The mall is divided into five sections (named Glorietta 1 to 5) and contains many shops and restaurants, as well as cinemas, gyms, arcades and two central activity centers.

Glorietta 5 is detached, located on the former site of an open parking area between Hotel InterContinental Manila (later replaced by One Ayala) and Rustan's Makati.

It was landscaped by Ildefonso P. Santos Jr., a National Artist for Architecture who was also credited for designing the entire complex.

[10] In the mid-1990s, Glorietta emerged as a premier mall, boasting an air-conditioned atrium, children's playground, and activity center.

[12] As part of the Ayala Center Redevelopment, construction work on Glorietta 1 and 2 began in 2010, with reopening on November 5 and December 7, 2012, respectively, along with the addition of Holiday Inn & Suites Makati (opened in 2013) and two office towers on top of the mall.

[13][14] On November 29, 2012, Move to the Vibe of Glorietta, a fashion show, was held at the mall's new Palm Drive Activity Center and broke the Guinness World Record for the “Most People Modeling on a Catwalk” with 2,255 participants.

[18][19] In 2024, the Philippines' first BYD Experience Hub and Southeast Asia's first physical Anko store were opened in Glorietta.

Glorietta 3 is home to clubs and restaurants (including Hard Rock Cafe) and international luxury labels.

Glorietta 5 is home to Uniqlo's largest Southeast Asian branch and the Makati church of Christ's Commission Fellowship.

[17][26] "Top of the Glo" is an al fresco roof deck attraction featuring Japan Town (under Mitsubishi's partnership), K-Park, and the Omniverse Museum at the fourth level of Glorietta 1 and 2.

Police said the blast (by a homemade explosive) originated from a restroom of a restaurant and affected a nearby branch of Timezone, a game arcade center, as well as the ceiling of the bridge connecting Glorietta 2 to the then Park Square 2.

Several days later, October 23, 2007, senior government officials expressed "a high level of certainty" that the explosion was an accident,[40] but the bomb theory has not been totally ruled out.

It is believed that the explosion was caused by underground structures in the mall that might have triggered the blast, pending further investigation.