Saying goodbye to Sofitel

In exactly a week, Sofitel Philippine Plaza will close its doors after nearly 50 years as one of our country’s most luxurious hotels. When news outlets reported months ago that the hotel would close on July 1, I — like so many others — hoped to visit the beloved hotel one last time. My mom, journalist Jullie Yap Daza, called one day to say that she was having lunch at the Sofitel one Saturday in May, and that I was welcome to join her. Sadly, though, I was unable to.

Since then, I have been hoping for another opportunity to visit Sofitel, but no such luck. With time running out, I asked my brother Paul to write this piece. I couldn’t do it because I am out of town on the day this article is due. Here is Paul’s ode to the Sofitel, where he shares not just his memories of the Philippine Plaza, but also those of friends, officemates, and one of our 60-something titas, who visited the hotel for the very first time earlier this month. Read on:     

At my sister Pat-P’s request, I am penning this piece about the Sofitel, one of my favorite places. When mom and I arrived at the Sofitel for lunch a month ago, we both felt very nostalgic, especially since the last time we were there was before the worldwide lockdown of March 2020. After we cleared security on our way to Spiral, I caught a glimpse of the pool and remembered how much I enjoyed swimming there decades ago, when the hotel was known as the Westin Philippine Plaza. The pool was like a theme park experience, because it isn’t a plain rectangular pool, but a lagoon-shaped pond that snakes around, has slides, and even a mini-island in the center. It’s laid out so that you can even hide from family members behind a bend, or enjoy the mini waterfall as its sprinkly water cascades and massages your shoulders.     

At Spiral, we were led to a private room so that mom could chat with our gracious host, Steve Peña Sy, president of the company that owns Sofitel Philippines. And though he ordered the must-haves like foie gras, roast beef, peking duck, and lobster, he told us that we could go out to the ateliers/food stations and get whatever else we wanted. I used the privilege mainly in the Asian area, indulging my love