The Constellation: Manila's newest star

What are stars?

Most people would say they’re bright lights in the night sky. Scientists define them as masses in space that generate energy. Both statements aptly describe Diamond Hotel’s new function area, The Constellation.

Located on the 27th floor, The Constellation is the newly renovated jewel atop the hotel. Looking up from the street, the whole floor glows with the light shining through the big glass windows, like beacons pulling guests in.

However, more impressive than the view from the outside is the view from within The Constellation itself. From any of the large windows bounding the function areas, the views of Manila and Manila Bay are some of the best in the city.

At night, the lights of Manila are like reflections of the stars in the sky  a sight that was harnessed and brought inside The Constellation.

Banquet set-up at the Libra and Sagittarius function rooms.

As the name suggests, The Constellation is a group of star sign-themed venues for meetings and social events. Conceptualized by Juan Carlo Cama, the one behind the Aranaz store in Greenbelt 5, the events place is a mix between celestial and clean contemporary design.

Formerly a French restaurant, the 700 square meter area is now divided into several rooms named after the zodiac signs, all catering to different functional needs. Clichéd as it may sound, there really is something for everyone.

The Aries area is a small snack bar lining one wall of a medium-sized room. Right across it is the Pisces area, which is a culinary studio and fully functional kitchen.

Chef Myrna Segismundo, head of ABS-CBN’s Restaurant 9501, was the first to test the capabilities of the new kitchen during the grand opening of The Constellation last Sept. 13. She was all smiles as she cooked up seared tuna loin in the Pisces culinary studio.

Executive Chef Nickolai Stoyanov at the Pisces culinary studio.

“There’s nothing like freshly cooked food,” Segismundo said, adding that a function room with an adjoining usable kitchen, a concept previously unheard of in the Philippines, gives an interesting twist to meetings.

She said celebrity chefs can be invited to spice up conventional parties  and, being a celebrity chef herself, she had only praises for the equipment in the kitchen, including the large exhaust fan which keeps guests from smelling like their dinners.

On the opposite side of the corridor from Pisces are the Gemini, Aquarius, Libra, Sagittarius, and Capricorn function rooms. Side by side, these rooms are cut up by dividers to form five separate rooms or one very large hall.

In line with the star theme, these function rooms have lights that mimic the celestial bodies in the night sky. The many windows which surround the room also offer a panoramic view of the Manila Bay skyline.

And finally, the fourth area of the The Constellation is the Chairman’s Room named Leo. With padded walls, armchairs, a long table, an LCD television, and projection equipment, the room provides the necessities and the luxuries a business meeting requires.

The Leo room also has a large window from which company CEOs and officials can admire the so-called best view of Manila (yes, they say it is the best of the best!).

The Constellation also offers a Chairman of the Board package for the room, which includes butler service, two snacks, and lunch for a group of 12 to 15 people.