A heritage site turned into a fancy boutique hotel

The Manila Army & Navy Club is a social club where generals and people of high importance used to gather ceased to exist in the 1970s. For 30 years, its building lacked proper maintenance, was abandoned, and later on deteriorated.

In 1991, the National Historical Commission declared the place as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

Luckily, businessman Simon Paz of Oceanville Hotel & Spa Corporation leased it from the City of Manila and decided to turn it into a swanky boutique hotel. The heritage site is now the newest and classiest hotel in Manila, the Rizal Park Hotel.

The hotel consulted Palafox Associates to restore the facade, while Arco Group refurbished and redesigned the interiors.

“A part of restoring a heritage site means keeping its original layout. It’s more of just improving the old design. The tiles that we are using now and 2nd floor are the replica of the old one. The foundation is still original, but strengthened,” shares Rizal Park Hotel’s general manager Juan Paolo Sumera.

At present, the hotel is operating with a casino, a spa, and a buffet restaurant. Targeted to open this December is another phase which will house a 1100-seater ballroom, a swimming pool, and a gym.

They offer four different hotel room categories—the deluxe room, junior suite, premium suite and a presidential suite.

“For the rooms, the owner decided to go for warm, earth tones, something that’s pleasing to the eye. I think it worked pretty well with how the lobby looks like. It just blends history with style. We want to give the artsy boutique hotel feel and at the same time give the amenities that five star hotels offer,” explains Sumera.