Admiral Hotel Manila - MGallery - Luxury hotel - Admiral Hotel's Story

Evoking the high-society glamour of Old Manila, the reimagined Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery beautifully blends classic and contemporary Spanish styles, honoring the heritage of the original Admiral Hotel with renewed pride.

Originally built in 1939, the previous owners of Admiral Hotel & Apartment commissioned the eminent Filipino architect, Fernando H. Ocampo, to design the building. Inaugurated on July 8, 1939, the event was graced by the Philippines’ second president, Manuel L. Quezon, and General Douglas MacArthur.

The old Admiral Hotel once served as a vibrant hub for the elite during the pre-war era, being the tallest building by the bay, and standing as an iconic landmark for seafarers arriving in Manila Bay. During the golden era, the Admiral hosted lavish parties and welcomed numerous foreign dignitaries, including Clare Booth Luce, the then U.S. ambassador to Italy and wife of Henry Luce, the publisher of Time, Life, and Fortune magazines.

During World War II, the Admiral Hotel became the headquarters of the U.S. military and was a primary target of invading Japanese forces. Eventually, the Japanese took control, using the hotel as their own headquarters. Sadly, the building sustained significant damage when American forces attempted to retake it during the Liberation of Manila.

Renovations began in 1947, and the building reopened as an apartment until 1975. On July 1976, the Admiral re-emerged as a hotel and was classified as a four-star establishment by the Ministry of Tourism. By 1988, the Department of Tourism reclassified the Admiral Hotel within the first-class category, further solidifying its legacy as Manila’s iconic hotel.