Intramuros turns a new leaf

Intramuros turns a new leaf

The Bay Leaf Hotel breathes new life into the Walled City

By JACKY LYNNE A. OIGA

(Photo courtesy of The Bay Leaf)

MANILA, Philippines — Towering above the historic Walled City of Intramuros, the Bay Leaf hotel is easily a destination in itself. A stone’s throw away from historical gems like the San Agustin Church, Manila Cathedral and Fort Santiago, the nine-story hotel pays homage to its illustrious neighbors with elegantly archaic architectural motifs complemented with sleek, modern interiors that encapsulate its unique brand of comfort.

A charming boutique hotel with a ‘five star’ ambience, Bay Leaf (the English term for dahon ng Laurel) is actually a product of the continuing legacy of the Laurels in education, specifically for the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU)-College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management.

During the hotel’s recent grand launching, no less than President Benigno Aquino III thoughtfully congratulated and thanked the Laurels for opening a new door for domestic and foreign tourism in Intramuros through Bay Leaf.

“I thank Bobby (Atty. Roberto Laurel, president of LPU and Bay Leaf) and his family for helping alleviate the tourism industry, strengthening Philippine tourism and providing more jobs for Filipinos by opening Bay Leaf,” Aquino said in his keynote speech.

“The Laurels had a great vision for instituting this kind of business/boutique hotel,” said Bay Leaf general manager Ed Vitug. “They have a university that churns out the largest number of HRM graduates in the country. This full service hotel and adjacent culinary institute completes their business model and academic program to provide the best HRM and tourism graduates for the tourism industry.”  

But unlike other research training hotels run almost entirely by students, the Laurels thought of building a professional team to augment the hotel’s services. “So while the students learn real life scenarios in hospitality management, the quality of service does not suffer,” added Vitug, a seasoned hotelier with a background in food and beverage.

A new experience

“Bay Leaf is the only full-service business/boutique hotel in Intramuros,” said Vitug. “We take pride on our quality versus our pricing. We provide high end quality service without having to charge like a five-star hotel.”

The hotel got the services of leisure industry design company, Atelier Almario for its interiors. Unlike its imposing colonial façade, the hotel’s 57 spacious and minimalistic designed rooms are refreshingly trendy. With warm color schemes in tomato orange, lime green, aubergine and teal, each room offers an elegant ambience that’s homey and easy on the eyes.

Another distinction is the hotel’s strategic location. Situated within an eight kilometer radius from Manila’s business district, shopping and lifestyle centers, Rizal Park, Ocean Park and the Ninoy Aquino airports, its location is easily accessible for business and leisure travelers. It’s Sky Deck, on the other hand, boasts of a 360 degrees panoramic view of the Manila skyline, the best place to witness the world famous Manila Bay sunset.

A new venue

“Our target market is basically the business travelers,” said Vitug. “There’s a big demand for alternative venues for MICE markets, weddings and other social gatherings here in Intramuros. And while there are a number of multi-purpose plazas and gardens inside The Walls, we are the only establishment that can offer advance support such as wireless internet access, 40” multimedia LCD cable TV in the boardroom and surround sound system. With our five function rooms and terrazas we can easily accommodate up to 300-500 people.”

The hotel’s restaurant, 9 Spoons, and cafe, Cioccolata, have gotten positive responses as well, this time from foodies in and around Intramuros. A bistro-inspired restaurant, 9 Spoons offers both international cuisines and local flavors. Cioccolata, on the other hand, is a trendy café that houses freshly made ‘Churros con Chocolate’ paired with its original hot and cold blended coffee beverages.

By giving people more reasons to visit Intramuros, the Laurels and the people behind Bay Leaf hope to become catalysts for change in the Walled City.

“We hope that with the opening of Bay Leaf there will be more establishments to follow suit and contribute in making Intramuros a better destination. We’re optimistic that more investors will bring their businesses here to help revive our country’s premiere heritage society,” Vitug ended.