Peninsula moments of Bill Gates, Prince Andrew, Kobe Bryant, Katy Perry and P.L. Lim

Of course great hotels have always been social ideas, flawless mirrors to the particular societies they service. — Joan Didion

One of Asia’s top luxury hotels and a must-see Philippine tourist landmark cited by Time magazine as one of “10 things to do” in Manila, Peninsula Hotel Manila (colloquially, “Manila Pen”) has hosted many international statesmen, tycoons and celebrities in 37 years from the world’s second richest billionaire Bill Gates to royals Queen Sofia of Spain and Prince Andrew of Britain, NBA basketball legend Kobe Bryant, singer Katy Perry, Asian billionaire taipans, scions the Trump brothers, Paris Hilton and Hollywood stars. What are their unforgettable “Peninsula Moments”?

Hotel executives said they couldn’t reveal all the global and local bigwigs who have stayed, dined or partied at Manila Pen “as a matter of policy,” but I looked up past media reports.

I also recall having interviewed a scion of the Swiss luxury watch Piaget family, a boss of Bally fashion brand, British bestselling book author Martin Jacques at Manila Pen for The Philippine STAR. In November 2003, Bench boss Ben Chan granted this writer an exclusive interview of Taiwan’s F4 superstar Jerry Yan at the latter’s 11th floor Manila Pen hotel suite. The singer/actor flew in by helicopter for this interview right after his press conference at Le Pavilion in Manila.

My first interview with the late realty tycoon Tan Yu was at the Manila Pen lobby at past midnight, in the presence of his kin and his godson Greggy Araneta.

Bill Gates in March 1998 was reported to have taken a helicopter ride from Manila Pen to Malacañang Palace for a short meeting with then President Fidel V. Ramos.

Queen Sofia of Spain in March 2003, the media reported, “was warmly received by the Manila Peninsula Hotel staff and drew endless applause from hotel guests as she walked in.” 

Was it true that during the stay of the United Kingdom’s Prince Andrew, the Manila Pen kitchen staff had to iron the bacon because he only ate this food flat? The hotel didn’t want to comment on this unique example of customer service, due to their strict policy of upholding their guests’ “utmost privacy.”

NBA superstar Kobe Bryant was brought here by Nike in July 2011 for his third Philippine tour and media reported he stayed at Manila Pen.

Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and wife Jinkee on Aug. 23, 2011 hosted a dinner for Paris Hilton (who endorsed a project of Century Properties founder Joey Antonio) at Manila Pen. According to media, Paris Hilton gushed: “The food is good. I love the food in the Philippines. It’s delicious.”

Ben Chan brought to Manila Pen foreign celebrity endorsers last year, including Korean actor Lee Min Ho, Adam Levine and Raina Hein of the 14th cycle of America’s Next Top Model. On the other hand, Penshoppe boss Bernie Liu brought in  The Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder, who stayed at Manila Pen, as endorser. The US actor said the Philippines is a “phenomenal experience” and “I have been so blown away by the beauty of this place.”

Smarp.com reported last year that Jeremy Renner, Oscar Award-winning Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Oscar Award-winning actress Rachel Weisz and other cast members of the Bourne Legacy movie were billeted at the Manila Peninsula Hotel, with Smap.com even reporting that Renner and Norton enjoyed swimming in the hotel pool.

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Peninsula Manila Hotel, on the night of March 8, hosted an elegant launch party attended by VIPs and celebrities for the Peninsula Hotel chain’s new “Peninsula Moments” advertising campaign showcasing hotels and destinations in a glamorous new light.

This global brand campaign uses video and photography to demonstrate how The Peninsula Hotels “bring the very best and unique aspects of each destination to its guests with style, sophistication and elegance. Moments and memories to remember, reflecting an authentic sense of destination, are brought to life by the stunning architecture, thoughtful design, local insight and the genuine desire of Peninsula staff to showcase the very best of their cities.”

Conceived and developed in house, the creative brief and aim is to showcase the magic and special memories that The Peninsula brings to its guests with photography, video and going “behind the scenes” –– in short, each image and scene tell a story.

“As one of the world’s oldest hotel groups, Peninsula icons throughout our hotels showcase the brand’s heritage, personal service and continued commitment to inspire, surprise and delight, and these new images and videos capture this spirit perfectly,” says Peter C. Borer, chief operating officer.

The Peninsula Moments images are shot by photo-journalist and portrait photographer Russel Wong, a Singapore-based photographer known for his portraits of celebrities ranging from Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh to Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, together with his work in Hollywood as a stills photographer for movies like Underworld, Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and director Zhang Yimou films Hero and The House of Flying Daggers.

Produced by Ridley Scott Associates, the “Peninsula Moments” videos are directed by Jean-Claude Thibaut and Antony Crook, whose previous work includes videos for Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Boss.

A behind-the-scenes shoot for both still and video photography comprises the story behind each shot and scene. Used across a variety of media and channels, “The Making of Peninsula Moments” affords deeper engagement with guests and prospects, more effective story telling through various tools (photos, video, interviews, facts and figures) and really highlights what makes Peninsula unique.

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Peninsula Hotels chains, through the 147-year-old Hong Kong & Shanghai HotelsLimited, now has majority control of Manila Pen. It is led by the entrepreneurial and philanthropic Jewish Kadoorie family of Iraq and pre-war Shanghai, now based in Hong Kong. Manila Pen was the chain’s first overseas hotel project outside Chinese territory.

Manila Pen was founded in 1976 by the hardworking self-made textile taipan P.L. Lim with his best friend the late industrialist Carlos “Charlie” Palanca, Jr. as investor. Though majority stake is now with the Kadoories, the 97-year-old P.L. Lim remains the top domestic shareholder, along with investors like banker Peter Go Pailian and Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. Chairman Felipe Yap. A young Makati tycoon told this writer: “The fun-loving P. L. Lim used to dance during Manila Pen’s New Year parties.”

One of the grandest hotel lobbies in Asia is at Manila Pen with a music orchestra. It has a four-story ceiling adorned with a 12-meter “Sunburst” installation by National Artist Napoleon Abueva. It has 493 rooms and suites, 636 regular staff and 200 casual staff led by general manager Sonia F. Vodusek (who told Philippine Star she got married at the hotel on Jan. 9, 2013 and Manila Pen is popular for weddings).

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The Peninsula Manila’s short film captures the different facets and beauty of the Philippines, merging history and tradition with the youth and dynamism of an emerging economy. From the historic city of Old Manila to the bucolic life of Villa Escudero and the youthful energy of the city of Makati, the short film is a reflection of the modern Filipino –– respectful of history, time-honored values and traditions yet youthful, vibrant and dynamic.

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