The Accor Group of Hotels has opened its first MGallery hotel in the Philippines with Admiral Hotel.

MGallery is the Accor Hotel's luxury boutique hotel lineup that promises to offer a unique experience by letting guests deep dive into a particular location's culture.

Admiral Hotel gently whisks one into Pre-War World War II Dewey Boulevard (now Roxas Boulevard), where the Manila's elite wined and dined. The key word here is elegance, and this hotel has it in spades.

There was an original Admiral back in 1939. However, the building was no longer structurally stable and had to be demolished. This new building reconstructed from the ground up and retains the old-world feel, with art-deco touches all over the façade.

01 - A first look at the atrium is guaranteed to take a first-time visitor's breath away. The lobby’s sitting room reminds one of an explorer's club, with lush comfortable couches and large floor globes seen in a period Jules Verne movie. Look up and marvel at Las Pahinas de Historia, an art installation of pages showing Manila’s history fluttering up to what looks like a stained-glass ceiling. Jeeves de Veyra

02 - Hotel guests begin their stay at the Spanish Room. This is more of a den more than a reception lobby. Sit back on the sofas, enjoy your welcome drink, and check out the bookshelves and bas-relief painting one the corner of an old Spanish house and the Manila Cathedral dome. Jeeves de Veyra

03 – El Atrio is the lobby lounge of the hotel featuring TWG tea, coffee, and quick bites. This is the place to get silogs, sandwiches, and snacks. Not to be missed are the bonbons by local pâtissier Kevin Ong which taste as good as they look. Jeeves de Veyra

04 – The 130-seat Grand Harbour ballroom is where private events and banquet functions are held. This gets the use of the Blue Room, a comfortable space just outside the ballroom that can be used as a registration area, or a spot for exhibits and cocktails. Jeeves de Veyra

05 – Each floor has its own identity, showing different themes pertaining to Filipino culture. The lobby artwork reflects festivals, heroes, traditional games, folk dances, and everyday objects. The rooms are thematically named, featuring postcards mounted next to the numbers, so there's really no excuse to get lost. Jeeves de Veyra

06 –The Superior and Deluxe rooms show how different an M Gallery hotel stay can be. These are tastefully decorated with Filipiniana décor and can either have a view of the atrium or out into Malate and Roxas Boulevard. Each room has its own Nespresso Machine and tins of TWG tea for that hot pre-breakfast drink. For the binge-watching staycationer, each room is furnished with a Samsung TV with a Bose soundbar with enough USB and HDMI ports to easily to hook up the device of your choice. Jeeves de Veyra

07 – The lavish décor continues with the room’s bathrooms paneled with wood and with polished gold accents used for the faucets, showers, and metal fixtures. Jeeves de Veyra

08 – The corner suite is huge. It's definitely the room to get to spoil yourself. The suite is complete with a dining area, a living room, and bedroom. For families, the suite has adjoining rooms for the kids. Jeeves de Veyra

09 – This suite be perfect as a prep area for a wedding and the following honeymoon as there is so much room. The bathroom with his and hers sinks, and a footed bathtub is a sight to behold. Jeeves de Veyra

10 – On the top floor of the hotel is the Coconut Grove, the rooftop lounge with a sweeping view of the Manila Yacht club that serves up wines, beer, spirits, and cocktails. Jeeves de Veyra

11 – Opposite Coconut Grove is the swimming pool. There’s no better way to end the day than to chill out in the water with a drink while watching the sun set over Manila Bay. Jeeves de Veyra

12 – Chef Cyrille Soenen of the much-missed Brasserie Cicou is the captain of the Admiral’s galley. Serving as executive chef of the property, his refined take on food is seen all over the hotel from the indulgent Croque Madames and Croque Monsieurs of L’Atrio to the curated offerings of the Admiral Club, the hotel’s All-Day dining restaurant. Jeeves de Veyra

13 – To start off, one can get a tray of pate, cheese, charcuterie, pintxos, and tapas from the Grazing Section. Try having the cold cuts tossed in the cheese wheel for a unique appetizer. Jeeves de Veyra

14 – The Asian station features favorites from all around the region with high pressure burners for stir fry and a cold Plancha for sushi and ceviche. Check out the noodle dishes, particularly the laksa. Soenen assures guests that there will be at least one Filipino dish in this section. Though, one can only imagine what kind of magic a chef known for his French techniques can do with a full station for Filipino dishes. Jeeves de Veyra

15 – The French station is like a collection of Soenen's greatest hits with one of the best versions of Boef Bourguignon, beef slowly stewed in red wine, in the city. Make sure to drop by the Tartare Atelier for beef and fish tartare, and their different preparations of 60-degree eggs. Note how the entrees are simply labelled with a whiteboard marker. Soenen said that they vary the menu almost every day, just retaining signature entrees and favorites. Jeeves de Veyra

16 - Adding to that, the carving station regularly has not one, but two carvings regularly on the board, like this evening’s Prime Rib and Bacon-Wrapped Salmon, with seldom seen entrees like Beef Wellington on rotation. Sunday brunch features much more extravagant entrees such as Soenen's own cochinilio – roasted pig stuffed with chicken, with the chicken further stuffed with chorizo is served on Sunday brunch. Jeeves de Veyra

17 - Fresh oysters are just one of the many delights at the seafood station. One can get fish and select seafood cooked on demand at the Josper grill, too. Jeeves de Veyra

18 – The dessert station has exquisite cakes and crepes. Make sure to ask for the egg tarts cooked a la minute and stop by the rotating freezer for a scoop of the ice cream made in-house by the kitchen. Jeeves de Veyra

Even if the Admiral Hotel isn't fully open yet, it is already proving to be great addition to Roxas Boulevard with its period architecture and Chef Soenen’s food. Another floor, the presidential suite, the spa, and Ruby Wong’s Go-down, a Chinese-themed speakeasy featuring craft cocktails and noodles, will be operational in the next couple of months.

To celebrate the hotel’s opening, guests can experience the Deluxe Room for P8,888 per night for stays until September 30. Rates include breakfast for two at Admiral Club Manila Bay and a P1,888 credit that can be redeemed in all hotel outlets. More details are available at Admiral Hotel's website.

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