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| A grand home in Manila |
Open the door.
Gasp.
Utter, "Oh, my God."
Mouth agape in disbelief.
Eyes wide open.
My expression of surprise was much like that of a movie script. But this particular incident was for real. Zero pretensions.
It was a quick trip to Manila to catch the circus in a big tent. My residence for the visit? The Manila Hotel. Two nights with the Grand Dame—I am honored.
Back in the 80s, the Grand Dame was a subject of admiration from the school window across Intramuros. Five years in college, and only on two occasions did I get the chance to see her in her posh address, #1 Rizal Park—once for dinner and the other for a school activity. That was it.
That night, I was on the opposite end, standing on the balcony of the thirteenth-floor suite (sorry, I’m not triskaidekaphobic, and apparently, neither is she. She didn't skip 13 in the hotel's level designation). Gazing at the familiar Manila City Hall, I traced the path from where I get off the jeepney, toting a portable drafting office, to the college gates of my alma mater within the famed walls.
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| The portal to the 13th floor Sunrise Suite. |
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| The suite's living room |
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| The suite's bedroom |
The scene from my Sunrise Suite’s balcony was of reminiscing about the Manila university life of a Promdi. It was far from a Dorina or a Florida who suddenly had a stroke of luck and had the last laugh (robed, wine glass in one hand, cigarette in the other). But it was still an "if my friends could see me now” moment. Let me wallow in this blessing for a while, please; let me enjoy my Senso mattress and listen to the bedtime stories of the Grand Dame.
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| Sunrise over Intramuros seen from the balcony of the Sunrise Suite |
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| Mornings at the 13th floor suite of the Manila Hotel |
Manila Hotel is grand and iconic, and its rich history (with the infusion of high society galas and political intrigues) will validate this claim. Their registry lists politicians, royalty, and notable personalities—General Douglas MacArthur, Ernest Hemingway, Prince Charles, US Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon, The Beatles, Marlon Brando, and Michael Jackson (the archive room stores the mementos)—and is growing, earning it the title of Address of Prestige. Appropriate.
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| The Manila Hotel of the past |
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| Royalty, personalities, politicians & more made Manila Hotel their preferred address in Manila. |
Before the hotel turned one hundred years old in 2012, it went through a remarkable transformation. Guest rooms for 500 were refurbished with amenities modernized, yet retained and highlighted the elegance and sophistication of Filipino design. Large picture windows in all the rooms will afford the guests a more breathtaking view of the historic Intramuros (from the Sunrise Suites) or the magnificent sunset across Manila Bay (from the Sunset Suite). Panoramas you can enjoy at the luxurious MacArthur or Presidential Suite with a personal butler on call 24/7. Sweet.
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| A general's memento |
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| The MacArthur Suite |
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| The MacArthur Suite bedroom |
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| The MacArthur Suite formal dining room |
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| The MacArthur Suite study |
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| The bedroom where Michael Jackson slept |
The “new look” extends to the rest of the hotel as well. Take a gastronomic trip from Café Ilang-Ilang’s nine live cooking stations to Champagne Room’s French indulgence under crystal palm trees to the jade-laden walls of the Mabuhay Palace’s exquisite Chinese cuisine. The new sun deck is ideal to catch the sun or view it as it sets, or enjoy a five-star pampering at the spa after a calorie-busting, muscle-building session at the state-of-the-art health club. Exciting.
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| Gastronomic journey from the Champagne Room to Mabuhay Palace to Cafe Ilang-Ilang |
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| Relaxation: 5-star pampering at the Spa, catch the sun at pool deck & work out at the state-of-the-art health club |
Countless stories have been told about the impeccable Filipino hospitality and elegance of the Manila Hotel over the past century. This is the Grand Dame’s legacy. A legacy they plan to carry on to the next century, as they pursue exceeding the expectations of their growing modern-day clientele. The “new blood” will have their stories to tell, and it will be good. Ernest Hemingway believed so.
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| Breakfast with friends & toqueless chefs. Chef Joie Candelaria of Mabuhay Palace, Pastry Chef Rolando Macatangay & Chef Christine Zarandin. |
It is said that part of fully experiencing Manila's history is to visit and stay in this hotel, the Grand Dame of Philippine hotels. My third visit was very memorable. More than an indulgence, it was a quick trip through history that went way beyond my P3.50 jeepney ride from Muñoz to Intramuros two decades ago and admiring the Manila Hotel from a distance. And that, madame, is my story.
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