Category Archives: Hotels and Inns

Genting Highlands (Malaysia)

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We arrived at the resort by lunch time and our van driver dropped us off at the First World Hotel which, in 2006, was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest hotel with its total of 6,118 rooms.  The resort has three theme parks – the Genting Outdoor Theme Park (set around an artificial lake), the First World Indoor Theme Park (arcade games and children’s rides) and the Water Park.

The Outdoor Theme Park

Among its 20 signature attractions are the Flying Coaster (a hang-gliding roller coaster), the Corkscrew (the only double-loop roller coaster in Malaysia, it speeds and spins up to a height of 90 ft. above the ground), the Genting Sky Venture (Asia’s only free-fall skydiving simulator), the Haunted House, the Ripley’s Believe It or Not!Museum, Solera Space Shot (a rapid vertical ascent and descent open-air amusement ride) and SnowWorld.

Snow World

We all tried the last mentioned attraction, donning thick winter jackets and gloves as we tried to last 30 mins. in this 6 degrees below zero winter wonderland. We only lasted 15 but within that time we went tobogganing and bravely ate ice cream before calling it quits.

Genting Skyway

Another welcome treat was our spectacular 3.38 km. (2 mile) cable car ride on board the relaxing Genting Skyway which, at its opening on February 21, 1997, was recognized as the “World’s Fastest Mono Cable Car System” (with a maximum speed of 6 m. per second or 21.6 kms. per hour) and the “Longest Cable Car in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.” Open 24 hours, our gondola lift ride took all of 11 mins. as we glided above a blanket of montane vegetation at its lush rain forest.

First World Hotel

Coffee and pastries at First World Hotel’s Starbucks outlet, prior to our being picked up by our tourist van and return to Kuala Lumpur, capped this cool, fun-filled day.

Dorsett Regency Hotel (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

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Our home during our 5-night stay in Kuala Lumpur was the Dorsett Regency Hotel, located in the heart of city’s Golden Triangle.  We all stayed in a 30 sq. m. (322.9 sq. ft.) Deluxe Room at the 24th floor (2411) furnished with 2 double beds, 32-inch flat-screen LCD satellite TV, minibar, in-room safety deposit box, coffee/tea making facility and bath. The hotel also has 38 sq. m. (409 sq. ft.) Deluxe Premier Rooms an,d  45 sq. m. (484.3 sq. ft.) Junior Suites.

Deluxe Room (2411)

We had our breakfast at the first floor, 150-pax, all day (6 AM-1 AM) Checker’s Cafe where we also celebrated our 25 wedding anniversary with Jandy and Cheska.  Beside it is the cozy, 25 pax Cellini’s Italian Restaurant.  Our New Year was spent at the lobby level, 80-pax Window’s Cafe and Lounge where we watched talented Filipina performers.

Silver Wedding Anniversary Celebration at Checkers Cafe

The hotel also has a swimming pool (4th floor), 4 function rooms (10-200-pax), gym and offers limousine service, tours, concierge, valet, laundry, dry cleaning, pressing and 24-hour room service. The hotel was a stone’s throw away from KL’s finest shopping malls (Pavilion, Star Hill, Lot 10, Sungei Wang, Berjaya Times Square and Low Yat Plaza), eateries, tourist and entertainment spots.

Dorsett Regency Hotel: 172 Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Tel: 603-2716 1000.  Fax: 603-2715 5000.  E-mail: reservations.kl@dorsettregency.com.my

Overnight in Corregidor (Cavite)

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After the Corregidor Adventour and our delightful boodle lunch, Bernard Supetran and SCI’s Roland Portes and Bob Aquino and the other participants left for the mainland on board the 2:30 PM boat but four us, professional photographer Lee Llamas, blogger Mark Vincent Nunez, Philippine Star Lifestyle columnist Enrico “Rico” Miguel Subido and me, opted to stay overnight at the Corregidor Inn.   Market Development Officer Jovany Ann “Jovy” Lee, with her daughter Mat, joined us.

Check out “Corregidor Island: Adventour Challenge“

Corregidor Inn

This would my first time to stay overnight on the island, aside from my 1975 overnight bivouac during my high school  pre-military training (PMT).  The inn, sometimes called the Corregidor Hotel & Resort, is strategically located on top of a hill at the center of the island (Middleside), between the North and South Dock.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Corregidor Inn“

The standard twin room we stayed in

At the inn’s second floor, Mark and I stayed in an airconditioned standard twin room with bath (one of 30) while Lee and Rico stayed at the inn’s lone but more opulent and roomy suite located at the end of the hall.  Our room had no cable TV but the lobby had one (although showing only local channels). All 31 rooms have a star lantern making the inn, as our tour guide would jokingly say, the only 31-star hotel in the world.

