staycation: hubby’s birthday celebration at acacia hotel

for hubby’s birthday celebration this year, i got a voucher for an overnight stay at acacia hotel from deal grocer.  for php 4000.00, the deal was for an overnight stay in a deluxe room inclusive of buffet breakfast for two.  you will also be allowed to use the hotel’s facilities like the swimming pool, and also avail of the free shuttle around alabang area.

we arrived at the hotel at around 3pm.  after checking in and having our welcome drinks and snacks, we were ushered into our room.

our room

king sized bed and reading chair

closet / hallway

the room was very spacious and i like the way the natural light comes into it.  in the center was a very comfortable king sized bed. there was also a reading chair, a working desk, minibar/ref and of course the television set.  acacia hotel boasts of the “pillow concierge” wherein you can choose a particular type of pillow based on your needs.  the “menu” is available inside the room, and you can just call housekeeping if you want to change your pillows — they have latex, microgel, aromatherapy and fiber.  for us, we were already contented with the fiber pillows in our room.  we also had complimentary internet access, and it was very fast and reliable.

shower area

sink / vanity mirror

bathtub

the toilet and bath was also of considerable size.  there was a separate shower area, a toilet and a bath tub which was already filled with water and bathgel, ready for you to use.  my son enjoyed taking his bath in the tub.  toiletries were also provided.  their quality and scent of their line was ok.  my only complaint is the packaging since it was a little bit hard to squeeze the product out especially when my hands were already slippery due to soap.

cake courtesy of the hotel

the birthday celebrant

when i was making the booking for this stay, i informed the hotel that we were celebrating my hubby’s birthday during our stay. they told me that the guest relations services will be preparing something.  so, after we got back from dinner at alabang town center, we found this slice of cake with greeting in our room. 🙂

as mentioned, we were able to use of the shuttle service to and from alabang town center where we had our dinner.  i also availed of the in-room massage which was very relaxing.

the next morning, we had buffet breakfast at their restaurant acaci.  the breakfast spread had varied options, and i can say that i was satisfied with how the food tasted.  i had soup, omelet, bacon, sausages and some breads.  there were also fruits, salads, cereal and other staples for breakfast. (we were just unable to take photos during breakfast… sorry).

the pool

view from the pool

after breakfast, we went to the pool area where hubby and my son spent some time swimming and playing in the pool. it was a little chilly given that the pool is at the third floor, and it was january. 🙂  we were also offered glasses of iced tea while we were in the pool area which i enjoyed while lounging around.

i would say that it is definitely worth your while to stay at this hotel.  they have good facilities – even the design and interior of the building is nice and impressive.  service was superb – they are true to their offering of “filipino hospitality at its best”.  they are always ready to help and please, and give you whatever it is that you might need.  rates are also very competitive.

would we go here again?  definitely. 🙂

 

Acacia Hotel Manila

5400 East Asia Drive corner Commerce Avenue,
Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang,
Muntinlupa City 1781

Telephone: 720 2000 / 588 5888
Email: enquiry@acaciahotelsmanila.com

build your own pizza at project pie

one of the food fad these days is how they let the customers customize the food however which way they want it.  project pie is an artisan-inspired create-your-own-pizza place.  several branches have already sprouted around the metro and i was very eager to try it out.  finally, hubby and i were able to go to the alabang branch.

design. build. eat.

we went on an “off-hour” so the long queue of people was not there.  plus we had the luxury of choosing where we wanted to sit.  we chose a couch by the window on the second floor.

so how do you order?  line up and decide whether your having their signature pizzas (php 245.00) or build your own (php 285.00).  they have 7 signature pizzas, both red (wit tomato sauce) and white (olive oil based).  if you choose to build your own, you will be then asked for your toppings as you go through the line, and then your pizza will be put in the oven.  when your pizza is done, you will then be called so that you can claim it.

available pizza toppings: mozzarella, feta, gorgonzola, ricotta, parmesan, pepperoni, italian sausage, crumble meatballs, bacon, grilled chicken, canadian bacon, prosciutto, anchovies, red onions, green bell peppers, jalapenos, cilantro, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, caramelized onions, fresh mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, pineapple, artichokes, fresh chopped basil, black olives, pesto, bbq sauce.

since we wanted the “full experience” we went ahead and decided to build our own pizza.  we went for a white pizza.

our pizza plate?

cheese!

the dough starts out as a ball, then a machine flattens and shapes it.  then sauce, or in our case, oil is put on top of it.  you will then be asked what cheeses you want.  i chose mozzarella and gorgonzola.

meats

next stop is the meat.  you can choose from a variety of meats they have.  we chose grilled chicken, prosciutto and bacon.  i would have wanted anchovies, but that would make our pizza too salty.  maybe next time. 😉

veggies

and then we added fresh mushrooms and caramelized onions to balance the flavors.  i also requested for fresh chopped basil.  then in goes our pizza to the oven!

our finished product

i loved the flavors of our pizza (of course, i created it! :P) the sweetness of the caramelized onion balanced the saltiness of the meats and the gorgonzola.  plus a hint of freshness care of the basil.

customized water bottle

classic caesar

we also ordered a classic caesar salad (php 165.00) to go with our meal.  the salad had romaine, parmesan, croutons and caesar dressing served on the side.  i super like the croutons since they are cheese flavored, it’s like eating cheese curls. 😉  i got water while hubby got the soda.

there are a couple other salad you can order, and also dessert pizzas – banana nutella (php 145.00), peanut butter nutella (php 145.00), strawberry mango nutella (php 195.00), cinnamon sugar with icing (php 145.00) – which i plan on checking out next time.

overall, i enjoyed eating at project pie.  we shared one pizza and a salad for lunch since we were still a little full from earlier, but i think one person can finish one pizza.  it was a nice experience and it’s likely that we will visit again to try out other pizza flavors.

the remains

 

 

Project Pie

Block 28 Commerce Avenue, Alabang

projectpie.ph