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On a trip to Manila—the Philippines’ capital city—it’s important to note that your stay will very likely encompass the entire Metro Manila region. The itinerary might take you from the walled-in Spanish colonial relic that is Intramuros (which is in the city of Manila itself), the enormous Mall of Asia and the casinos of the Resort World complex in Pasay, to the luxury hotels of Makati. But if you’re eager to learn more about how modern Manileños live, you should root yourself in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), a thriving, ever-changing neighborhood in the city of Taguig, about seven miles southeast of Manila. The land BGC now occupies was once a part of the Philippine Army’s military base in the area. But following the sale of nearly 1,090 acres of this expanse, the property’s transformation would begin in 1995.
Nearly 30 years later, it’s now arguably the most popular mixed-use development in the capital region. It has created another central-business district for Metro Manila (after Makati)—the Philippine Stock Exchange, for example, moved to the BGC in 2018. And international brands like Google, Unilever, and HSBC all have offices in the neighborhood. As such, the BGC’s 593-acre urban master plan also includes some of the best residential projects in Metro Manila, as well as a thriving dining and entertainment scene.
To help guide you through one of Metro Manila’s most exciting neighborhoods, here’s our picks for where to stay and what to do in the BGC.
Where to stay in BGC
When Shangri-La The Fort, Manila (The Fort is another local nickname for the BGC) opened in March 2016, it solidified the district’s luxury travel bonafides. Now, there’s finally a fancy place in the BGC where you can stay. It houses 576 classic-luxury guest rooms and suites, the best of which are the ones that allow you access to the Horizon Club Lounge on the tower’s 40th floor. Think: dedicated breakfast, snack, happy hour service that comes with fantastic views of Metro Manila. But Shangri-La The Fort is a fully realized lifestyle hotel. Fitness and sports enthusiasts rejoice: The two-floor 86,000 square-foot Kerry Sports Manila complex is one of the best hotel gyms you could dream up. It has all the equipment you can think of plus a spa, movement studios, two tennis courts, a basketball court, and much more.
In January 2018, Grand Hyatt Manila made its Philippines debut inside the Metrobank Center, a 1,043-feet skyscraper—the tallest in the country. The hotel’s 461 rooms and suites occupy the building’s top 25 floors. Glossy wood furnishings and veiny marble bathrooms add a glamorous touch to every room, but it’s the floor-to-ceiling windows framing the skyline that really make your stay. There are also eight dining concepts here, including casual bites at the Pool House, where you can sip on frozen daiquiris next to one of the best hotel pools in town.
The best things to do in Metro Manila, Philippines
While in Manila, do as Filipinos do by shopping as they shop. Filipinos love to spend hours (and hours) inside massive, air-conditioned malls, turning these commercial towers into dynamic cultural epicenters—legend has it that one of the first air-conditioned buildings in the country was a mall. And BGC is no different; there are a number of different malls here, but the newest is a transplant from Japan that opened in November 2022: The four-story Mitsukoshi BGC primarily houses Japanese vendors like Kinokuniya bookstore, global steakhouse chain Ikinari Steak, which has over 320 locations in Japan, and Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory. The latter just launched Nama Doughnuts, pillowy cloud-like treats stuffed with cream from Hokkaido. Local streetwear brand MN+LA also brought its collection of cotton hoodies, wide-leg drawstring pants, and graphic tees to a new branch on the ground floor.
Fitness lovers can also find plenty of active things to do. Jog or downward-dog through Track 30th, an open lawn sandwiched between BGC’s high-rises, with a 1,000-foot running track and exercise and yoga platforms. For more cultural pursuits, the Bonifacio Art Foundation Inc has programming all over the neighborhood, whether that’s the BGC Arts Center’s Art Mart( a monthly weekend-long market for local artists), its musical theater workshops, the the BGC Public Art program, or the The Mind Museum with its family-friendly exhibitions on space and natural history.
If you’re looking for a rousing evening out, add Nectar Nightclub to your list of Manila must-dos. This lively hotspot has been an important fixture in the region’s queer nightlife circuit, and many of the top drag queens around, including those who competed in the inaugural season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Philippines, often perform here. It’s a fantastic place to celebrate the Filipino drag scene (and to party it up with locals), especially as drag artists continue to come under fire in the United States.
Where to eat
When it comes to need-to-know restaurants and bars, the BGC is perhaps the most dynamic neighborhood in the capital region; there seems to be a buzzy opening nearly every week. The aforementioned hotels would be a great place to start. Both have so many dining venues, but at the Grand Hyatt, the showpiece is The Peak, a grill-meets-cocktail- bar-meets-whisk-library located on the top floor of the 60-story building. The menu is built around prime cuts of meat from all over the world (Japan, Australia) as well as the equally global lineup of very old, very expensive whiskies. The glossy, textured interiors plus the unbelievable views of Manila provide a fantastic backdrop for a ritzy night out.
Fine-dining lovers should make a reservation at Gallery by Chele, the ingredient-driven restaurant, featuring furniture by Filipino designer Kenneth Cobonpue, from chefs Carlos Villaflor and Chele Gonzalez, who is originally from Spain. The menu changes frequently, but the focus is always on plating the most exciting dishes made with regional produce, meat, and seafood. Among the kitchen’s signature offerings is a French bonbon that’s been reimagined with the flavors of an iconic Filipino dish: the kare-kare. Here, the playful interpretation even comes with a bagoong-mayo dipping sauce. An American chef with a footprint in Manila is Walter Manzke of Los Angeles’ beloved Republique. He and his wife Margarita help operate the Wildflour chain of restaurants in the Philippines, and in BGC, they have Wildflour Italian, popular for woodfire brick-oven-cooked pizzas, homemade pastas, and indulgent treats like a focaccia slathered with mascarpone.
For something more local, head to one of two Manam locations in the BGC: on the ground floor of the office building for Google Philippines and Uptown not far from the Grand Hyatt. Manam has been around for over a decade, developing a fantastic reputation for serving tastes-just-like-home (but with some twists) Filipino fare—opening over a dozen locations around Metro Manila in the process. The sisig, a dish of chopped-and-fried chicken and pork meat (some are offals, yes), is a popular order. But you can also try many other Pinoy classics: pork-and-chicken adobo, pancit, and an ube shake with tapioca balls.
If you want to enjoy the BGC’s bar scene, note that Manila is currently in the throes of a love affair with speakeasies, so you may need to poke around to find these places. Shangri-La is home to The Back Room, which in 2021 was 51 on Asia’s Best Bars list. There’s a grand multi-room bar that orbits around a mixology lab’s creative experiments, including its in-house gin Bee’s Knees, packed with lots of local botanicals like dalandan, malunggay, and sampaguita—the Philippine national flower. Behind a 7-11, you’ll find Bank Bar, one of the first speakeasies to open round these parts back in 2015. For a drinking den you shouldn’t know exists, Bank Bar, with its fancy-industrial aesthetic, is almost always packed—and occasionally booked out for private events. Here, try the Pinay Colada, which mixes three different types of Filipino rum and is crowned with a rose petal dust.