Hallway leading to the rooms

 

La Playa Restaurant

A short walk away from the inn is the beach with some unique stones. Called bloodstones, they have red blemishes which, according to a story, are believed to be the blood of the dead soldiers.

The inn’s swimming pool
Corregidor Inn: Signal Hill, Brgy. San Jose, Corregidor Island, Cavite.  Mobile number: (0917) 527-6350. E-mail: corregidor_inn@suncruises.com.ph.  Website: www.corregidorphilippines.com/corr_inn.html.
Sun Cruises, Inc. (SCI) – Reservation Office: CCP Terminal A, CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd., Manila.  Tel: (632) 831-8140 and (632) 834-6857 to 58.  Fax: (632) 834-1523.  E-mail: suncruises@magsaysay.com.ph.
Sun Cruises, Inc. (SCI) – Sales Office: 21/F,  Times Plaza Bldg., Ermita, Manila.  Tel: (632) 527-5555 local 4511 and 4512.  Fax: (632) 527-5555 local 4513.  E-mail: sales@suncruises.com.ph.

Olympic Park and Pangu 7 Star Hotel (Beijing, People’s Republic of China)

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After our Badaling Great Wall visit, we decided to capped this rainy day with a short visit, though not part of our itinerary, to the Beijing Olympic Park, its structures built for the 2008 Summer Olympics.  Brittany dropped us off at the Ruyi Bridge (over the Pangu Gardens) where, from this vantage point, we had a great view of the “Bird’s Nest” National Indoor Stadium and “Water Cube” Aquatic Center of the Olympic Park on one side and the Pangu 7 Star Hotel on the other.

Beijing National Indoor Stadium

The 18,000-pax Beijing National Indoor Stadium, also known as the National Indoor Stadium, is an indoor arena nicknamed as the Fan due to its design resembling a traditional Chinese folding fan. Opened on November 26, 2007, it hosted, at the 2008 Olympics, the artistic gymnastics, trampolining and handball events. After the Olympics, the stadium was used for sports competition, cultural and entertaining purposes, and as a multi-functional exercise center for local residents.

Bird’s Nest – Beijing National Stadium

The US$423 million Beijing National Stadium, also known as the National Stadium or, colloquially, as the “Bird’s Nest,” was designed for use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. Its design was awarded to a submission from the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron in April 2003, after a bidding process that included 13 final submissions. The design, which originated from the study of Chinese ceramics, implemented steel beams in order to hide supports for the retractable roof; giving the stadium the appearance of a “bird’s nest.” Leading Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was the artistic consultant on the project. The retractable roof was later removed from the design after inspiring the stadium’s most recognizable aspect. Ground was broken in December 2003 and the stadium officially opened in June 2008.

Water Cube – Beijing National Aquatics Center

The Beijing National Aquatics Center, also known as the National Aquatics Center and nicknamed the “Water Cube,” is an aquatics center that was built alongside Beijing National Stadium in the Olympic Green for the swimming competitions of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Despite its nickname, the building is not an actual cube, but a cuboid (a rectangular box). Ground was broken on December 24, 2003, and the Center was completed and handed over for use on January 28, 2008. During the Olympics, swimmers here broke 25 world records.  After the Olympics, the building underwent a RMB 200 million revamp to turn the inside into a water park.

Pangu 7-Star Hotel

The Pangu 7 Star Hotel,  with its jaw-dropping views of the “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium and “Water Cube” Aquatic Centre, offers 234 guest rooms, including 140 suites. Ten room categories range in size from 45 to 488 sq. m. and all have 3.5-m. high ceilings. It is the only hotel to have been granted permission from the Palace Museum to reproduce priceless artworks from the Forbidden City. The masterworks were recreated on burnished copper panels in Italy.

Ruyi Bridge

On our last night in Beijing, we decided to go shopping at the San Li Tun Commercial Complex.  Our last day was uneventful as our flight left Beijing for Manila at 12 noon.  What an end to summer and a welcome for the rainy season.

