I learned earlier this year that Hotel Intercontinental Makati is ceasing its operations on December 31, 2015. This is quite sad since the hotel has been around for 46 years.
It follows in the footsteps of Mandarin Oriental which closed its doors to the public last year. While I missed out on staying at the Mandarin before it shut down, I managed to book a room at the Intercon on its last few days.
I've had a few memorable experiences at this hotel. Earlier this year, I took my family to Prince Albert to celebrate my grandmother's birthday. This after I enjoyed the prime rib a few times before. I also attended the wedding reception of my friends Chris and Joy which was set up at the pool area. (Side note: that wedding was made even more memorable by the fact that at the last minute, I was asked to be a co-emcee because one of the emcees was running very late. Thankfully, even with no prep time, I managed to hold the fort well enough until the other emcee could join.)
Breakfast was at Cafe Jeepney. As it turned out, there were so many people who decided to stay there at the same time I did (probably for the same reasons) so there was a waiting list to get in. There was an option to have breakfast at Gambrinus or the Legaspi room but I wanted the experience of dining in Cafe Jeepney so I opted to wait for an available table.
There used to be a big jeepney inside but they had replaced it with a smaller replica. There were also jeepney-inspired decorations on the walls.
Prior to my stay, I got to try a few Intercon cakes, thanks to the Deal Grocer vouchers I purchased a while back. The Double Chocolate Royale looks very sophisticated with its bright color streak and chocolate ball. However, of the three cakes I had, this was probably my least favorite because it was mainly a marshmallow-y mousse. Nevertheless, it does look really beautiful.
The Black Forest is probably my favorite of the three I tried. Its combination of whipped cream, chocolate and cherry make for a great cake.
The Fresh Fruit Tart is arguably the most attractive and vibrant-looking because of its cornucopia of glazed fruits that are beautifully laid out on top of the tart.
I heard that the Intercon may actually find another home in Makati (possibly in the place currently occupied by Shangri-La Makati which is supposedly going to close down once the one in BGC is fully built; of course, these are all rumors). Hopefully this rumor is true and that when a new Intercon is built, it reestablishes Prince Albert.
Farewell, Hotel Intercontinental! I hope to see you again some time in the future.
hotel lobby
It follows in the footsteps of Mandarin Oriental which closed its doors to the public last year. While I missed out on staying at the Mandarin before it shut down, I managed to book a room at the Intercon on its last few days.
my room
I've had a few memorable experiences at this hotel. Earlier this year, I took my family to Prince Albert to celebrate my grandmother's birthday. This after I enjoyed the prime rib a few times before. I also attended the wedding reception of my friends Chris and Joy which was set up at the pool area. (Side note: that wedding was made even more memorable by the fact that at the last minute, I was asked to be a co-emcee because one of the emcees was running very late. Thankfully, even with no prep time, I managed to hold the fort well enough until the other emcee could join.)
swimming pool
Breakfast was at Cafe Jeepney. As it turned out, there were so many people who decided to stay there at the same time I did (probably for the same reasons) so there was a waiting list to get in. There was an option to have breakfast at Gambrinus or the Legaspi room but I wanted the experience of dining in Cafe Jeepney so I opted to wait for an available table.
Cafe Jeepney
There used to be a big jeepney inside but they had replaced it with a smaller replica. There were also jeepney-inspired decorations on the walls.
jeepney decoration and light source on the wall
Prior to my stay, I got to try a few Intercon cakes, thanks to the Deal Grocer vouchers I purchased a while back. The Double Chocolate Royale looks very sophisticated with its bright color streak and chocolate ball. However, of the three cakes I had, this was probably my least favorite because it was mainly a marshmallow-y mousse. Nevertheless, it does look really beautiful.
Double Chocolate Royale
The Black Forest is probably my favorite of the three I tried. Its combination of whipped cream, chocolate and cherry make for a great cake.
Black Forest
The Fresh Fruit Tart is arguably the most attractive and vibrant-looking because of its cornucopia of glazed fruits that are beautifully laid out on top of the tart.
Fresh Fruit Tart
I heard that the Intercon may actually find another home in Makati (possibly in the place currently occupied by Shangri-La Makati which is supposedly going to close down once the one in BGC is fully built; of course, these are all rumors). Hopefully this rumor is true and that when a new Intercon is built, it reestablishes Prince Albert.
Farewell, Hotel Intercontinental! I hope to see you again some time in the future.
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