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Private security personnel patrol the vicinity of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel in Pasay City on July 1, 2024. The iconic hotel, famous for its gorgeous landscapes and beautiful sunsets, closed its doors on June 30 after nearly five decades of operation, citing safety concerns


Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Private security personnel patrol the vicinity of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel in Pasay City on July 1, 2024. The iconic hotel, famous for its gorgeous landscapes and beautiful sunsets, closed its doors on June 30 after nearly five decades of operation, citing safety concerns

Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Sofitel Hotel

ABS-CBN News Intern

<div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171997381499420240701-sofitel-philippine-plaza-closure-JC1923.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Private security personnel patrol the vicinity of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel in Pasay City on July 1, 2024. The iconic hotel, famous for its gorgeous landscapes and beautiful sunsets, closed its doors on June 30 after nearly five decades of operation, citing safety concerns. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA -- The start of July marked the  <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/7/1/sofitel-closes-doors-1358">end</a> of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila&#x27;s operations after 48 years.<div dir="ltr"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/5/10/sofitel-philippine-plaza-to-close-by-july-1539">Sofitel Philippine Plaza to close by July</a></div>But even as the iconic hotel shut its doors, it left behind memories of world-class service to the many clients it has served.<div>Trip down memory lane</div>Former hotel staff Nazrin Adiong said her co-workers at Sofitel were like a family. &quot;Everytime may event grabe po ang teamwork namin and after that event celebrate kami sa labas. Kahit na magma-madaling araw na out namin, everything was worth it dahil masaya at gusto namin ginagawa namin,&quot; Adiong said.&quot;Kaya masakit po talaga sa akin, lalo na sa Ate ko na supervisor doon, sobra ten years siya sa Sofitel, halos naging second home na niya ang Sofitel,” she added. Guests were also saddened by the news of Sofitel&#x27;s closure.Speaking with ABS-CBN News, they reminisced about their experiences at the hotel. “Parang sa Sofitel, you get every penny that you&#x27;re paying for,&quot; said hotel guest Lizelle Christine Litonjua.She recalled how the hotel gave customers &quot;magnifique&quot; services and satisfied the guests’ needs like no other—firm to their mantra “where life lives”. &quot;From the experience, yung pagpasok mo pa lang, the ambience. Tapos you will never feel na pinapabayaan ka,&quot; she added.&quot;Every time that you enter, whether magpapa-spa ka lang or just dining in à la carte sa Snaps Bar or Le Bar nila, aasikasuhin ka talaga nila to their full extent. They really do have the best hospitality and the food selection,” she elaborated.She also recalled how Sofitel was a reliable venue for weddings and engagements.“Sa mga events, one-stop shop sila eh. Hindi mo na kailangan ng iba&#x27;t ibang suppliers. You can have that as an option. Pero yung packages nila, especially for weddings and for engagements, lahat sila na mag-aasikaso.&quot;&quot;The food, the car, the venue, the set-up, even the people na mag-aasikaso, you don&#x27;t need that. Parang sila na bahala sa&#x27;yo,” she added. Litonjua added that Sofitel is where she celebrated some milestones in her life.&quot;So for example, Christmas gathering namin as a couple, dun kami nag-celebrate. And then hanggang sa mga little triumphs tulad ng first purchase mo or na promote ka sa trabaho, it&#x27;s something that you want to celebrate with your special someone,” she said.<div dir="ltr">Bittersweet Farewell?</div>Litonjua hopes more people will be able to celebrate their milestones and make memories at Sofitel, despite hotel management being uncertain about what the future holds. &quot;Hopefully we’ll create more memories and you can have your household celebrated there sa Sofitel,&quot; she said.<div dir="ltr">Workers win</div>While the hotel&#x27;s workers were saddened to leave their jobs behind, they also came away with a victory.The hotel&#x27;s unions announced late on Tuesday that Sofitel&#x27;s management had agreed to its demands, such as guaranteed jobs should the hotel reopen, as well as respect for their unions.&quot;Sofitel is the beloved hotel that it is because of the service that we workers provide. We are happy that the agreement between our parties reflects this fundamental fact,&quot; Sofitel&#x27;s unions said.&quot;The Sofitel campaign’s victory is an important reminder: When workers organize, when we fight, we win!&quot;<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/6/28/senate-probe-sought-into-sofitel-closure-amid-labor-issues-1205">Senate probe sought into Sofitel closure amid &#x27;labor issues&#x27;</a> <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/6/25/sofitel-union-seeks-guaranteed-employment-deal-5-days-before-closure-1704">Sofitel union seeks ‘guaranteed employment’ deal 5 days before closure</a></div>

Guests and employees alike say they will miss the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.

Guests and employees alike say they will miss the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.

As Sofitel closes, clients and staff look back at 'magnifique' service

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As Sofitel closes, clients and staff look back at 'magnifique' service

ABS-CBN News Intern,

Jomari Gimongala,

Alyssa Lita,

Kris Anne Mendoza,

and Judea Tagal

Published July 03, 2024 01:04 PM PHT

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sofitel philippine plaza manila

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