Tree of Prosperity Show at Wynn Hotel (Macau)

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After our own Macau churches tour, Jandy, Cheska and I had our dinner at MacDonald’s in Leal Senado Square. After dinner, we made our way to Wynn Hotel Macau, the first Las Vegas-style blended resort in Asia, where we were to meet up with Daddy, Mommy and Grace. Together, we were to watch the hotel’s signature performance of the Fountains of the Performance Lake and the Tree of Prosperity and Dragon Shows, all open for public viewing and free.

The Musical Fountain Show at the Performance Lake

When we arrived, they were already seated in one of the benches in front of the fountain and lake in front of the hotel.  The lake houses over 200 water nozzles and shooters and holds 800,000 gallons of water. Together, we watched a fascinating and delightful fountain show featuring lofty plumes of water and fire shimmering and dancing through the air to the tune of classical and popular music as well as Broadway show tunes, all expressing a complexity of moods, rhythms and emotions.

The Opulent Ceiling at the Atrium

After this vibrant performance, we proceeded to the atrium in one of the wings of the casino to watch the Tree of Prosperity Show.  The atrium has an opulent and beautiful golden dome ceiling decorated with the 12 animals depicting Chinese and Western astrological symbols of the Zodiac.

The Ceiling Opens

The show begins when its 20 m. wide ceiling opens to reveal a screen of abstract designs. A giant chandelier then slowly descends. At the same time, a copper dome on the ground floor opens and a tall golden tree ascends and then rotates with the music.

An Abstract Display of Lights

The iconic golden Tree of Prosperity, a symbol of auspiciousness, has over 2,000 branches and 98,000 leaves composed of 24-karat gold leaf and brass leaf. As the tree rotates, there’s a play of lights that changes the tree’s vibrant color according to the four seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall).

A Chandelier Drops From the Ceiling ......

Later, after 30 minutes, we witnessed the Dragon Show on the same atrium platform. However, instead of a tree, a giant dragon structure emerged from the dome on the ground. We, as well as the other guests, can’t help but be thrilled and excited as we marveled at the creativity and showmanship of this truly beautiful and impressive technical shows. Truly a choreographic masterpiece of shimmering, sculptural patterns, music, video and light.

..... And the Tree of Prosperity Emerges From the Ground

Wynn Macau: Rua Cidade de Sintra, NAPE, Macau. Tel: (853) 2888 9966.  Fax: (853) 2832 9966. Email: inquiries@wynnmacau.com. Website: www.wynnmacau.com.

The Venetian Resort Macau (Macau)

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The 40-storey, US$2.4 billion Venetian Resort Macau at the Cotai Strip, our home during our 4-day visit, was officially opened on August 28, 2007.  The Venetian’s casino space is the largest in the world at 550,000 sq. ft. (51,000 sq. m.) with over with 3,400 slot machines and 800 gambling tables.  Also the largest single structure hotel building in Asia and the 4th largest building in the world (by area), it also has 3,000 suites (Level 7-38) served by 250 guest lifts, 111,000 sq. m. of convention space, 149,000 sq. m. of retail (330 shops), and a 15,000-seat entertainment/sports arena.

The Venetian Resort Macau

Its foremost attractions are Cirque du Soleil’s Zaia, an aerial ballet that takes place above the audience’s heads, and the gondola rides where visitors are rowed, by a gondolier serenading you in Italian, through the romantic indoor Grand Canal, the next best thing to Venice.

The Venetian Resort Macau – Interior

We tried dining at the 1,000-seat Festivita Foodcourt, located on the 3rd level of The Grand Canal Shoppes.  It offers 21 big brand names in fast, mid-priced food offering almost every international cuisine (Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican and American). When we looked up, we found ourselves under the perfect blue sky although we were actually indoors. The ceiling was done in a way so as to create an impression of a clear blue sky (even at night) which is Pantone 14-4318 (Sky Blue). Some say it was done to lull shoppers into thinking that it’s not yet time to go and that there’s still more time to shop.

Festivita Foodcourt

Venetian Resort Macau: Estrada Da Baia De N., Senhora Da Esperança, s/n, Taipa, Macao. Tel: (0)2882 8888.  Website: www.venetianmacao.com.

