Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila, review: Why would you ever leave?

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This was published 7 years ago

Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila, review: Why would you ever leave?

By Keith Austin
The ground floors are bright and airy.

The ground floors are bright and airy.Credit: VRX Studios

THE LOCATION

The clunkily named Bonifacio Global City (BGC) is a burgeoning modern district of hotels, offices, apartment buildings, restaurants and bars that's more Singapore than Manila. It's as if someone has taken the chaotic Philippine capital and dipped it in antiseptic. Gone are the constant traffic jams and the pockets of poverty, replaced with craft beer outlets, swanky shops and Harley-Davidson dealerships.

THE SPACE

The bathrooms are brightly-lit and well appointed.

The bathrooms are brightly-lit and well appointed.

Shangri-La at the Fort sits at one end of High Street, the slender green park strip which extends through the middle of the BGC. The 250-metre high hotel has rooms and suites on levels 18-40 while extended-stay residences and uber-luxurious private homes take up floors 9-17 and 41-61 respectively.

The decor is pretty much no-expense-spared Modern Swanky, as witnessed by the impressive 11-metre-long chandelier in the large open-plan lobby which was made by a Czech company from 3500 pieces of delicate crystal.

The ground floors of this "lifestyle complex" are bright and airy, the pale tones of the walls livened by artworks from local and international artists. There are shopping, entertaining and conference facilities, including two glittering, jewellery box-style ballrooms, the largest of which can accommodate 1200 guests.

The Shangri-La at the Fort has some excellent food options on offer.

The Shangri-La at the Fort has some excellent food options on offer.Credit: VRX Studios

Noteworthy is Kerry Sports Manila, which extends over two floors and 8000 square metres and, quite apart from the weights and running machine areas, boasts an indoor basketball court, two squash courts, two covered tennis courts, four fitness studios and, below that, a large Adventure Zone for kids full of slides and climbing frames.

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THE ROOM

There are 576 rooms in the Shangri-La proper, in sizes ranging from 45 square metres to 235 square metres for the largest suites. And as you would expect, the rooms are beautifully appointed. The bathrooms are all bright lights, fluffy white robes and L'Occitane toiletries while the bedrooms and (if you're lucky enough to be in a suite) the lounge areas employ light wood floors, silk, damask and pale beige and ivory tones to great effect.

Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila, is in  the midst of the BGC, a burgeoning modern district of hotels, offices, apartment buildings, restaurants and bars.

Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila, is in the midst of the BGC, a burgeoning modern district of hotels, offices, apartment buildings, restaurants and bars.Credit: VRX Studios

There is free Wi-Fi, a Nespresso coffee machine and TVs on which you could land a small aircraft. The views from the higher floors are only of interest if you have an inordinate like of apartment blocks.

My suite has a dining table, a spacious lounge, free packets of dried mango and papaya, and a bed so large that, if you lean down and look across it at pillow level, you can see the curve of the Earth. It is frighteningly comfortable.

THE FOOD

Shangri-La at the Fort's roms are beautifully appointed.

Shangri-La at the Fort's roms are beautifully appointed.

This is one of the areas in which the already over-achieving Shangri-La really comes into its own. When we were there several of the outlets weren't quite finished (Raging Bull Chophouse & Bar, Raging Bull Burgers and Samba's Latin American cuisine) but that didn't stop us taste-testing the food.

The Raging Bull Chophouse uses only Australian beef for its excellent steaks while the adjoining speakeasy-style bar is intent on amassing a truly impressive bourbon collection. Do try its signature Bonifacio Penicillin cocktail if you go. Raging Bull Burgers is planned as a street-side fast food joint using Australian rump, chuck and brisket from the steakhouse. The burgers are simply superb.

Samba is a poolside cafe which will showcase Latin America-style ceviche, churrasco and tacos while Canton Road is a beautifully presented restaurant offering a modern take on Cantonese and Huaiyang cuisines. The food in both is fresh, innovative and flavoursome.

The High Street Cafe, where breakfast is usually taken, is a food hall that the man who designed it quite rightly called "a chef's library, a vast collection of international cuisines, ingredients and cooking techniques". Leave plenty of time for brekky because you will not know which way to turn.

STEPPING OUT

The BGC is a modern city district with plenty of entertainment offerings within walking distance of the hotel. There's the Fort Strip for pubs and nightclubs, or maybe go shopping at the popular Market Market mall.

The Mind Museum, at the base of the Shangri-La complex, is good fun for the science-minded and has lots of hands-on experiences for the young and the young at heart. Also, talk to the concierge about taking a graffiti tour of the BGC on Bambikes' sustainable bamboo bikes.

For the more historically minded, a short walk away is the massive American War Memorial, the largest overseas cemetery for World War II American personnel. Its 615,000 square metres hold more than 17,000 graves. Impressive and solemn.

THE VERDICT

A stylish, beautifully designed modern hotel. Frankly, given the facilities and the excellent food outlets I don't know why you'd ever leave.

ESSENTIALS

Shangri-La at the Fort, 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Manila. Rooms start from around A$310 a night, twin share. shangri-la.com/fort

HIGHLIGHT

The food. From the steaks in the Chophouse to the modern Chinese in Canton Road and the ceviche and pisco sours we sampled from Samba – everything was top notch. The Raging Bull burgers are set to become BGC classics.

LOWLIGHT

The outdoor lap pool, like the hotel itself, is surrounded by building sites and is therefore a little on the noisy side. It'll be fine when the surrounding towers are finished.

Keith Austin was a guest of Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila.

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