Midas Hotel
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The former Hyatt Regency on Roxas Boulevard.
I'm too young to have any memories of this Hyatt hotel. But it holds a special place in many people's hearts I'm sure. Especially their Calesa Bar. By the time I was big enough to go out and explore hotel lobbies and bars, this was already run down. It had gone through many transformations and the lobby didn't look like it originally did when Leandro Locsin built it. A few years ago the hotel was sold, and new owners had plans of renovating it. Carlos Celdran wrote an obituary in his blog.
Hyatt Regency by Leandro Locsin, National Artist for Architecture
Old Hyatt photos from "The Architecture of Leandro V. Locsin" by Nicholas Polites, 1977
Last month, I got an exclusive sneak peek at the old Hyatt, now called Midas Hotel. It is run by the Genesis Hotels, same management as Bella Roca and Misibis Bay. I was invited to Midas by Ivy and Cynthia Almario of Atelier Almario, one of the top interior design firms in the country. They had never shown the space before, but trusted UZ enough to have it featured even though the hotel isn't up and running yet.
My jaw dropped when I entered the lobby. I tweeted right away, "Finally, Manila will have a really chic boutique hotel."
Formerly known as the Sheraton, the Savoy, the Hyatt, renamed Midas Hotel and Casino stands as a legacy of deluxe service and 5-star amenities on Roxas, the famed sunset boulevard of the Orient. A landmark precursor of 5 star hotels in Manila with its complement of fully furnished 240 guestrooms and suites, and elegant banquet and dining facilities, now reopening its doors with its latest recreational facility early 2010---the Casino. -- Genesis Hotels
Facade of Midas Hotel, Dec 2010
Lobby lounge of Midas Hotel, with Cynthia and Ivy Almario
Another angle
Floor to ceiling shelves. The area behind the piano, a white wall, will be revealed soon.
A closer look at the custom-made orange and brown boxes.
Real designer furniture - Philippe Starck, Poltrona Frau. Not copies. Not "inspired by."
The adobe walls, encased behind glass, like a rare artifact.
This is how the lobby looked like in the early 1970's. Check out the adobe walls leading to the elevators.
The new Midas Hotel, behind us are those same elevators in previous photo. You can see that they kept the adobe walls and even high lighted it.
Most of the chairs and couches are by Poltrona Frau in Furnitalia. The entire lobby smelled like luxurious leather handbags.
Petrified wood table tops.
The area by the elevators had a structurally-low ceiling. The Almarios had to work with it. So they lined the entire ceiling with mirrors to give the illusion of height. The pattern on the back-lit wall is actually a photograph of twigs which was magnified and given mosaic treatment then printed onto a sticker.
Instead of typical chandeliers, the Almarios chose fibre optic wires which created a chandelier shape when illuminated.
Concierge's desk
I am very excited about this hotel. Ivy gave me a tour of the rooms. Some floors were kept in its almost-original state but were refurbished with new upholstery and lighting. They had an indochine vibe. Nostalgic. Most of the rooms and floors were completely re-done. Stunning! I love that they have a Ladies' Floor, for women business travelers or women who are traveling solo. I couldn't take photos of the rest of the hotel yet because it isn't fully opened yet. Soon...
Here's their website: Midas Hotel.
.
The former Hyatt Regency on Roxas Boulevard.
I'm too young to have any memories of this Hyatt hotel. But it holds a special place in many people's hearts I'm sure. Especially their Calesa Bar. By the time I was big enough to go out and explore hotel lobbies and bars, this was already run down. It had gone through many transformations and the lobby didn't look like it originally did when Leandro Locsin built it. A few years ago the hotel was sold, and new owners had plans of renovating it. Carlos Celdran wrote an obituary in his blog.
Hyatt Regency by Leandro Locsin, National Artist for Architecture
Old Hyatt photos from "The Architecture of Leandro V. Locsin" by Nicholas Polites, 1977
Last month, I got an exclusive sneak peek at the old Hyatt, now called Midas Hotel. It is run by the Genesis Hotels, same management as Bella Roca and Misibis Bay. I was invited to Midas by Ivy and Cynthia Almario of Atelier Almario, one of the top interior design firms in the country. They had never shown the space before, but trusted UZ enough to have it featured even though the hotel isn't up and running yet.
My jaw dropped when I entered the lobby. I tweeted right away, "Finally, Manila will have a really chic boutique hotel."
Formerly known as the Sheraton, the Savoy, the Hyatt, renamed Midas Hotel and Casino stands as a legacy of deluxe service and 5-star amenities on Roxas, the famed sunset boulevard of the Orient. A landmark precursor of 5 star hotels in Manila with its complement of fully furnished 240 guestrooms and suites, and elegant banquet and dining facilities, now reopening its doors with its latest recreational facility early 2010---the Casino. -- Genesis Hotels
Facade of Midas Hotel, Dec 2010
Lobby lounge of Midas Hotel, with Cynthia and Ivy Almario
Another angle
Floor to ceiling shelves. The area behind the piano, a white wall, will be revealed soon.
A closer look at the custom-made orange and brown boxes.
Real designer furniture - Philippe Starck, Poltrona Frau. Not copies. Not "inspired by."
The adobe walls, encased behind glass, like a rare artifact.
This is how the lobby looked like in the early 1970's. Check out the adobe walls leading to the elevators.
The new Midas Hotel, behind us are those same elevators in previous photo. You can see that they kept the adobe walls and even high lighted it.
Most of the chairs and couches are by Poltrona Frau in Furnitalia. The entire lobby smelled like luxurious leather handbags.
Petrified wood table tops.
The area by the elevators had a structurally-low ceiling. The Almarios had to work with it. So they lined the entire ceiling with mirrors to give the illusion of height. The pattern on the back-lit wall is actually a photograph of twigs which was magnified and given mosaic treatment then printed onto a sticker.
Instead of typical chandeliers, the Almarios chose fibre optic wires which created a chandelier shape when illuminated.
Concierge's desk
I am very excited about this hotel. Ivy gave me a tour of the rooms. Some floors were kept in its almost-original state but were refurbished with new upholstery and lighting. They had an indochine vibe. Nostalgic. Most of the rooms and floors were completely re-done. Stunning! I love that they have a Ladies' Floor, for women business travelers or women who are traveling solo. I couldn't take photos of the rest of the hotel yet because it isn't fully opened yet. Soon...
Here's their website: Midas Hotel.
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