Philippine Plaza
The Philippine Plaza has always been the preferred hotel of Kong Kong and his golf quartet; we have wonderful memories of having Sunday family lunch at Pier 7 (I can distinctly remember drinking from the pewter goblets that they had). The seaside hotel opened in 1974 as a Westin hotel; being the closest to the Philippine International Convention Center, it was the recognized darling amongst the many hotels that were built at that time to house the delegates of the International Monetary Fund conference that was held in Manila. The hotel was thus marketed both a business hotel (right next door to PICC) and as a luxury resort--it was a smash hit with families, because of the carefree feel of the large outdoor pool. I remember their fine dining restaurant, Abelardo's, as well as their coffee shop, Cafe Fiesta and I enjoyed dining there as much as I enjoyed partying in their Siete Picados bar & lounge. Westin later on became part of the Starwood group, and I remember how the Starwood management decided to convert the hotel's several restaurants into Spiral--which now features the longest buffet in Manila. The hotel is currently managed by the French luxury chain, Sofitel, and over the weekend, Vicky and I brought the AIESEC trainees there for a round of SMB Cerveza Negra at the poolside area. The place certainly brings back a lot of good memories (Therese's baptism party, the choir of Mon singing Christmas songs at the lobby and well....prom night!), and I was glad to have a fast weekend round of drinks in a place that's practically second home.
The Philippine Plaza has always been the preferred hotel of Kong Kong and his golf quartet; we have wonderful memories of having Sunday family lunch at Pier 7 (I can distinctly remember drinking from the pewter goblets that they had). The seaside hotel opened in 1974 as a Westin hotel; being the closest to the Philippine International Convention Center, it was the recognized darling amongst the many hotels that were built at that time to house the delegates of the International Monetary Fund conference that was held in Manila. The hotel was thus marketed both a business hotel (right next door to PICC) and as a luxury resort--it was a smash hit with families, because of the carefree feel of the large outdoor pool. I remember their fine dining restaurant, Abelardo's, as well as their coffee shop, Cafe Fiesta and I enjoyed dining there as much as I enjoyed partying in their Siete Picados bar & lounge. Westin later on became part of the Starwood group, and I remember how the Starwood management decided to convert the hotel's several restaurants into Spiral--which now features the longest buffet in Manila. The hotel is currently managed by the French luxury chain, Sofitel, and over the weekend, Vicky and I brought the AIESEC trainees there for a round of SMB Cerveza Negra at the poolside area. The place certainly brings back a lot of good memories (Therese's baptism party, the choir of Mon singing Christmas songs at the lobby and well....prom night!), and I was glad to have a fast weekend round of drinks in a place that's practically second home.
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