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 U.S. Army. Today, it remains as the home of the Philippine Army and the Philippine Navy.
In recent years, Taguig City 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 districts and lifestyle district in the country. The area is home to numerous of 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.
THE HEIGHT OF LUXURY
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 brings residents world-class services with the brand’s legendary hotel services such as daily housekeeping, concierge and 24-hour front desk. Residents can luxuriate with state-of-the-art unit finishes with white marble and timber flooring, and cook in elegance with world-famous Gaggenau kitchen appliances.
“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 look different, 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 Grand Hyatt Manila Hotel, for example, 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 highest hotel in the Philippines by height,” he adds.
PREMIUM AMENITIES AND SERVICES
When it comes to condominium buildings, there are some people who are concerned about the density rate per floor and the privacy they can have, because the more units there are per floor, the less privacy the residents have. The traffic in-and-out of the corridor, the elevator and even the swimming pool, have an influence on prospective buyers.
“We have a total of 50 floors for Tower 1, the same as Tower 2. For the Tower 2, which we call it the South Tower, the cut is the same but we minimized the density or the number of units per floor. For the low zone, we only have a total of eight units, and these are from the 8th to 25th floors. From the 26th to the 38th, we only have 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 Manila Residences are top-notch. Aside from a swimming pool, it has a business center called The Library, a Teen Entertainment Zone with a big-screen TV set and Play Station, a gym and yoga room, and multi-purpose function rooms including a glass function room that residents can rent depending on their needs.
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 landscapes having been assigned to the hotel and asset management in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Switzerland, Korea, China, and now the Philippines.
“We are seeing a trend of branded residences in Asia. Federal Land is among the first to introduce the concept in the Philippines. We see that a number of similar developments are rising in BGC, and that’s good for the industry,” he says. “I always count the number of cranes I see on the skyline, and because there are a lot of cranes, it means that there’s prosperity in the construction industry.”
“If you look at Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Korea and now Philippines — all these countries have something in common. They started from somewhere. If you look at photos of Singapore and Hong Kong 30 years ago, it looks a bit different than what it does today. Every country has leveled up on stages, and today is the movement forward of the Philippines. It could not be more exciting,” he exclaims.
And with the numerous infrastructure projects in the works under the government’s “Build, Build, Build” initiatives, this 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 access and cellphone coverage? Are the elevators the high-speed kind?” explains Hauri.
STRONG BRAND GAME
Grand Hyatt’s brand is a strong one, it considers themselves to be a pioneer in using the name that complements the services and facilities of the hotel. “The brand gives residents and potential buyers confidence, a life insurance. They want to sign up to somebody that 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, of cleanliness, of sanitation, of higher life safety. As a company, it wants to provide peace of mind for its customers, for unit owners, and for future buyers in the case of the South Tower.
“We are sitting in the center of Grand Central Park, a 10-hectare development owned by Federal Land. We have another development in the works called The Seasons Residences. This is a Japanese influenced design concept with four residential towers and a shopping mall — the Mitsukoshi Mall, which will be the first in the country,” shares Hauri. “We still have more land bordering Kalayaan Avenue, where we are most likely to do more commercial office space, multi-purpose spaces.”
The location of this 10-hectare property is also ideal as everything is at walking distance. All of the buildings are somehow connected and residents are never more than a phone call away from everything they want — whether it is a transportation service, certain information they need, or a dish that you want a chef to cook for you in your unit. Indeed, Grand Hyatt Manila Residences Manila offers a lifestyle that suits its residents and unit owners.
“In the end, signature is very important. When I talk about signature, I mean the distinction, that landmark appeal that one wants and not just for today, but for the next 50 years,” says Hauri.