ASCOTT’s Oakwood has a new home in Makati, sharing space with Worldhotel Inc.’s I’M Hotel in the intersection of Makati and Kalayaan Avenues in Makati’s Poblacion.
“We actually have two properties under one roof,” said Melissa Lim, General Manager of Oakwood Makati Avenue, during the April 16 launch. The property has 434 rooms in total. 150 of them, all suites, belong to the Oakwood brand, occupying floors 22 through 34. The remaining 284 rooms belong to I’M Hotel, occupying floors nine through 21.
“We want to take I’M to the next level essentially. We saw the opportunity to rebrand some of our suite rooms,” she said. “It’s the suites that needed more push.”
BusinessWorld took a tour of the property. The suites have been given touch-ups, with balconies and voice-activated smart television sets, and fully equipped modular kitchenettes. The rooms range in size from the Studio Premier at 44 sqm., to the two-bedroom executive suite at 100 sqm., with prices beginning at P10,000. The hotel is also pet-friendly. “For I’M Hotel, what we’re trying to attract is the leisure traveler,” said Ms. Lim. “Whereas for Oakwood, what we’re trying to attract is the corporate guests as well as long stays.”
Along with the rebranding of the suites, I’M Hotel also announced the opening of two new food and beverage outlets: Osteria M and Barangay Bar.
Osteria M is led by Ms. Lim herself (who happened to be a finalist of Singapore MasterChef’s second season). This will feature Italian cuisine infused with Filipino ingredients, as well as handmade pastas, and sourdough Naples-style pizzas. Meanwhile, Barangay Bar (punnily pronounced as Barang-gay) is their LGBQ+-friendly bar, located by the poolside. “Because we’re situated in Poblacion, I think it’s high time that Poblacion supports the community with an LGBTQ+-friendly bar,” she told BusinessWorld.
I’M Hotel’s I’M Onsen Spa, according to Ms. Lim, will also venture into aesthetic treatments as well. As for the hotel itself, she said, “In the next three to five year-window, we’re going to actually be franchising I’M Hotel as a brand to the provinces. We wanted to get the blueprint.”
Oakwood Makati Avenue is located in Kalayaan Ave. corner Makati Ave., Brgy Poblacion, Makati City. — JL Garcia
