Resorts World Manila Opens New Hotel as Philippines Lifts COVID-19 Restrictions

Posted on: April 21, 2022, 08:40h. 

Last updated on: April 21, 2022, 12:16h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

Resorts World Manila in the Philippines has a new hotel to show off. The Hotel Okura celebrated its grand opening just as the country lifted all COVID-19 lockdowns.

Hotel Okura Manila
Hotel Okura Manila in a file photo from the company. The luxury hotel at Resorts World Manila held its official grand opening on Wednesday, April 21. (Image: Okura Nikko Hotels)

It’s been a long road for Resorts World Manila, a Genting Group property, to open one of its biggest endeavors. The resort initially planned on opening the Hotel Okura, an 11-story hotel with 190 rooms, in 2018. However, construction delays, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, forced the casino operator to change its plans.

Now, four years later, the hotel is finally open to guests. After a successful soft launch in December, Resorts World Manila officially inaugurated the new facility yesterday, according to Inside Asian Gaming. The grand opening coincides with the removal of all COVID-19-induced lockdowns in the Philippines.

Metro Manila Welcomes New Hotel

Hotel Okura is located close to Metro Manila’s primary tourist and business areas, which will allow it to cater to a range of travelers. It is a high-end, Japanese-themed hotel, complete with handcrafted woodwork direct from Japanese artisans and Japanese-inspired decorations throughout.

The hotel is the latest to become part of the Okura Hotels & Resorts chain. The company now operates over 25 hotels in Japan, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America.

The Okura-branded hotels are just a part of the company’s global hospitality empire. Its parent company, Okura Nikko Hotel Management, also manages properties under the Hotel JAL City and Nikko Hotels International brands.

In addition to the luxury hotel rooms, the property boasts other amenities that have a certain clientele in mind. There is a roof-top, heated swimming pool, accompanied by sauna rooms and a full gym. The signature restaurant, Yamazato, offers authentic Japanese cuisine and is joined by Yawaragi, which offers Japanese dining combined with “Western and Asian specialties.”

Hotel Okura Manila offers easy access to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. A pedestrian sky bridge connects the property with the airport just minutes away.

Returning to Normal

The Philippines has had to deal with a prolonged fight with COVID-19. As a result, there was an impact on all facets of the economy, including gaming. Casinos began to open their doors to guests last November after strict lockdowns, but capacity limits were still in place.

Since then, recovery has been slow but steady. However, as of yesterday, the government lifted all lockdowns across the entire country.

The change came, in part, because of an announcement by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday. The agency said then that the Philippines is now a “low risk” country for international travel as COVID-19 cases continue to drop.

Except for a spike in new cases on Tuesday, the number of COVID-19 infections has diminished since April 9. On that day, according to data from Johns Hopkins, the number of new cases was 299. As of April 19, the number was almost half that, at 156.

April 20, however, saw a substantial increase. The Johns Hopkins data shows that there were 365 new cases, obliterating the positive track record from the previous two weeks. Despite the increase, nothing currently suggests that the Philippines will reinstate health restrictions or lockdowns.