape for generations.

"Reimagined for a new generation of global travelers, creatives and business leaders, Mandarin Oriental Makati, Manila introduces a contemporary expression of Filipino luxury shaped by craftsmanship, innovation and the Group's legendary service," Mandarin Oriental said further of the opening date, currently set for December 2026.

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