Makati Shangri-La temporarily closing starting Feb.1

January 20, 2021

The five-star Makati Shangri-La will be temporarily closing its door starting February 1.

In a statement, Shangri-La Group announced their decision after facing financial pressure due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  

“Owing to continued low business levels and having considered all viable options over weeks of consideration and deliberation, we unfortunately must now make the extremely difficult decision to organize our workforce and operations in the Philippines as we continue to navigate an uncertain business environment,” according to the company’s spokesperson.

  “As part of the reorganization exercise, we will sadly be parting ways with a number of colleagues and we will be temporarily closing Makati Shangri-La, Manila,” it added.

  The company said throughout the pandemic, their priority has been to preserve as many jobs as possible and they have been conducting multiple cost management initiatives to mitigate its financial impact.  

“At the same time, for the past 10 months, we have provided assistance for our rank and file to help them through these challenging times,” it said.  

Shangri-La Group assured that all affected colleagues will be provided with a fair compensation package and their healthcare coverage will be extended until December 31.  

“We are also providing colleagues with career transition assistance to help them get back on their feet,” it said.  

The company thanked the public for their strong support and assured that they will remain deeply committed in their presence in the Philippine market.

  “We continue to vigilantly monitor local and global developments and look forward to reopening Makati Shangri-La, Manila at a later date when business conditions have improved,” it said.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) said they were saddened by the management's decision as the hotel has been a pillar in the tourism industry.

"The Department of Tourism (DOT) is saddened by the news of the management decision to temporarily close the operations starting February 1, 2021 of Makati Shangri-la Hotel," it said in a statement.  

"The hotel has been a pillar in the tourism industry in the Philippines, and has contributed to positioning the country in the region and around the globe," it added.  

  DOT are hopeful that the hotel will soon reopen its doors to international and domestic clients.  

  "The DOT will continue to spearhead the acceleration of the recovery of the country’s tourism industry and continue to assist its tourism stakeholders, as it has done so in the previous months thru the Bayanihan 2 programs under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Small Business Corporation (SB Corp)," it said. Ella Dionisio/DMS