The beloved luxury hotel was one of the early casualties of the pandemic. We look back with fondness at this haven where we wined, dined, and everything in between.
She remembers that day back in January 2021 vividly like it was yesterday. Makati Shangri-La Hotel’s former Director of Development Rubi de Vera was at home— “it was raining cats and dogs,” she recalls. When they received the announcement from top management that the iconic five-star hotel was closing its doors, its employees were not only shocked but downright devastated. This unbearable upset sent out ripples throughout their community— from the housekeeping staff who was rushing back from Baguio to make her shift the next day, to the Middle Eastern diplomat who called to share his disbelief that his recent visit to his second home in Manila might have just been his last. “We were all crying,” says de Vera.
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When the Makati landmark opened its doors in 1993, it was to become the gold standard in luxury accommodations, world-class dining, and exclusive events. For more than a decade, The Rizal Ballroom was the venue for the Tatler Ball which de Vera called “the most anticipated event of the year.” Tatler Philippines Managing Director Irene Martel Francisco recalls: “The Balls are planned six months ahead and entail closely working with the GMs and executive chefs. Such a collaborative exercise that was always fun, too.”