Luneta Hotel
History
The hotel was designed by the Spanish architect-engineer Salvador Farre in French Renaissance Belle Epoque style and completed in 1919.
Initially, the hotel was run by its owner L. Burchfield and general manager F.M. Lozano. Being near the Port of Manila, the hotel was popular with Navy officers and sailors of the Merchant Marines. It gained international fame due to hosting the delegates for the 33rd International Eucharistic Congress, held at Luneta Park, the first International Eucharistic Congress in Asia.
During World War II, the Luneta Hotel became a brothel of American G.I.s who were off to Corregidor after Manila had been declared an open city. Surviving veterans of the war still recall how the hotel served as a hope when it survived the bombardment and how it was turned into a comfort area for soldiers facing imminent death.
In its early years, the hotel became the site of European imports that were distributed to Manila. It was a time of beauty, innovation and peace. The hotel has been known to serve well-prepared breakfast and lunch, exotic among foreigners of the time. But the operations of the Luneta Hotel demanded high-maintenance and so it was neglected even by its owners.
Architecture
Designed by Spanish architect Salvador Farre, the Luneta Hotel on Kalaw Avenue was built in 1919. The six-storey building towered at an undefined T.M. Kalaw street upon its completion. It faced an unfenced Bermuda plane of the Luneta. Its neighbors were blocks of "stone houses" (Bahay na bato) and "storerooms" (bodegas). It stood out because of its distinct architectural style. It symbolized the new influence that the Americans brought to the country. As once described by cultural writer and conservationist Bambi Harper, its "Mansard roof, French windows, carved details, attractive grilles and studied proportions" are reminiscent of French Renaissance architecture.
President Dwight Eisenhower wrote about the Luneta Hotel's beauty:
This Luneta was for more than 4 years the scene of my habitual evening walks. To this day it lives in memory as one of the most pleasant, indeed even one of the most romantic spots, I have known in this entire world. Leaving the front entrance of the Luneta Hotel in the evening, I could walk to the right to view the busy docks where Philippine commerce with the world was loaded and unloaded. From the hotel, looking across the peaceful waters of Manila Bay, I could see the gorgeous sunsets over Miravales. Walking toward the Club of the Army and the Navy, and looking down toward the city itself, I nearly always paused for a moment before the statue of the great José Rizal before returning to my quarters.
See also
References
- ^ Fernandez, John Joseph T. "Methods and Strategies in the Rehabilitation of the Luneta Hotel" (PDF). Lunds Tekniska Högskola. Lund University. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- ^ Sauler, Erika (May 11, 2014). "Luneta Hotel Revival Hailed: 'Like Stepping into Paris'". Inquirer.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- ^ Esguerra, Geolette (January 5, 2019). "Architecture of memory: a brief history of the Luneta Hotel". ABS-CBN News Channel.
- ^ Cristobal, Geronimo. "Luneta Hotel and the Beautiful Era" (PDF). Heritage Conservation Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 13, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
External links
Media related to Luneta Hotel at Wikimedia Commons