Executive Suite Staycation at Shangri-La at the Fort
During one of the long holidays last year, my fiance and I finally decided to book a long-awaited staycation at Shangri-La at the Fort. We have stayed in all of the Shangri-La properties in the Philippines, including Shangri-La Boracay and Shangri-la Mactan Resort & Spa. Shangri-La at the Fort is the fifth and latest Shangri-La hotel in the country which opened its doors in 2016. We have tried most of their dining establishments as well, including Ministry of Crab Manila and Canton Road, but this was our first time to stay inside one of their luxurious rooms and suites.
Shangri-La at the Fort is located at the corner of 30th Street and 5th Avenue, right in the heart of Bonifacio Global City. The complex features both the hotel and Shangri-La Residences, a collection of residential units situated on the higher floors. The area also has retail shops and restaurants on the ground floor plus Kerry Sports Manila, a comprehensive lifestyle and leisure club. We checked at the front desk on the ground floor, but those booked at the club rooms and suite can actually check in at the Horizon Club Lounge on the 40th floor.
Our Executive Suite comes with a very spacious 93 square meters of comfort and elegance. The hotel’s 576 contemporary guest rooms and suites exude luxury with a wealth of distinctive design elements featuring local Filipino accents and sweeping city views.
After unpacking my luggage, I immediately made myself feel at home at the living room which also offered complimentary fruits and snacks. The suite’s separate living room, dining area, and bedroom gives it a bright and relaxing ambiance.
You can also find an executive writing desk, coffee and tea making facilities plus a minibar. These are all very handy but you actually won’t be using it too much since guests staying at the Executive Suite also enjoy access to the private Horizon Club Lounge which offers complimentary all-day refreshments.
The master’s bedroom is also quite spacious with its 48-inch flatscreen television and a twin beds with a 300-thread count linen. The marble bathroom comes with a separate shower cubicle and a deluxe bathtub, perfect for those late-night bubble baths. Premium L'Occitane toiletries are also on hand for a truly indulgent shower.
The biggest benefit of staying at a club room or suite is the exclusive access to the Horizon Club Lounge on the 40th floor. Horizon Club members can enjoy a range of special privileges including priority check-in and check-out plus the use of a dedicated Club Concierge.
The Horizon Club Lounge does have a dress code, which is at least smart casual attire for both men and women. Don’t worry, I don’t think they strictly implement it, but just don’t come in wearing slippers, swimwear, and sportswear.
The view is even better here at the Horizon Club Lounge as it occupies almost the entire floor. This is one of the biggest club lounges I have even seen, with a separate area for the kids as well. They can watch cartoons while playing with the tent and activity sheets.
Guests can even make use of the Meeting Room for up to two hours per day, depending on availability. I felt like a boss, but it seems no one else came to the meeting, haha.
The Horizon Club Lounge offers complimentary non-alcoholic refreshments all throughout the day. This includes sodas, juices, and even hot chocolate with marshmallows. Cookies and other snacks are also available.
There are a lot of other things can you do around the hotel during your stay. Kerry Sports Manila is a comprehensive indoor lifestyle and leisure club which offers free access for guests checked in at Shangri-La at the Fort. With an expanse of over 8,000 square metres and two dedicated floors of fitness facilities, Kerry Sports Manila is the ultimate one-stop fitness and recreation destination.
It also boasts of The Arena, an NBA-grade indoor basketball court where you can often see professional basketball players and other celebrities practicing and playing. There are also two covered tennis courts, squash courts, and saunas. Kids will also have so much fun a The Adventure Zone, a 1000-square meter indoor playground with dedicated zones for hours of exhilarating fun for toddlers to teens.
I wanted to do something more relaxing, so I took a dip at their 25-meter outdoor lap pool which also has a hydrotherapy pool with special jets. There’s also a kid’s pool for families, but I’m happy to just soak the afternoon away here at the jacuzzi.
After that refreshing dip, it was time to head back to the Horizon Club Lounge for their complimentary Evening Cocktails which is available daily from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. This is what we always look forward when we book a club room.
Aside from unlimited cocktails and bubbly beverages, guests can also have an assortment of canapés and pre-dinner items such as sushi and tapas including marinated prawns and marinated clams.
The menu at the Horizon Club Lounge is actually good enough for a light dinner, which is what we usually do during on our staycations. There was Crispy Shrimp Wonton served with sweet chili sauce, Assorted Seafood Skewers, Beef Meatballs, Texas Barbecue Wings, and more.
Desserts included Cheesecake, Mango Triffle, Cookies and Assorted Macarons for that sweet ending. After several glasses of cocktails and Prosecco, we went back to our lovely room to enjoy the rest of the evening.
The next morning, we went back to the Horizon Club Lounge for our buffet breakfast which is served from 6:00am to 10:30am. Guests have a choice of getting their breakfast here or at the High Street Cafe on the ground floor. The High Street Cafe has a wider selection, but if you want more privacy and exclusivity, then choose to have your breakfast here. The Hong Kong Wonton Noodle Soup was my choice from their a la carte menu, but they also have Grilled Farmers Sandwich, Tapsilog, Buttermilk Pancakes, or Breakfast Eggs done your way.
There are other items at the buffet table including imported cheeses, breads, steamed dimsum selection, hams, and more. We had a great time during our staycation at Shangri-La at the Fort. Best of all, we even got to use our Golden Circle card and earned lots of points for our booking. I’m glad we finally completed our Shangri-La hotels collection, and I’m sure we’ll be back here soon.
Shangri-La at the Fort
30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Prim and proper mode. Haha. 😊💃 #SamandCarlaWedding #reception #guest #shangrilafort #filipina #dressup (at Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv6UJYeHkcE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=l9utaazu9ess
Bonifacio Hall #hall #gooddesign #aesthetic #reception #shangrilafort (at Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv6Q7dFn6FT/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=qeh9e94htka8
Bonifacio Global City (summer2018) #pumophotography #bgc #tgifridays #samsung #shangrilafort https://www.instagram.com/p/BrKJ4sIBr5t/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=tvl32r4n6oiw
The reception... Stevie Rojas & Drei Najal became Mr. & Mrs. Then they danced and partied the night away🍷🍸🥂🍹🍾 #rneplife #rnepyourgotoplanner #rnepexceedingexpectations @ritamneri @shangrilafort @zenaspineda @bobnicolas @mangored @forscink_socials @mlaphilharmonic @penkching @manilaphilharmonic Planner | #RitaNeriEventPlanners Church | #SantuariodeSanAntonio Venue | #ShangrilaFort Gown | #FrancisLibiran Event Stylist | #ZenasPineda Photo | Mango Red Videographer | Bob Nicolas Cake | #PenkChing Lights & Sounds | #Forscink Entertainments | Manila Phil Harmonic MPO EMCEE | Sam YG & Tony Bueno
