Sofitel Manila‘closing down’ after 48 years

UNCONFIRMED reports about the closure of the nearly 50-year-old iconic Sofitel Philippine Plaza continue to circulate.

As of this writing, the management has yet to make an official announcement, but reports were talking about the hotel’s closure on July 1.

“This decision comes as part of our ongoing commitment to providing our guests and colleagues with the best possible experience. The hotel will honor engagements and reservations until the end of June and close its iconic doors thereafter,” a statement in one of the reports said.

It continued to thank stakeholders, employees, and guests who were instrumental in the hotel’s journey.

The Manila Times tried contacting the hotel for confirmation via phone and email, but the management said that an official announcement is forthcoming.In addition, the hotel’s social media pages have yet to make any updates about the supposed closure, leaving nosy netizens with more questions than answers.

“Is the hotel seriously closing down?” asked one netizen.

Originally named the Philippine Plaza Hotel and designed by renowned architect Leandro Locsin, the hotel was built in 1973 and opened in 1976, having hosted several events, more recently President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leading the National Fiber Backbone Phase 1 last April.

Other iconic Philippines hotels that were closed and demolished in the recent past were two Makati City hotels, the Mandarin Oriental in 2014, and the Hotel Intercontinental in 2016, both also designed by Locsin.

The new Mandarin Oriental Manila is currently being built along the Ayala Triangle Gardens with an opening date slated for 2026, while the One Ayala Terminal, which was opened last year, was built on the former site of the Intercontinental Hotel.

Another hotel, the Makati Shangri-La, closed in February in 2021 due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, but reopened in August last year.