What once was

Arriving early for a lunch appointment gave me the chance to browse and take a peek at one of the main dining rooms of this old hotel, the Champagne Room. Moving around the room I imagined the likes of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Tyrone Power, Bob Hope, Muhammad Ali and of course the "shoe queen" Imelda Marcos. I stood at one corner of the room and the scene reminded me of an era long gone with only pictures and stories to remind us of what once was.