Strolling through the MacArthur Suite at the Manila Hotel on Manila Bay, Philippines, it’s easy to imagine the great general at his desk, puffing on a corncob pipe and pondering some military problem.

The fact that most of the hotel, including Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s office, was destroyed by fire during the Battle of Manila shouldn’t be a problem for imaginative visitors.

The suite is filled with old furniture that MacArthur might or might not have used, and decorated with photographs, artwork and memorabilia related to his storied career.

A guided tour is free, but it pays to book ahead through the hotel’s concierge. The tour starts with a visit to a ground-floor archives room that contains various records of the hotel where MacArthur lived with his family during his tenure as the Military Advisor to the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines from 1935-1941.

You can check out photographs of other famous guests, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, Richard Nixon, Liza Minnelli and Michael Jackson.

The 570-room, five-star hotel opened on July 4, 1912, and was occupied by Japanese troops during World War II. With U.S. forces closing in, the Japanese burned the building, leaving only a shell that was retained when the hotel was rebuilt.

The MacArthur Suite includes several rooms for sleeping and entertaining and panoramic views of Manila Bay. If you want to stay there, the suite can be rented, but it doesn’t come cheap. One night will set you back $8,000, but for that the hotel will throw in a butler to attend to your every need.

MacArthur Suite, Manila Hotel

DIRECTIONS
The Manila Hotel is about a half-mile north of the U.S. Embassy on Manila Bay in the Philippines.

TIMES
Book tours through the hotel’s concierge.

COSTS
Guided tours are free.

FOOD
The hotel has several bars, cafes and restaurants.

INFORMATION
Website: manila-hotel.com.ph/macarthur-suite