Shangri-La The Fort, Manila
by the TopOfHotel team
Shangri-La The Fort is the group's modern flagship — roomy quarters, a sky pool, the renowned Kerry Sports gym, and a breakfast reviewers call the best in Manila, all in one tower in the heart of BGC.
Shangri-La The Fort is the group's modern flagship — roomy quarters, a sky pool, the renowned Kerry Sports gym, and a breakfast reviewers call the best in Manila, all in one tower in the heart of BGC.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a 60-floor glass tower — the tallest in the Shangri-La group anywhere — right in the middle of Bonifacio Global City (BGC), the most modern district in Manila. That's Shangri-La The Fort, Manila, opened in 2016 as the group's newer flagship, with the 576-room hotel, serviced residences, meeting rooms, the Kerry Sports club, and the CHI spa all under one roof. Entry Deluxe rooms run about 42 sq m, a fair bit bigger than the usual 5-star in town. The look is warm wood, beige, and dark grey, with a thick soft carpet, a sofa by the window for coffee with a view, and a king bed that several reviews single out as unusually easy to sleep in. The bathroom is glass-walled with a separate tub and shower and fragrant Acca Kappa amenities. Many rooms open onto a wide view of BGC and the Makati skyline — after dark the lit-up towers look like a field of stars. If you like clean, warm, modern design that doesn't shout, this one lands.
Food and amenities
The heart of a stay here is floor 6, where the shared spaces sit together — an outdoor pool ringed by a wood deck and cabanas, a separate kids' pool for families, and the part reviewers won't stop praising, Kerry Sports, a renowned fitness club in the same tower with a full gym, a yoga studio, group classes, a tennis court, and a squash court in one spot. Anyone who works out daily barely needs to leave. A floor down is CHI, The Spa, serving Asian treatments from Himalayan to Filipino in a quiet, world-of-its-own setting. The food needs no selling — High Street Café, the breakfast and international buffet, is rated by a lot of reviewers as the best morning in Manila, with made-to-order egg stations, noodles, dim sum, fresh bread, cheese, cold cuts, fruit, and classic Filipino plates like sweet longganisa, tapsilog, and champorado. There's also Canton Road for Cantonese and dim sum into the evening, Samba for Brazilian churrasco steaks, and a Lobby Lounge whose afternoon tea is pretty enough to be a photo spot. All in one tower, the range is wide enough that a guest stuck in meetings all day hardly has to step out.
Location and getting there
BGC is the newest and most walkable part of Manila — wide sidewalks, shade trees, high towers mixed with bright street art, and safe enough to stroll at night. From the lobby it's a 5 to 7 minute walk to Bonifacio High Street, a long pedestrian strip lined with chef-led restaurants, indie cafes, a bookstore, and Filipino designer shops. The Mind Museum, a family favorite, is a block over, and the Venice Grand Canal Mall — Venice recreated down to the canal and gondolas — is in BGC too. It's a 5-minute ride to Greenbelt and Ayala Center, with Makati CBD 10 to 15 minutes by car and NAIA (MNL) airport about 25 to 35 minutes — leave extra time in the evening, when Manila traffic is heavy. The hotel runs an airport car if you book ahead. Bottom line: if you're here for business, shopping, eating, or lifestyle outings in BGC and Makati, this spot fits best.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. First, BGC is a fair distance from the old historic sights — Intramuros, Rizal Park, Manila Cathedral, and Binondo Chinatown — figure 30 to 45 minutes by car or more, with heavy traffic in the evening. If your trip leans toward the old town over lifestyle, this address costs you travel time. Second, the price — Shangri-La The Fort is one of the priciest 5-stars in BGC, especially on weekdays when the business crowd is thick, and the good-value rooms sell out fast, so book the Horizon Club or a suite well ahead. Third, some reviews note the ground-floor lobby and shared areas get busy in the evening, since the tower is often shared with residences and meeting rooms — anyone expecting pure resort quiet may find it crowded. Another common one: rooms below floor 30 can look out onto construction or buildings still going up, since BGC keeps developing, so ask for a high floor facing the city to be safe. Last, Manila traffic is real — for an important meeting or a late-afternoon flight, add at least 30 minutes to whatever Google Maps tells you.
Our take
After reading through real reviews and weighing it against the other 5-stars in Manila, Shangri-La The Fort is the best fit for anyone who wants to sleep in the group's most modern tower, in the cleanest, safest, most strollable part of town. If you're here for business in BGC or Makati, or for lifestyle, shopping, and eating, the location is well worth it — roomy rooms, fine views, a top-tier city breakfast, and a gym and sky pool all in one tower, with the warm Shangri-La service that remembers your name. But if the heart of your trip is wandering the old charm of Intramuros and the local shops in the historic quarter, expect more travel time and traffic than you'd think. Overall we give it 8.9/10, best for business travelers, couples who like a modern-city vibe, and families who want to sleep well, eat well, and walk safely in the heart of BGC.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- The location is in the heart of Bonifacio Global City — a few minutes' walk to High Street, the Mind Museum, and some of the city's best restaurants and cafes, in a district clean and safe enough to walk at night.
- Entry rooms run about 42 sq m, bigger than the usual 5-star, in a warm contemporary look, and many face the BGC and Makati skyline that lights up beautifully after dark.
- The breakfast buffet at High Street Café is rated by a lot of reviewers as one of the best mornings in Manila — made-to-order stations, Asian and European pastries, and plenty of fresh fruit.
- The renowned Kerry Sports gym sits in the same tower, with classes, a tennis court, a squash court, the floor-6 sky pool, and the CHI spa for Asian-style treatments.
- Staff bring the warm, genuine Shangri-La service — they remember regulars' names and act on requests fast, and reviewers agree it makes the place feel like a second home.
- It sits in BGC, a fair way from the historic sights like Intramuros and Rizal Park — figure 30 to 45 minutes by car or more, depending on Manila's heavy evening traffic.
- Room rates are the highest of the BGC 5-star pack, especially on weekdays when the business crowd fills the place, so the best-value rooms tend to sell out quickly.
- Some reviewers find the lobby and shared areas busy in the evening, since the tower is shared with residences and meeting rooms — anyone after pure quiet may feel it gets crowded.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Manila
Day tours, attraction tickets and experiences around Manila — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
See activities in ManilaAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Insider Tips
- Book a room on floor 30 or higher facing the Makati skyline for the best night view of the lit-up towers, and avoid the side facing construction, since new buildings are still going up around BGC.
- Upgrade to the Horizon Club if the budget allows — it includes private check-in on floor 36, breakfast, afternoon tea, and free cocktails, and the BGC view at sunset from there is excellent.
- On weekends High Street Café fills up between 8 and 10 in the morning, so go before 7:30 or after 10 to get a relaxed table with all the stations running.