Silahis International Hotel

The Silahis International Hotel, later known as the Sofitel Grand Boulevard Hotel, was a hotel in Manila, Philippines.

The Silahis International Hotel was built in the 1970s, during a construction boom of hotels due to the then-upcoming hosting of the 1976 International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Summits by the Philippines. President Ferdinand Marcos streamlined the construction of several hotels in Metro Manila in anticipation of the international meetings. In addition to foreign business and leisure travelers, the hotel also accommodated nightclub partygoers and socialites. First Lady Imelda Marcos frequently hosted events in the hotel.^[1]

The hotel was owned by the Enriquez-Panlilio family who were involved in the real estate and shipping industry. They acquired the hotel from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).^[1]

Following the deposing of President Marcos in the 1986 People Power Revolution which led to Corazon Aquino's installment as president, the national government seized properties of the Marcos family and their associates. This was part of the Aquino's administration bid to recover the ill-gotten wealth. The Enriquez-Panlilio family was accused of acquiring the hotel from the DBP for an undervalued price and improper means. The Silahis Hotel was taken over by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) in July 1989 which led to a years-long legal challenge by the Enriquez-Panlilio family disputing PCGG's seizing. The Sandiganbayan lifted the PCGG's sequestration orders, effectively reverting the hotel back to the Enriquez-Panlilios, which was upheld by the Supreme Court.^[1]

AccorHotels übernahm später das Silahis International Hotel und benannte es in Sofitel Grand Boulevard Hotel um. Nach Vertragsende erwarb AccorHotels das nahegelegene Westin Philippine Plaza, das 2006 in Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel umbenannt wurde. ^{[ 1 ]}

Nachdem AccorHotels die Partnerschaft mit dem Grand Boulevard Hotel beendet hatte, belasteten Steuerschulden gegenüber der Stadtverwaltung von Manila das Hotel. Daraufhin versteigerte die Stadtverwaltung von Manila im November 2007 das dazugehörige Grundstück an die Pacific Wide Realty and Development Corp., was von den ursprünglichen Hotelbesitzern angefochten wurde. ^{[ 2 ] [ 3 ]} Am 9. Juli 2008 stellte das Hotel den Betrieb ein. ^{[ 4 ]}

Der Abriss des Hotels scheint am 20. Juli 2024 abgeschlossen worden zu sein.

Das Silahis International Hotel wurde von den Architekten Regelio Villarosa und Lor Calma entworfen. Das 21-stöckige Hotelgebäude wurde am Roxas Boulevard in der Nähe der Plaza Rajah Sulayman und der Manilabucht errichtet . ^{[ 1 ]}

Das Hotel verfügte über 600 Zimmer. Es beherbergte außerdem zwei bekannte Nachtclubs: den Stargazer von Louie Ysmael und den Playboy Club Manila (eine Playboy-Club -Filiale). ^{[ 1 ]} Der Playboy Club Manila war von 1978 bis 1991 in Betrieb. ^{[ 1 ]} Seine Inneneinrichtung gilt als mutmaßlich wichtiges Kulturgut, da sie ein Werk von Ildefonso P. Santos Jr. , einem Nationalkünstler der Philippinen , ist . ^{[ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ]}