Makati Shangri-La on Its Reopening: 'We're Going to Be Here For a Long, Long Time'

I was at Makati Shangri-La on January 19, 2021, the night before it was announced that the hotel would be closing its doors temporarily because of the effects of the pandemic. I was sampling the new signature cocktails up at the Horizon Lounge, so I was sure the announcement came as a surprise to many of the staff. Nobody knew how long the closure would last. 

Private dining room at Shang Palace

Photo by Makati Shangri-La.

It was therefore a delight to be invited back for a casual lunch a week ahead of the formal reopening of the hotel on Tuesday (August 9). There was a sense of both newness and familiarity when I walked inside for the first time in two and half years. I got lost looking for the elevator to take me to the second floor but there was no mistaking the expansive lobby with the grand chandelier. And that signature Shangri-La scent was present—floral, pleasant, and subtle. It all came rushing back.

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There won’t be a big “welcome back” event to mark the reopening of a genuine landmark in Manila hospitality on Tuesday (August 8), I was told when I finally made my way inside a private dining room of Shang Palace. The entire restaurant was deserted, except for a small group of hotel officials and waitstaff who welcomed an even smaller group of lifestyle journalists. It was a preview of what diners can expect at the hotel’s signature Cantonese dining outlet. Shang Palace, a perennial favorite of many in the city for consistently good food, will feature a brand-new menu from Chinese executive chef Chan Po Sang and executive chef Edwin Lo.

Shang Palace Pan-fried Australian Wagyu Beef Cube with Asparagus in Homemade Sauce

Photo by Makati Shangri-La.

The reopening, hotel manager Udo Wittich said, would be “progressive”—it would start with an initial number of rooms and three F&B outlets, including Shang Palace, the Lobby Lounge, and Sage. There are about 300 hotel staff currently working at the hotel today, but the manager said this would eventually go up as they open more rooms and amenities in the coming months. While function rooms are already available to book for events, the hotel’s spa and the rest of the guestrooms won’t open until the end of the year and early 2024. 

Meanwhile, the hotel wants to focus on certain key features when it welcomes guests back, and these are the ones Wittich highlighted during the five-course lunch. Specifically, he mentioned an upgraded room for business travelers that has dual-screen 4K monitors, speakerphone, mobile stands, and fast-charging cable adaptors.

Afternoon tea at the Lobby Lounge 

Photo by Makati Shangri-La.

On the question of how the guestrooms have been maintained in the years that it remained unused, Wittich said there remained a core team of Shangri-La’s engineers and service staff that ensured all of the hotel’s physical assets were kept clean and guest-ready.

“It cost a lot of man-hours,” the manager said with a wink when asked how much the company spent for the maintenance and refurbishment of the hotel during its closure and eventual reopening. 

Wittich, who has spent many years in the Shangri-La Group, most recently handling the Boracay resort, also said guests would appreciate slight design changes in the Makati property. There is an effort to “bring the outside in” with trees and greenery inside the hotel for a more refreshing atmosphere in the lobby, and there will also be a rooftop garden where herbs to be used in the kitchen will be harvested.

Makati Shangri-La Manila, Horizon Deluxe Room

Photo by Makati Shangri-La.

Another major change is the replacement of plastic water bottles and plastic keycards with more earth-friendly options like refillable glass bottles in the room and wooden keycards and pens.

I asked if there had ever been a moment during the closure when Shangri-La considered cutting its losses and shutting the hotel altogether, but Wittich said the luxury hotel group was committed to keeping Makati Shangri-La open for many more years.

“We’re going to be here for a long, long time,” he said.