A 30-minute drive from Manila airport, the Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery was built in 1939 by the prominent Araneta family. Back then, known as the Admiral Apartments was the tallest building in the Philippines, in one of the poshest neighbourhoods of the capital. The views across Manila Bay alone attracted the city’s elite.
And then came World War II. During the war and the Japanese occupation, the hotel was used as a headquarters for the Japanese military. The original structure was demolished in 2012 because of safety concerns, but the hotel was rebuilt on the same spot with the same iconic facade, and reopened under the MGallery brand in 2022.
The soul and legacy of the old Admiral hotel live on: the new building has the same look and aesthetics as the original, and the same eight floors – a decision made to recognise its achievement as having been the tallest building in the country. Among the historical buildings in Intramuros is Manila Cathedral, the country’s first. Next to Intramuros, Rizal Park is named after celebrated national hero José Rizal, whose writings inspired the Philippine Revolution of 1896 to 1898.
Here, a national flag flies from the tallest flagpole in the country, guarded at all times by two soldiers in uniform, despite the sizzling heat. Dozens of other national heroes who resisted colonial oppression are remembered in bronze busts throughout the park. The first thing that grabs the attention of arriving guests is the white 1951 Buick Su.