IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a deal to reintroduce the InterContinental brand to Manila more than a decade after the original Makati property closed, with a 212-key luxury hotel set to open in Bonifacio Global City in 2032.
The announcement, made on 16 March 2026, marks the return of one of the Philippines’ most storied hotel brands to the capital – and its repositioning from the traditional Makati central business district to BGC, Metro Manila’s most modern commercial and lifestyle hub.
A legacy interrupted, now revived
The original InterContinental Manila opened in Makati in 1969, quickly becoming one of the city’s most prestigious addresses. For 46 years it served as a venue for diplomatic receptions, high-level corporate gatherings and landmark social events, cementing its place as a genuine institution in Philippine hospitality. The management contract between AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts Corporation and IHG expired in 2015, and the property ceased operations – leaving the brand absent from Manila for what will be, by the time the new hotel opens, the better part of two decades.
Vivek Bhalla, Managing Director for South East Asia and Korea at IHG Hotels & Resorts, acknowledged both the weight of that legacy and the significance of its return. “The InterContinental brand has a storied history in Manila, having first opened in the city in 1969 and for 46 years it was a symbol of luxury and a hotel icon,” he said. “Reintroducing InterContinental to Manila is a wonderful milestone, and a perfect fit for the city with strong long-term fundamentals and increasing demand for luxury travel.”
BGC: the new address for international luxury
The choice of location is as significant as the signing itself. Bonifacio Global City – also known as The Fort – is a 240-hectare master-planned district in Taguig that has transformed from a former military base into Metro Manila’s pre-eminent address for multinational corporations, financial institutions and premium residential development. It is home to the Philippine Stock Exchange and to the regional headquarters of many of the world’s largest companies.
The shift from Makati to BGC reflects a structural change in the geography of wealth and corporate activity in Metro Manila. Over the past 15 years, BGC has drawn significant investment from international hotel brands seeking to capture premium business and leisure demand in a district that increasingly sets the standard for what luxury in the city looks like. The new InterContinental will enter an established competitive set – and will need to define its position within it.
The hotel will offer an all-day dining restaurant, a signature specialty restaurant and bar, ballroom and function room facilities for corporate and social events, a health club and spa, and an outdoor swimming pool with a poolside bar.
A three-developer consortium
IHG is partnering with a consortium of Philippine property developers to deliver the project: Keyland Corporation, Philippine Realty and Holdings Corporation, and Greenhills Properties Inc. Each brings a distinct piece of the local market context.
Keyland Corporation is an established developer with a portfolio spanning Makati, Alabang, Las Piñas and Ortigas, and is now expanding into hospitality in response to growing demand for premium travel experiences. Philippine Realty and Holdings Corporation has developed upscale residential and commercial projects across Ortigas Center, Quezon City and BGC. Greenhills Properties Inc. owns premium real estate within BGC itself.
Jose Ma. Montinola, President of Keyland Corporation, described the signing as an inflection point. “We are immensely proud to build on the brand’s storied legacy in Manila and to play an integral role in its return to the capital, delivering a stand-out hotel that honours its past while setting a new benchmark for luxury stays in the city.”
IHG’s Philippines and regional ambitions
The Manila signing arrives as InterContinental marks its 80th year of operations globally. The brand currently operates more than 240 hotels and resorts worldwide, with over 100 further properties in the development pipeline. Manila joins a growing luxury presence in the Philippines, where IHG has two additional InterContinental properties under development – a pipeline that points to sustained confidence in the country’s long-term hospitality fundamentals rather than a single opportunistic signing.
Across Southeast Asia more broadly, IHG has been scaling its luxury and lifestyle portfolio through local developer partnerships. A planned voco Bangkok Siam, set to open in 2029, reflects the same approach – aligning with established property companies that understand local regulatory and market dynamics while giving the IHG brand the real estate quality its positioning demands.
The Philippines context matters here. International tourist arrivals have been recovering strongly since the post-pandemic reopening, and business travel in Manila – particularly at the premium end – has benefited from a sustained flow of regional headquarters decisions and inbound corporate activity. BGC’s commercial ecosystem makes it a natural attractor for the senior executive traveller that InterContinental has historically served.
For IHG, the 2032 opening date is a long runway – but one that reflects both the complexity of large-scale luxury development in Metro Manila and the confidence required to commit capital to a market years before returns materialise. That confidence, from both IHG and its three developer partners, is itself a signal about where the Philippine luxury hospitality market is heading.
