IT was a night of music and magic when Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa celebrated its 25th year in the historic island of Mactan. The grand celebration began with welcome cocktails at the Ocean Pavilion where a specialty Champagne Bar was set up; and went on to the garden (with a Beer Bar a-flowing) for the spectacular fireworks display lighting up to the music of the ‘90s. Mariah Carey’s “Dreamlover” was the night’s track as it was number one on the charts on the week of Shangri-La’s opening on Oct. 29, 1993. Debonair and dashing, Shangri-La general manager Rene Egle happily interacted with the guests along with his power team.
The action then shifted to The Marquee for the formal sit-down dinner. Elegant black and glittering silver transformed The Marquee to an exquisite wonderland. Lo and behold, there was a magnificent chandelier at the center of the hall that dazzled all the guests. And it was below the shimmering lights that the Cebu Philharmonic Orchestra assembled to play beautiful music from the years 1993 to 2018.