The Hyatt Terraces Baguio, opened in September 1976 as the Terraces Plaza Hotel, was a 12-storey hotel located along South Drive in Baguio, Philippines. It was the only five-star international hotel outside the National Capital Region during its time until the hotel was destroyed during the 1990 Luzon earthquake.
History and architecture
The Terraces Plaza Hotel was built during the Philippines' "hotel boom," opening in time for the World Bank-International Monetary Fund 1976 meeting of the Board of Governors, held in Manila.[3]
The architecture of Hyatt Terraces Plaza was characterized by a unique stepped design, with terraced levels cascading down, taking inspiration from the Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao. The Terraces wing also featured a wide open atrium, with lush plants cascading down. This design not only provided panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and city, but also integrated the hotel seamlessly into the hilly terrain.
General Manager Heinrich Maulbecker of Hyatt Bangkok was tasked in 1978 to study the viability of converting the hotel to a Hyatt. Hyatt assumed management in 1979 and the hotel was rebranded as Hyatt Terraces Baguio. Maulbecker became the general manager of the Baguio hotel until the destruction of the hotel during the 1990 Luzon earthquake.[4]