February 17, 2010

Good afternoon. Good morning.

The Philippine Plaza's lagoon-shaped swimming pool has been famous in Metro Manila since the 1970s when National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin designed it for the Westin group. In 2005, Sofitel took over its operations and refurbished the entire hotel, including the pool which now has bright blue tiles.

lagoon-shaped swimming pool of Sofitel Manila

Sofitel Manila has every right to boast that it is Metro Manila's only resort hotel. With twelve acres of landscaped gardens beside Manila Bay, it is easy to forget that the big, bustling metropolis is just a kilometer away.

Sofitel Manila's swimming pool and gardens beside Manila Bay

Natural or man-made, take a refreshing dip in Watery Wednesday.
Watery Wednesday

47 comments:

  1. James MarkFebruary 17, 2010 at 7:51 AM

    Much more attractive than the municipal pools here! Impressive shots.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2010 at 8:00 AM

    One would love to become a bird flying into one of your photographies.
    Years now that I last went to swim - thank you for the memories.

    A wonderful Wednesday for you.

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  3. MurciaDailyPhotoFebruary 17, 2010 at 8:04 AM

    I love the view of the second picture: what peace, what peace of mind.

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  4. Martha ZFebruary 17, 2010 at 8:20 AM

    A beautiful place for a relaxing vacation.

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  5. LoracFebruary 17, 2010 at 8:25 AM

    Such a gorgeous pool and the view over the ocean is fantastic! Thank you for sharing.

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  6. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2010 at 8:26 AM

    it's really pretty, and in the middle of the metropolis to boot. how convenient to "get away" without going away.

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  7. Don and KriseFebruary 17, 2010 at 9:11 AM

    Twelve acres! Wow! What a wonderful place. I'd only need to go into town once in a while for supplies, then I'd be back. Those tiles create such a striking blue color, especially when viewed from above as you've shown us. Very nice Hilda.

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  8. FrankFebruary 17, 2010 at 9:18 AM

    What a grogeous hotel and fabulous view.

    How did you get up to take the shot. Fantastic vantage point.

    Hilda, the pool is so inviting.

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  9. LowellFebruary 17, 2010 at 9:40 AM

    This is a beautiful pool; reminds me a little of the one here at Stone Creek...but we don't have Manila Bay and it's not as big and fancy as this!

    I'd guess the Sofitel Manila is a bit pricey!

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  10. maritzFebruary 17, 2010 at 9:44 AM

    nice site and very nationalistic... add me pls..

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  11. TaraFebruary 17, 2010 at 10:15 AM

    That is so scenic and a great top view shot.

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  12. RJFebruary 17, 2010 at 11:15 AM

    Pool and resorts... seems 'My Manila' can't wait for the start of summer! o",)

    (I've been to this hotel once- part of work.)

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  13. MomgenFebruary 17, 2010 at 11:30 AM

    Wow this is cool...Happy watery Wednesday. Mine is up too.

    Mine is here

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  14. UnknownFebruary 17, 2010 at 11:48 AM

    we used to swim on Saturdays at the Westin in the 80's...it was the "in" thing.:p love the new blue--so inviting! looks like you spent the Valentine weekend at Sofitel.:p

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  15. Louis la VacheFebruary 17, 2010 at 11:49 AM

    So, did you take a dip after getting the shot?
    It looks like it would be hard to resist!

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  16. EbieFebruary 17, 2010 at 12:57 PM

    A very scenic and great location in the the middle of the City!

    Love the view from the top!

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  17. Unseen RajasthanFebruary 17, 2010 at 2:28 PM

    Beautiful post and beautiful shots !! Amazing !!

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  18. MirelaFebruary 17, 2010 at 2:50 PM

    I can see myself lounging on one of the beach chairs next to the pool........

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  19. JillyFebruary 17, 2010 at 2:54 PM

    Two lovely shots - makes me long for some warmer weather here.

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  20. PeterFebruary 17, 2010 at 2:55 PM

    I like Sofitel, member since 2 years ago I think, I'm not sure if they've finished the pool though, last January it was still under construction. ~ Peter, www.mymanila.net

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  21. OlivierFebruary 17, 2010 at 3:34 PM

    allez GO je saute dans la piscine ;o) cela donne envie (surtout qu'a Evry c'est pluie et ciel triste)

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  22. nutsFebruary 17, 2010 at 3:45 PM

    oh i can't believe of the view and this is from sofitel hotel?
    the place looks like in a very private resort away from the manila. very amazing shots!

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  23. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2010 at 4:20 PM

    I really love your second photograph, where the sea meets the sky!

