35 years at the Hyatt

The most valuable things are those that stand the test of time: a Rolex, Porsche or Mont Blanc fountain pen.
The same can be true of architecture. One of the landmarks of modern Manila (modern being a relative term which I use for the 20th century) that has passed with flying colors is the Hyatt Regency Manila. For close to four decades, it defined the far end of Roxas Boulevard. Host to countless celebrities and venue of choice for fashion shows, fine dining, flashy discos and cool jazz, the Hyatt holds fond memories for a generation of Manileños. It continues to grace the metropolis today with its signature service and iconic physical presence.

The hotel owes its exemplary design to National Artist for Architecture Leandro V. Locsin. The renowned and suave architect was commissioned by the Lopezes in the mid-’60s to design the best hotel in the Philippines, one that took advantage of the magnificent view of the bay and a structure that was to showcase the best of Filipino building and interiors. He did not disappoint.

The hotel was opened in 1968. The owners and the designer lavished the best materials and finishes on the hotel. It was the most expensive and luxurious hotel in Asia. Early kinks, though, in the management groups hired let the owners make the decision to shift to a renowned international hotel chain. On Feb. 1, 1971, the hotel became only the second hotel under the Hyatt International Corporation outside of the United States. Shortly after the turnover, the hotel emerged as the best hotel in Manila and the choice of international travelers to the Far East. The Hyatt held sway over the southwestern section of the metropolis. (It is actually in Pasay City.) The Hyatt along with the Hilton at the Luneta and the Intercon in the suburbs of Makati formed a triangle of sorts that shaped the lives of high society in the succeeding decades.

The success of the hotel owes much to its modernist yet Filipino design. My opinion is that it is one of Locsin’s best works. The proportions of the building, the expansiveness and interior design treatment of its signature lobby, the generous balconies of all its rooms (Every room has a sea view!) and the layout of its function and ballrooms work as a functionally compact and aesthetically pleasing whole. The fact that it remains essentially in the form and shape it is today is testimony to the designer’s genius as well as to the owner’s stewardship. Since the early ’90s, ownership turned over to the Binalbagan Sugar Company under the baton of Jose Mari Chan, who steered its sensitive renovations in the mid-’90s.

I had the chance recently to stay at the hotel and to photograph its main spaces and facades to compare it with the original images in Locsin’s wonderful 1974 coffee-table book. (Few Filipino architects have had their works featured as main subject in an internationally-distributed book on architecture.) The comparison is stunning. Upgrades in finishes and slight changes in functional areas notwithstanding, the hotel stands as it was 35 years ago – a prime example of the best in Filipino design.

Then, there is the service. The hotel’s restaurants and Calesa Bar have become institutions in the Manila social scene. The Tempura Misono is the Japanese restaurant of choice for many people, while the Malang mural-embellished Calesa Bar is legendary for its music and staying power. The hotel’s Al Fresco is a favorite brunch and lunch rendezvous. The La Concha was a prime venue for Manila fashion shows. The Circuit, Louie Y’s, and the Isis ran as a series of disco offerings when glitter, short skirts and white suits were in vogue. Night people flocked to hear Verni Varga, Malu Barry, Joey Albert, and Janet Basco at the Calesa Bar. It still is the best place to hang out for cool drinks and hot jazz in the city.

Celebrity guests came aplenty – Burt Reynolds, Joe Frazier, Gina Lollobrigida, Gerald Ford, Henry Kissinger, Gloria Vanderbilt, Christina Ford, Diane von Furstenberg, Margot Fonteyn, Tom Selleck, Ike and Tina Turner, George Hamilton, Ann Margret, Johnny Mathis, Jack Jones, Van Cliburn, and George Maharis, among many others have enjoyed staying at the hotel.

Today, the Hyatt Regency Manila continues to keep Manila on the hospitality map. The area around it is changing – and improving. (We’ll look at the district in succeeding articles). One would wish that other hotel owners today retain the services of Filipino architects and designers. They can deliver great structures, interiors, and landscapes that last for decades, and present the best that Manila and the Philippines has to offer. At the Hyatt Regency Manila, visitors are sure to get the royal treatment.

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Feedback is welcome. E-mail the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com.