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

wooden anniversary getaway: sofitel manila

hubby and i celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary last december 2013 by having a quick staycation at sofitel.  we availed of their magnifique promo which included an overnight stay in a deluxe room, buffet breakfast at spiral for 2, and an additional discount for f&b.

we arrived at around 3pm in the hotel’s premises and after the usual check-in procedure, we were ushered into our room.  side note:  days before our actual check-in, i received several emails from the hotel asking for our preferences so that they could prepare it ahead of time if it is available.  it was really nice that the hotel cares for what their guests will be needing ahead of time.  one of the forms asked if we were celebrating a special occasion for our stay, and i indicated that it was our anniversary.  i was kind of hoping to have “something” when we arrive, but i guess they might have been too busy and overlooked that fact, or they were just really asking for details. 😉

room 822

we stayed at room 822.  the room was spacious with a king sized bed, office table, minibar and veranda.  it was complete with all of the basic necessities like flat screen tv, phone, player, etc.

bed, office table, and door going to the veranda

other side of the room

fully stocked minibar

the bathroom consists of a shower area, the toilet and the sink.  i loved the lanvin toiletries that were provided.

lanvin toiletries

shower

sink

we also spent some time in pool.  it was a little cold though, but we had fun playing and swimming.  matteo especially enjoyed the shallow part of the pool where he can just walk around.  we also ordered our dinner from the cafe and ate it by the poolside.

swimming pool at night

one of the things i was really looking forward to was the breakfast at spiral.  i have eaten at this restaurant several times before for their lunch buffet, and i can say that this is really the best buffet in town in terms of quality, choices and service.  i wasn’t able to take pictures of everything that we ate, but here are some of the plates:

shot samplers of healthy juices which you can get at the beverage station

hubby’s noodle soup

cheese + cured meat + honey + bread

different breads for the baby

french pressed coffee

meats + bread + jam

jam from the fruit garden + abra honey

we enjoyed everything that we had for breakfast and we were really full afterwards.  eating at spiral is really a treat, you will always find whatever food will suit your fancy.

overall, i enjoyed our stay at sofitel.  the price we paid was worth it in terms of quality and service that they provide.  every member of the staff was really helpful and courteous, and the facilities are good.  there was even a small playground where my little boy spent his time playing around.

would we go back? definitely!

 

Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
CCP Complex
Roxas Boulevard
Pasay City

Tel: (+632) 551-5555
Fax: (632) 551-5610
H6308@sofitel.com

august celebration, part 1 – brazil! brazil!

August 20 – Junjun and I are celebrating our 8th anniversary as boyfriend-girlfriend. Since August 21 is a holiday, we decided to take a looong weekend.

Our first celebration was in August 19, when we had dinner at Brazil! Brazil! in Serendra.

Brazil! Brazil! is a churrascaria. They serve an eat-all-you can of grilled food and sidings. They grill all kinds of food – chicken, pork, beef, seafood, corn, pineapples, banana, etc. There was a section where you can choose your salad, pasta, mashed potato, rice and dessert.

A key element in dining there is the yo-yo that is placed on the table. If you want to be served churrasca, you just have to make sure that the green side is up. Otherwise, put the red side up if you want to pause from eating.

After we arrived, we ordered drinks and we were served the soup. I had the mango-pandan iced tea and Junjun had the Mango Lychee shake.

mango pandan iced tea (php 135.00)

 

mango lychee shake (php 135.00)

We helped ourselves to some salad, and then we turned the yo-yo green side up, and the grilled food started coming. We had cuttlefish, pork shoulder, chicken fillet, beef sirloin, beef brisket, schublig and schublig with cheese. We also had some mashed potatoes from the siding section.

When we had our fill, we had a dessert of fruit salad and chocolate cake.

Weekday buffet is priced at Php 628.00 (net). Drinks are priced separately. For those who are “carnivores” and love to eat meat, this is definitely the place to eat.

 

Brazil! Brazil!
G/F The Piazza One
Serendra, Bonifacio Global City
Taguig