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  24. Regina February 17, 2010 at 5:15 PM

    How beautiful. Love the view here.

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  25. eileeninmdFebruary 17, 2010 at 5:36 PM

    The pool looks beautiful, looks ike a wonderful place to stay in Manila.

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  26. Gemma WisemanFebruary 17, 2010 at 6:00 PM

    Wow! This is quite exotic and such a stunning view of the water and palms!

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  27. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2010 at 6:28 PM

    amazing place. very beautiful captures

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  28. Hootin AnniFebruary 17, 2010 at 6:52 PM

    That 2nd photo is astounding!!

    My Wednesday post is OCEAN TIDE. I'd love you to visit!! Have a great day.

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  29. KimFebruary 17, 2010 at 7:29 PM

    That looks very inviting. Does the resort allow access to the community or does one need to be a hotel guest to swim? Great shots, Hilda!
    -Kim

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  30. brattcatFebruary 17, 2010 at 8:20 PM

    What a dreamy place to stay.

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  31. Joe ToddFebruary 17, 2010 at 9:11 PM

    Love the blue of the pool and what a great design

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  32. ZyzzyzFebruary 17, 2010 at 9:59 PM

    A 12-acre hotel sounds massive.

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  33. LoisFebruary 17, 2010 at 10:08 PM

    It looks like a tropical paradise!

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  34. Verna LugaFebruary 17, 2010 at 10:16 PM

    Was away for two days it was only today that I have updated my blog...

    It's a great view from the top.... nice place Hilds, di pa ako nagawi rito...

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  35. HalcyonFebruary 17, 2010 at 10:23 PM

    What a fantastic pool! I bet it's a lot of fun to swim in, especially for the kiddies.

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  36. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2010 at 11:24 PM

    Now that's what I call 'A Bird's Eye View'! LoL! Cool shots

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  37. JTG (Misalyn)February 18, 2010 at 12:01 AM

    Great shots Ms. Hilda, i like the first one. The water looks so inviting and the palm trees makes it more inviting...parang masarap magbakasyon dyan, kaya mahal hahaha.

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  38. DedenFebruary 18, 2010 at 12:42 AM

    I definitely wanna jump to that pool.. Its been so hot here lately, Now I know what I want, a giant waterpool to jumped for hours, just like you share here.. thank Hilda..

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  39. Müge TekilFebruary 18, 2010 at 2:23 AM

    Gorgeous pool! I like very much the quality of Sofitel hotels.

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  40. VPFebruary 18, 2010 at 2:31 AM

    The angle is everything, but you need a fantastic place like this.

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  41. PJFebruary 18, 2010 at 3:19 AM

    I like that bright blue in the tiles. It's always odd to me to see a pool so close to the ocean, though...

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  42. HildaFebruary 18, 2010 at 7:36 AM

    Paula:
    Manila Bay is not safe for swimming. :(

    Kim:
    I think you have to be a guest of the hotel. But I don't know, they might have pool/spa/gym packages available like some other hotels.

    Peter:
    It's done and now open.

    Luna Miranda:
    How'd you guess? :)

    Louis:
    I'm afraid we didn't. Couldn't, and I'm not writing the reason why here.

    Jacob:
    Compared to most other hotels, yes it is. But compared to other hotels in its class, it's actually less expensive.

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  43. miaFebruary 18, 2010 at 10:06 AM

    I have very fond memories of Sofitel :) My dad's yearly medical conventions were always held there, during the summer, (back then Sofitel was still called Westin Philippine Plaza) so me, my brother and our cousins would get to stay in the hotel for free! We especially loved the big slide in one of the pools. I remember we had this big, yellow bean-shaped inflatable we'd always lug around. Over the years the conventions were transferred to Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, but now we're all a little too big for the slides. :)

    Great photos Ma'am Hilda!

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  44. FAFebruary 18, 2010 at 12:06 PM

    What a beautiful view. I hope you were able to enjoy it for a few days.

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  45. GeorgeFebruary 18, 2010 at 12:14 PM

    This does look like a tropical paradise. I'd really like to leave all this snow to spend a few days there.

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  46. Leif HagenFebruary 19, 2010 at 6:26 AM

    46 comments?! You're a CDP goddess! Can I be the president of your fan club?!
    : - )

    I love the swimming pool - I could spend an afternoon there after applying lots of sunscreen!

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  47. DinaFebruary 19, 2010 at 7:01 PM

    It must be fun to make a few laps around that pool!
    Wonderful the two different waters in the second photo.

    Sorry to hear you too are having a drought.

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Thanks for visiting and letting me know!