Cover General Manager Frank Reichenbach

A recipient of the Five-Star Award by Forbes Travel Guide for three years straight, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila has placed not only itself but the Philippine hospitality industry at par with the best hotels around the world

On its fifth anniversary, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila has secured, for the third time, the Five-Star Award by Forbes Travel Guide—a recognition of the hotel’s impeccable service and outstanding facilities. This success is grounded on the collective effort of the staff and management, headed by veteran hotelier Frank Reichenbach, who has been in the industry for more than 40 years.

Reichenbach, who won the General Manager of the Year in the 2016 The Hotelier Awards, credits Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s third win to the consistent training and dedication of the associates. The hotel follows Forbes Travel Guide’s standards to ensure the highest quality of service.

“We have our hotel managers on duty every day from 6am-11pm. They have a Forbes Travel Guide-inspired checklist in their hands. They monitor so we get results,” Reichenbach says. “Every day, we do an internal review of our processes and service. Our training is continuous, and ever since, it has become a part of our routine.”

Tatler Asia
Above Forbes Travel Guide CEO Filip Boyen (first row, fifth from the left) with Frank Reichenbach with the Marco Polo Ortigas Manila team during the Forbes Travel 2019 awarding ceremony

For winning the prestigious title three times in a row, there must be pressure for Marco Polo Ortigas Manila to keep getting the award. However, Reichenbach sees this pressure as a challenge to improve, something that can be advantageous. “Forbes Travel Guide does its own reviews. The reviewers come incognito and they pay like regular customers would for the service,” Reichenbach admits. “We prepare because we don’t know when they will inspect. We will only know the results after a year.”

According to Reichenbach, Forbes Travel Guide measures over 800 standards that cover the hotel’s rooms, restaurants, and security, and each year, the bar is raised higher. “It’s not something that you can rate from one to 10,” Reichenbach says. He then enumerates Forbes Travel Guide’s sample questions that are centred on the customer’s experience. “They ask, ‘How did you feel on your arrival?’ ‘How did you feel when you checked in?’”

Tatler Asia
Above The spacious sky lobby of the hotel
Tatler Asia
Above The entrance façade of Marco Polo Ortigas

The hotel is currently working on its 2020 Forbes application. Kristine Facto, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s marketing and communications director, explains that hotels are given a choice of which period in the year when they would prefer to be assessed. “People appreciate what the Five-Star Award by Forbes Travel Guide does for the hotel,” she says. “It’s a point of pride that we share with all our associates, and validation that makes us distinct from the rest.”

CULTURE THROUGH CUISINE

Marco Polo Ortigas Manila is guided by the key philosophy of its namesake, the Italian merchant, explorer, and writer, Marco Polo. The hotel shares the essence of a global traveller, explorer, and entrepreneur. “If you look at our brand assets and values, it’s anchored on that principle,” Reichenbach says.

Tatler Asia
Above Five-Star Award by Forbes Travel Guide plaque

The hotel showcases its heritage by promoting international and traditional Cantonese cuisine. To integrate with the Philippines’ culture, the hotel also serves local dishes.

It brings “the spirit of discovery” mainly through its restaurants and outlets that give Marco Polo Ortigas Manila its unique branding: Café Pronto, Connect Lounge, Cucina, Lung Hin, and Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge. “The restaurant business is tough but we try to be at the forefront,” Reichenbach says. “We are successful because we invest in our people and their expertise.”

Tatler Asia
Above The Marco Polo Ortigas Manila team (Seated: Sheryll Elumbaring, Front Office Manager; Roel Constantino, Resident Manager. Standing: Kristine Facto, Director of Marketing Communications; Stuart Stancombe, Director of Restaurants, Bars, and Events; Juliet Ramos, Financial Controller)

In a sea of competitive hotels in Metro Manila, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila stands out with its service and facilities. Once guests enter the premises, they are immediately assisted by the associates who anticipate the guests’ needs. Marco PoloOrtigas Manila is also one of the few high-rise hotels that offer nice views of the city. “It’s also how the hotel is built. Since the hotel starts on the 24th floor, it is airy and bright. The design is contemporary, fresh, and elegant. And we have very high ceilings,” Reichenbach says.

LUCKY FIVE

This year, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila is celebrating its fifth anniversary. Special event packages are available for guests seeking to celebrate milestones in the hotel.

Marco Polo Ortigas Manila is celebrating this anniversary not just for a month but for the rest of the year. “The plan of the management from the beginning was to really extend the celebrations,” Reichenbach says. “Looking back, we want to pay tribute to our associates, and many of them are still part of our pioneer team. We also want to show our appreciation to our clients and guests who have been with us from the beginning.”

MARCO POLO ORTIGAS MANILA
Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, Meralco Avenue and Sapphire
Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600, Philippines
T: +632 720 7777
manila@marcopolohotels.com • marcopolohotels.com

Topics