Luxury travelers are heartened to know that in most every major capital across Asia they’ll find a Peninsula hotel. And it’s no exaggeration to say that if you’re a Peninsula fan, the newly re-opened Manila outpost, is, well, a thriller. From the public spaces, all opulent colonial splendor, to the bedrooms, crisp and contemporary apartment-style lodgings with high-rise views of the city, it’s a worthy challenger for the title of top hotel in town. The location, with twin towers straddling the intersection of Ayala and Makati avenues, is central, right where a high-flying luxury hotel ought to be. And while the re-opened restaurants and lobby bar make the hotel another much-needed meeting point for the city’s business and civic elite, it’s the redesigned accommodations that should have the Peninsula’s competitors looking in the rear-view window. Often it’s the conservative, even stuffy-looking bedrooms that prove to be the weakness of otherwise fine luxury hotels. But in this area the Peninsula group hasn’t rested — here you’ll find not only the expected comforts, from top-quality beds and bedding to oversized marble bathrooms, but you’ll find they’re delivered with a stylistic flair that leaves the lesser competitors in the dust.