You are SAFE at The Manila Hotel

The historic hotel partially reopens in time for its 108th anniversary with upgraded hygiene protocols for guest safety; and launches special anniversary promo

Just a day before the historic hotel’s founding anniversary, The Manila Hotel plans to partially open its doors to its valued guests, with the famed Café Ilang Ilang, the Lobby Lounge, and the Delicatessen resuming operations on July 3, 2020. A rebirth of sorts after months of following the government’s quarantine protocols, the hotel has adjusted along with the rest of the world in navigating the “new normal,” and puts a high premium on the well-being of guests. 

TMH Lobby: The Grand Lobby of the historic Manila Hotel will light up again soon as the hotel partially reopens to accept guests beginning July 3, 2020

TMH Lobby: The Grand Lobby of the historic Manila Hotel will light up again soon as the hotel partially reopens to accept guests beginning July 3, 2020

With the lobby shining bright anew signifying eternal hope, The Manila Hotel commemorates its 108th founding anniversary on July 4 by welcoming guests with an enduring brand of service that is now focused on enhanced health, hygiene, and sanitation protocols in line with DOH guidelines. 

As the hotel prepares for the reopening, Atty Joey Lina, the president of The Manila Hotel, assures the public, “You are safe here. We have taken every precaution to heart so you and your loved ones can have peace of mind when you visit or stay with us.”

To its valued guests who are waiting for Café Ilang Ilang to open, The Manila Hotel offers its 108th Anniversary Promo that gives the first 108 customers for the first 108 days of its reopening (including Saturdays and Sundays) a special dining rate of only Php1,250 for lunch, and only Php1,550 for dinner. Café Ilang Ilang likewise returns with a new system for dining where guests can “order and eat all you can,” meaning they can order as much food as they want from the selection of dishes at a fixed price. 

Both Café Ilang Ilang and the Lobby Lounge will be open with limited seating capacity. Thorough sanitation procedures will be implemented, and guests can order using disposable menu, eat using cutlery in sealed containers, and even use tables with acrylic dividers. Front-facing personnel communicating with guests like Guest Services Officers (GSOs) and waiters will don masks, gloves, and face shields. To limit contact with guests, Café Ilang Ilang is also fine-tuning its contactless ordering and payment system.

Adopting best practices, the hotel launches a comprehensive initiative to assure its patrons they are safe at The Manila Hotel. High-traffic public areas will have hygiene reminder signagesand distance indicators, and guests will be asked to undergo mandatory temperature checks, and health declaration procedure. Limited capacity will also be implemented in elevators, while several hotel facilities will remain closed including the spa, swimming pool, gym, and other areas.  

High-touch points like door handles, elevator buttons, public area furniture, and others will be sanitized multiple times per day using UV technology. Tests reveal that UV sanitation greatly reduces the bacteria count on surfaces, as demonstrated by lower RLU readings—whose value is used as a measure of surface cleanliness—after the procedure. 

 Barring announcements from the government to the contrary, the hotel also plans to start accepting room bookings by August 2020.  The public will be assured of rooms thoroughly cleaned first with UV-C light technology to eliminate germs, bacteria, and viruses; followed by medical-grade sterilizing and disinfecting solution. A change of fresh and sanitized linens; sanitation of touch points in the room including remote controls, lamps, etc.; and thorough bathroom disinfection are also art of the procedure. Guests will also receive personal wellness kits, issued a UV-sanitized keycard, and arrive to guestrooms with a seal of assurance that they are the first to enter the sanitized environment.

Because taking care of its own people means they can take better care of guests, The Manila Hotel has invested on testing its staff upon return to work to ensure they are healthy. The culinary team strictly adheres to stringent protocols on proper hygiene, hand washing, and food handling. Staff will be required to wear PPEs as needed, and a strict implementation of distancing measures will be done in the offices, front desk, and other areas frequent by guests. 

The Manila Hotel looks forward to welcoming both loyal and new guests with the kind of service it is known for, with the assurance that “YOU ARE SAFE HERE” is not just a tagline but a commitment it truly means to uphold. 

Source: The Manila Hotel

Coffee Break

I was already feeling anxious about my employment search. I wanted to hear from my potential employers already, and the wait was killing me. I happened to be at the hospital where my dad was confined, so I took a coffee break first to calm my nerves and stay awake. 

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I had a French Vanilla and some sour cheese fries. It was a delicious combo, and it helped me stay focused on my situation: my dad was in the hospital, and I am looking for work so that I can help my family. I don’t need to be anxious about it, because I’m doing everything I can to be employed.  

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I hope and pray that I will hear from employers soon! I am hoping for the best outcome for me. 

Posing Patiently

It has become my tradition to pose for selfies first thing on Monday mornings. It sets the tone for my busy week ahead. It helps motivate me not just to slay, but to also stay poised throughout every challenge that I encounter on a day-to-day basis.

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I am not afraid to be judged for my self-timer pictures. I don't mind the stares whenever I take these photos. I simply focus on posing and hope that the shots will turn out fine.

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I am quirky that way. and it is in posing patiently through each take that I get photos that can set the tone for the rest of my week. I am still a newbie at work, but I am learning fast. By posing patiently on the job, I am slowly enjoying the fruits of my labor. I am building rapport among my colleagues. And I find myself looking forward to another day at work.

Here's to more patience, more selfies, and more slaying- both at work and play!