Simon McGrath has been appointed General Manager of the upcoming Hilton Manila.
Prior to his appointment, he was the General Manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru in Malaysia, which he opened in 2014.
“The tourism sector in Manila has seen healthy growth in recent years. Strong economic growth and infrastructure development in the Philippines – particularly in Manila – has also prompted an increase in both business and leisure travelers. With the growing demand for accommodation, it’s an exciting time to be opening a Hilton hotel under our flagship brand in Manila,” said Simon McGrath, general manager, Hilton Manila.
“From our presence in the city formerly there has been many fond memories of guests and Team Members and many are anticipating the return of the brand here. Located in one of the most sought after districts in Manila, with a range of exciting food and beverage options coupled with cutting edge technology and the support of the world’s most successful loyalty program Hilton Honors, we are set to make quite an entrance when we open later this year,” Simon added.
A 38-year Hospitality veteran, McGrath has worked with other integrated developments, such as Hamilton Island and Ayers Rock Resort. His experience also spans other hospitality brands including the Mantra Group where he was Area General Manager across the hotels in South Australia and Regional Victoria.
McGrath started his career with Hilton nine years ago with Hilton Adelaide where he was Director of Operations before moving into a commercial role as Director of Business Development. In 2012, he was appointed General Manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Resort, Phuket Surin Beach, where he spearheaded the resort’s rebranding and repositioning prior to his posting in Malaysia. McGrath brings a diversity of experience to all facets of the business with a strong background in both Operations and the Commercial aspects of the hotel as well as being a Food & Beverage and Hotel Openings specialist. In addition to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, McGrath is no stranger to South East Asia, having worked in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand before his recent move to the Philippines.
In his new role as General Manager of Hilton Manila, McGrath will be the driving force behind the successful opening of the hotel which also marks the return of the Hilton brand to Manila.
When it opens in Q4 2018, Hilton Manila will provide guests with a complement of services and amenities including 357 guest rooms, six meeting spaces, an expansive lagoon pool, complimentary shuttle service, a range of food and beverage outlets and a 24-hour fitness center.
