OpeningsMandarin OrientalManila, Philippines
A first look at Mandarin Oriental Makati, Manila
Mandarin Oriental’s return to Manila after the original Makati hotel closed in 2014
Expected December 2026 Not bookable yet
Get notified when it opens
We’ll email you the day it opens, and again once it has a Fat Score. Joins the Fat Voyage list; leave any time.
First look
Mandarin Oriental is heading back to Manila. The brand shut its original Makati hotel in 2014, and this new property brings it back to the same district, with around 275 to 276 rooms set above Ayala Triangle Gardens. The dates are a little fuzzy: the official site points to November 2026, while developer Ayala Land cites December 14, 2026, so we’re calling it late 2026 until the two line up.
What we’ll be watching
Whether the return narrative holds up on the ground. Mandarin Oriental operated in Manila from 1976 until 2014, so this is a comeback story the brand is leaning into hard. Whether the new property earns that weight, or just borrows it, is the first thing we’ll be watching.
Whether the opening date actually sticks. Ayala Land’s own bond prospectus quietly mentioned 2027 at one point, and construction progress slipped before recovering — the developer has since reaffirmed late 2026, but that kind of setback leaves a margin for further slippage.
Whether five dining venues spread across one urban hotel deliver on the promise. The official site describes modern Cantonese, Filipino, and international concepts across five outlets. That’s a real dining program for a 275-room city hotel — and city hotels in Manila face a sharp local restaurant scene. We’ll be watching whether it pulls diners in from outside or just feeds guests.
Whether the Filipino-wellness angle reads as genuine or cosmetic. The spa is built around indigenous healing traditions — Hilot massage and Philippine botanical treatments — which is a more specific, grounded proposition than the usual luxury-spa menu. The 25-metre outdoor pool over Ayala Triangle Gardens is the other test: city-hotel pools live or die on access and atmosphere, not size.
Photos
Renderings and press imagery, courtesy of the hotel. Details may change before opening.
Before it opens
When does Mandarin Oriental Makati, Manila open?
The hotel is slated to open in late 2026, with December 2026 the date most widely cited by press and the developer Ayala Land. The timeline has shown some movement — Ayala Land’s own bond prospectus referenced a 2027 opening before the company publicly reaffirmed 2026, and construction progress slipped at one point before recovering — so treat it as expected rather than fixed.
Where is Mandarin Oriental Makati located?
It sits above Ayala Triangle Gardens at the corner of Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas in Makati, the Philippines’ financial district. The hotel is reported to be about 15 minutes by car from Manila’s international airport.
Is this Mandarin Oriental’s first hotel in the Philippines?
It will be the brand’s only property in the country when it opens. Mandarin Oriental operated an earlier Manila hotel from 1976 until 2014, so this is a return after a 12-year absence rather than a debut — and it reopens on a different site within the same Ayala Triangle area.
How many rooms will Mandarin Oriental Makati, Manila have?
The hotel will have 275 rooms and suites, spread across a roughly 99-metre tower above Ayala Triangle Gardens. Rooms start at around 50 square metres, with club-floor options that include access to a dedicated lounge and 24-hour butler service.
What restaurants and facilities will it have?
Five dining and bar concepts are planned, spanning modern Cantonese, Filipino, and international cuisine alongside cocktail bars. The wellness floor covers around 800 square metres and draws on indigenous Filipino healing traditions including Hilot massage; a 25-metre outdoor pool overlooks the gardens and Makati skyline. Event space includes a grand hall that reportedly accommodates up to 1,000 guests. No named architect or interior designer has been confirmed in official press materials.
Will Fat Voyage score Mandarin Oriental Makati, Manila?
We publish a Fat Score only once a hotel is open and real guests have stayed and written about it — drawn from luxury travel communities, editorial publications, and verified guests, never paid placements. This is a first look, not a verdict; we’ll score it once there’s enough independent signal to be fair.
