This Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila Review and YouTube Video is from our recent Southeast Asia trip. Shangri-La actually has 3 hotels in Manila, but the Shangri-La at the Fort is my clients' favorite and the newest one, having opened March 1, 2016. It's a huge mixed used property, and the hotel itself has 576 rooms and suites. The complex also includes nearly 100 Shangri-La Residences and nearly another 100 Horizon Homes, at the top of the tower. There's also an extensive sports and fitness center, Kerry Sports.
We had an overnight stay at the Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila before continuing on the next day to Amanpulo, a private island resort on the island of Pamalican, about an hour's charter flight from Manila.
For prior posts in this trip report, please see:
Review: Japan Airlines 777-300ER First Class, JFK-NRT
ANA First Class Review 777-300ER
Review: Ritz-Carlton Tokyo Club Lounge and Club Tower Deluxe Room
Shangri-La Tokyo Premier Room and Horizon Club Lounge
Review: Japan Airlines JAL 767-300ER Tokyo to Manila
TravelSort Clients enjoy Shangri-La Luxury Circle Benefits
- Confirmed upgrade at booking from Deluxe Room to Deluxe High Street View Room, or from Executive Suite to Premier Suite
- Hotel credit of USD100 or 10% of average daily room rate, whichever is higher (once per stay)
- Complimentary full breakfast for two, including in-room dining
- A VIP Welcome Amenity
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
Here's my Shangri-La at the Fort Manila YouTube Video, including the Horizon Club Lounge:
Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila Location, Lobby and Check-In
Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila is located at 30th Street and 5th Avenue in Metro Manila, in Bonifacio Global City, a thriving business and residential area with many restaurants and shops. It's about a 20-25 minute drive from Manila Airport, depending on traffic.
As you'd expect for such a large hotel, the lobby is spacious. There was no line given our late evening check-in, and we were soon our way to our room on the 37th floor.
Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila Horizon Deluxe Room
Deluxe Rooms, with or without Horizon Club Lounge access, are 484-505 square feet, with either 1 king bed or two twin beds. The king bed was on the firm side, not as plus as Four Seasons beds, but the extra pillows we'd requested were there.
Here was the view from our room at night, of the city lights:
There was a bowl of fresh fruit, including some apples and mango:
Additional welcome amenities included banana and papaya chips:
The bathroom only had one sink, but was otherwise well appointed, with a bathtub and separate glass enclosed rain shower.
Bath products were L'Occitane's Jasmin & Bergamote:
As at other Shangri-La hotels, there was a full complement of toiletries, including dental kits with toothbrushes and toothpaste, comb, razors, q-tips, and even a hair band.
Shangri-La at the Fort Horizon Club Lounge
All Horizon Club rooms and all suites include access to the Horizon Club Lounge on the 40th floor, with its own dedicated Concierge Team. Buffet breakfast is served daily 6-10:30am, and coffee, tea and juices are served other times of day. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres are served in the evening 5-7pm. Note that children 12 and under are not permitted in the lounge from 5pm onwards, but are welcome before 5pm when accompanied by an adult.
As with several other Club Lounges in Asia, there is a dress code: no shorts, tank tops, sports shoes, rubber or bedroom slippers, bathrobes or swimwear is allowed. The reception/concierge desk was staffed with two associates, and the lounge itself had plenty of seating and never felt crowded.
I'll have more photos of the buffet offerings in my upcoming video, but it included fresh fruit, smoked salmon, dim sum, pastries, yogurt, and cereals.
There's also an a la carte menu, so that you can enjoy egg and other breakfast dishes made to order.
Unlike the rest of my family, I enjoy savory breakfasts as well as sweet ones, so I chose a local favorite, Tapsilog, with seared marinated beef, garlic fried rice, egg and pickled vegetables. Delicious!
The yogurt with fruit and granola was also very good:
Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila Pools and Kerry Sports
Kerry Sports is Manila's answer to Equinox, with comprehensive sports and fitness offerings. The gym is open 24-7, while the NBA-grade basketball court, squash courts, covered outdoor tennis courts, sauna, steam room and swimming pools are open 6am-10pm daily.
There's a large outdoor lap pool and nearby vitality hydrotherapy pool.
Little kids will enjoy the playground area.
The Verdict
This was a brief overnight stay in Manila for us, and I was very pleasantly surprised with the high quality of the Shangri-La at the Fort in terms of the hotel finishings, the room, and the very modern and light flooded Horizon Club Lounge. The breakfast buffet was ample, and I loved being able to request Tapsilog, made to order, off the a la carte breakfast menu. The only quibble was that we'd originally been told that it's not possible to put an extra bed into a Horizon Club Room, but in fact when we asked Housekeeping, it wasn't an issue, and the bed fit fine.
The Concierge Team also went the extra mile for us, using his own phone the following day to order us a GrabCar (an Uber competitor in Asia) to the Amanpulo Lounge, and GrabCar was far more reasonable in price than using the hotel car.
If you've recently stayed at the Shangri-La at the Fort in Manila, what was your experience?
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