ALONG with the gasps, the “wows” and other monosyllabic expressions of wonderment, stepping foot on the Marriott Grand Ballroom (MGB) can unleash a flood of gushing adjectives. It’s huge. It’s spacious. It’s a work of art. It’s state-of-the-art. It’s wonderful. But perhaps the term that encapsulates the whole facility is the very one attached to its name. In every sense of the word, the four-story MGB is G-R-A-N-D.
Described by Resorts World Manila (RWM) Chief Operating Officer Stephen Reilly as their “latest, greatest, biggest project,” this marvel of an events venue has 8,000 square meters of function space with 28 versatile meeting spaces plus six VIP sky boxes that can accommodate any social gathering—from weddings, debuts, exhibitions, large conferences, corporate meetings and concerts, among others. This newest facility, which will formally open on July 1, stretches the Marriott Hotel Manila’s total function space to 10,000 sq m, the largest in Philippine hotel industry.
That said, the MGB’s main draw, the main ballroom, is now the country’s largest hotel grand ballroom with a massive 3,000 sq m of pillar-less function space—more than double the size of the previous titleholder. The space, which can be easily divided into four sections with the cutting-edge SkyFold Technology partitioning system, can accommodate 4,000 guests for cocktails and 2,500 for banquet setups.
However, the word “grand” does not only apply to the MGB’s size and beauty, but also to the status it has obviously set its sights on. Marriott Hotel Manila General Manager Bruce Winton said during the recent media launch of the MGB that they aim to not only boost the country’s tourism through this massive endeavor but also to become one of the big players in the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) market.
“We’ve been working hand-in-hand with the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board for the last couple of years to send the message that we have a compelling offer here in the Philippines,” Winton said at the recent media launch of MGB. “The local MICE market has been demanding for a new venue—one that can provide scale, as well as luxury, and that’s what we have.”
He added, “The international market has always been asking what Manila has to offer that’s globally competitive. ‘Why should we bring our meetings and all of our dollars to Manila, instead of Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok?’ Well, this is it. This is a compelling, fully integrated, entertainment and meeting facility at the gateway to the Philippines.”
Aside from the soundproof SkyFold Technology, another technological advancement the main ballroom has bragging rights to is the 176 programmable pillow ceiling lights that can be changed to 360 colors, and a ceiling height that can be adjusted from 12 meters to 10 meters at the push of a button. Convenience is also on the main ballroom’s calling card with nine utility boxes placed at each of the four segments, providing event suppliers with data, Internet, water and even drainage.
Not only is exceptional functionality and great design present in the main ballroom but in the whole building as well, as the flow of guests has obviously been given careful consideration, and given the strategic placement of service elevators and kitchens to the doors of the event venues. Also, with an eye to hosting major exhibitions and conferences, the MGB has allotted 1,505 underground-parking spaces across six basement levels powered by a fully automated parking system. No need to line up for toll payments; just pay at an automated teller machine-style auto pay station on each parking level.
FOOD & STYLE
ON top of the massive event spaces, the MGB also offers top-of-the-line food choices with three new dining destinations on the menu. There’s the upscale gourmet coffee shop Crema, the modern Asian noodle bar Mian and the innovative deli Allegro. According to Marriott Hotel Manila Director of Food and Beverage (F&B) Brendan Mahoney, “F&B obviously is super important in the Philippines and it’s actually the heartbeat of this building.”
He said that they have invested a lot in their culinary team that will be working their gastronomic magic in fully loaded kitchen. He added they’re also very diverse in what they can accomplish, offering meal customization depending on the event and the number of guests.
With regards to the aesthetics of the massive building, Marriott Hotel Manila tasked Hong Kong-based art consultant and international interior decorator Anja Silling of Melange Interiors Ltd. to bring the space to life. Silling said to fill in such a massive canvas, she went back to basics asking what the space would be for. “It’s beautifully designed. It’s large. It’s grand. But in the end, it’s for the people who will occupy it, for events, weddings and other functions. It’s to promote the country. It’s for happy days.”
She also took into consideration that guests would be coming not only from these parts but from all over the world and thus, she went with modern art pieces imbued with a Philippine aesthetic, leveraging the works of such respected artists as Impy Pilapil and Roberto Robles, to name a few.
JUST THE BEGINNING
All the world-class offerings of the MGB notwithstanding, Reilly said there’s still so much more in the pipeline.
“It has only just began,” he said, alluding to the fact that from the initial 342 hotel rooms in 2009, RWM will increase its collective hotel room capacity to approximately 4,200 rooms over the next four years along with many other offerings. “This is only Phase 1. You’re looking at Phase 2. We’re still developing Phase 3 and Phase 4 before we move out to Bayshore City and produce our next, even bigger Resorts World property. There are many, many surprises to come, and a great journey to be traveled.”
Image credits: Alysa Salen