When Forbes Travel Guide – the gold standard in the international hospitality industry since 1958 – put out its full list of winners for 2019, the opening paragraph read, “The Peninsula Manila earned its first Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star award. Most years, that would be a headline-making achievement on its own. But in 2019, the news is merely a fabulous footnote to an even bigger story: with the Philippine property receiving hospitality’s highest distinction, that means all 10 Peninsula hotels around the globe hold Five Stars. In Forbes Travel Guide’s 61-year history, this marks the first time a brand swept the Five-Star category across all of its hotels.”
In response to receiving this accolade, The Peninsula Manila general manager Mark Choon said, “It’s a milestone event in our 43-year history for The Peninsula Manila to be named a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel, the only one in the principal central business districts of Makati and Fort Bonifacio Global City to receive this coveted ranking. We are delighted and immensely proud to join our sister hotels in Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York, Tokyo, Chicago, Beverly Hills, Paris, Beijing, and Bangkok in this Five-Star rating, in turn making The Peninsula Hotels the first and only hotel group to achieve the highest possible Forbes Travel Guide rating across all our hotels. We are a Perfect Ten!”
This welcome piece of news was the perfect excuse for The Peninsula Manila to throw a fabulous party not only for all its partners in the business community, press, and society who had stood by it for 43 years, but also to announce the fabulous news of its long-awaited soft room renovation. The second quarter of 2019 will see all the hotel’s guest rooms and suites refurbished with lighter colors, materials and fabrics as well as updates on technology touch points. It will be completed by October of this year. In addition, The Gallery will be converted into the fantastic 100-seat The Gallery Club Lounge, making The Peninsula Manila the city’s only all-club hotel!
Forbes Travel Guide CEO Filip Boyen flew in to join the celebrations along with his team comprised of Forbes Travel Guide EVP for Partner Services Peter Kressaty and Forbes Travel Guide VP for Partner Services Ryo Koike.
In honor of International Women’s Day, which was the same day the party was held, The Peninsula Manila gathered five of Manila’s most exciting new female talents to put on a show of unprecedented female power! There was DJ Badkiss spinning, Princess Ybañez on violin, saxophonist Nicole Tejedor, Heloise la Harpe playing on an electric harp, and Nicole Laurel Asencio thrilling guests with her voice.
