Boutique property developer Keyland Corp. has officially opened Alino New Manila, a four-star, 20-story lifestyle hotel along E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue in Quezon City.
This is the company’s first foray into the hospitality industry under its newly established Alino Hotels brand, expanding a portfolio long associated with residential and office projects. These include Vermira townhouses in Lipa City, 110 Benavidez condominium in Makati, Southkey Place in Alabang, along with office and retal spaces like Southkey Hub 1 and 2 in Filinvest City, and Keyland in Makati and Ortigas.
According to Lady Elegado, the hotel’s general manager, ‘Alino’ is drawn from ‘Alagang Filipino,’ which underscores the brand’s commitment to ‘genuine, authentic Filipino care.’
At its heart is the value of malasakit, that uniquely Filipino way of caring for others, trying to ease their burden. ‘By observing this Filipino value in travel and hospitality, we aim to ease the stresses of travel, offer reassurance, and deliver comfort that feels both sincere and personal,’ Elegado explained.
The hotel is located across St. Luke’s Medical Center, and within the New Manila district, an area that is popular for being a bridge between heritage and modernity. New Manila, of course, is known for its large post-World War II ancestral estates and film studios. Of late, it has become an emerging growth corridor, which has easy access to Ortigas, Makati, Bonifacio Global City, and beyond via the Skyway.
‘Because of our location, Alino New Manila is able to serve a diverse clientele such as those having procedures done at St. Luke’s, visiting families, young professionals, business travelers, as well as long-staying guests,’ Elegado added.
The hotel features 128 rooms across a range ofcategories, including Essential Twin, Deluxe Twin, Deluxe Queen, Premier Queen, Junior Suite, Deluxe Suite, and a Premier Suite. Standard in-room provisions include high-speed WiFi, 55-inch TV, coffee and tea setups, microwave, and electronic safe.
There is also a dedicated Healthcare Room with a Hepa Air purifier and hospital-grade cleaning solutions to accommodate families of St. Luke’s patients, who require a more sanitized environment. Additional amenities include a laundrette, outdoor pool, gym, and flexible function rooms.
Elegado, who has more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry here and abroad, also showed guests another benefit of staying at Alino-their all-dining restaurant Kutchara, which serves modern takes on classic Filipino dishes. The kitchen is ably overseen by Executive Chef Rexsan Abarquez, who fed us classics, like Kinilaw na Tanigue cured in coconut vinegar and calamansi; Kansi at Baka, that popular Ilonggo beef shank broth soured with the batwan fruit, as well as Inasal na Manok, marinated in calamansi and lemongrass, and grilled to a charred delight.
Beyond its promise to guests, Alino Hotels is also committed to develop and nurture its people as it aims to be a stepping stone for staff to grow their skills and build strong careers in the hospitality industry. ‘By setting international standards locally,’ said Elegado, ‘Alino New Manila gives our team the foundation to excel with the vision of bringing Filipino talent to the global stage.’ Which is exactly why Elegado’s appointment was quite inspired; her long experience in many hotels here and abroad and in various capacities has honed her malasakit into skills that will make Alino’s services and staff stand out in the wildly competitive hospitality business.
Alino New Manila signals the start of a broader strategy to diversify into hospitality and lifestyle-driven developments. It embodies Keyland’s vision of offering accessible, authentic and thoughtfully designed hospitality which reflects on the brand’s promise of ‘Care in Every Detail,’ while also positioning it within the evolving hotel and lifestyle sector in Metro Manila.
Filipinos have been having a love affair with Japan in recent years that at one point, their embassy in Manila announced that the Philippines was their top source of tourists in Southeast Asia.
It has amazing shopping deals, kind and respectful people, a clean and organized way of life, and, most of all, an absolutely divine cuisine. And no suprise, numerous Japanese restaurants have made their way to Manila, offering anything from sushi and comforting bowls of ramen, to incredibly succulent steaks, and, lately, burgers.
I love Japanese hambagu-that moist delicious wide patty slathered with a smoky, tasty gravy-that I often find myself at Robinsons Magnolia, shopping at the Konbini store to pick up a pack of these treats, along with the rich and sweet Hokkaido butter. I tried making hambagus at home, but I guess I just couldn’t get the right proportions of beef and pork correctly. (Yes, it is the pork that elevates the hambagu, giving it that malinamnam taste.)
Just landed in Makati is Masajiro Burger from Fukuoka. Initially famous for its golden buns, it is now equally famous for its wide array of burger options. The Manila franchisee, however, uses pure wagyu beef for its patties, having been long-time importers of wagyu in the Philippines, under JGyu Corp.
‘We thought that this would make the Masajiro Burgers more tasty, charred and adapted to the Filipino taste buds, more umami and premium compared to other established burger joints,’ director of operations of Masajiro Burgers Philippines Claudine Joson-Coron tells me as I scarfed down my tasty burger.
I had the Classic, with a smoky patty, and served with fresh tomatoes and lettuce in that golden slightly-crisp-on-the-outside-but-pillowy-soft-on-the-inside bun. At P390, the burger was sizeable (and value-for-money considering it’s all wagyu), I couldn’t even finish it.a first! I savored it with a creamy vanilla milkshake and fries-the perfect combination for any burger meal. (Try the matcha milkshake, too-it doesn’t have that bitter tea taste that sometimes turn off Pinoys from it.)
And this being the Philippines, there are meals with rice featuring its burgers (with a fried egg underneath) and crispy fried chicken, which diners can smother in gravy (be sure to order some extra of that lovely). And, yes, they use fluffy, tasty Japanese rice for these meals.
I must admit, after having such a generous burger meal along with two milkshakes (burp!), I was so stuffed that I had to slowly waddle around Glorietta to get some steps in before my tummy lightened up enough for me to go home.
Claudine discloses that they had already been offered a space in a Quezon City mall (hurrah!) but they still want to give the original branch a go for about six months to make sure their current popularity isn’t a one-off. At the rate their Makati branch has been performing, with lines through the door especially during mealtimes, I’m pretty sure I’ll be having those luscious burgers again soon-but in my neck of the woods. I can’t wait!