Carlito’s Inn (Baler, Aurora)

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Travelling back to Baler town proper, we now resumed our search for a suitable hotel or inn where we can stay in relative comfort.  Our first night in Aurora was spent camping along Sabang Beach, Baler’s hotels, resorts and inns being full during this Holy Week break.  Luck smiled on us as, asking around at the seemingly new, 3-storey Carlito’s Inn, we found that a recently-vacated airconditioned family room, at the ground floor, was available for our use (PhP1,000).  We took it.

Carlito’s Inn

The room, with two double beds, could accommodate all five of us.  It had a wall-mounted cable TV and  electric fan and that all-important bathroom.  The hotel also has airconditioned, 2-3-pax standard rooms (with 1 double or 1 single bed, PhP700), with the same amenities, and dorm rooms (PhP1,800) good for 10 persons.   

Our family room

The hotel also has its own in-house restaurant (open 6 AM to 12 midnight) where we can order food or a bottle of beer (they also have room delivery service via intercom).  The inn is located at the eastern edge of the town, about 2 kms. from Sabang Beach. A no frill but comfortable and affordable inn with ample parking space. 

Carlito’s Inn: P.T. Ong St., Brgy. Suklayin, Baler, Aurora. Mobile number: (0908) 872-0816 (Ms. Aida Viron).  

Simon Viewpoint Inn and Restaurant (Banaue, Ifugao)

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We reached our destination and home for the night, Simon Viewpoint Inn and Restaurant, by 3 PM. At its concrete, railing-less view deck was the breathtaking amphitheater vista of the Batad Rice Terraces.  Our AACC photographer friends soon set up their tripods and their cameras started clicking away.

Simon Viewpoint Inn and Restaurant

The inn also had a pair of seemingly authentic rectangular and nailless one-room bale huts at the back which I enjoyed exploring. Used for cooking and sleeping, the huts are built on four sturdy amugawan tree trunk posts, 2-3 m. from the ground, to keep the vermin out.  My access to the hut was through a steep, removable bamboo or wooden ladder.  The hut also has outward slanting waist or chest-high walls, two doors, a wooden plank floor and no windows.  The steep, pyramidal, reed and grass-thatched roof conceals the walls.

A pair of Ifugao huts at the back of the inn

After a late lunch and a short power nap to recharge, I joined the others as they left to explore the Batad Rice Terraces up to the Central Viewpoint.  However, to get there, I had to conquer my acrophobia (fear of heights) as I had to traverse a lot of very narrow and high pilapil (terrace walls) along the terrace’s edges to get there.  Once back in Simon’s Inn, we again rested our tired bodies, some having their aching muscles and joints massaged by a local masseuse.  That night, it was all camaraderie, good food (pizza, pita bread, highland rice, veggies, fries, etc.), wine (native rice wine called tappuy) and song (provided by the guitar-playing and crooning Jules).  Lights out at the inn was 10 PM and gladly so as we were all dead tired.  Sleep came easy to the weary.

Food at Simon’s Inn

Livin’ La Vida at Hotel Vida Clark (Pampanga)

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The day after our 23rd wedding anniversary, Grace and I decided to further celebrate, this time with our kids and my in-laws, at Clark in Pampanga.  We arrived there after lunch and checked in at Hotel Vida.  This would be my second stay (the first was during the November 2007 Flavors of Spain) and the first for the rest.  We booked ourselves in 2 interconnected junior suites; Grace, the kids and I in one suite and my in-laws at the other.

The junior suite

Our junior suites were each equipped with state-of the-art amenities such as electronic entry lock; IDD/NDD phone; in-room safety box; a king size bed; a spacious living room area with trundle bed, a kitchen and bar with 6 cu. ft. refrigerator, coffee-making facility and a microwave oven; a balcony, toilet & bath with bathtub and 8” ceiling-mounted shower head; and a 32” LCD cable TV.

Salt Coffee Shop
Rooms here either offer a view of the adjacent golf course, the beautiful, free-form swimming pool and, much better, a verdant and well-manicured landscape crowned with palms and a plethora of majestic, century-old acacia trees. Water elements, in the form of artistically-designed fountains, compliment the existing landscape and soften, together with indoor plants, the hardness of stone and concrete within the lobby and coffee shop. 

Swimming pool area

The hotel was planned and laid out in such a way that natural ventilation, access to visually-stunning and picture-perfect views and use of space is optimized, thus providing a light and airy environment that exudes total relaxation and comfort, qualities which every guest will always look forward to.

Posing at the hotel lobby

The lobby is naturally lit by a skylight and huge fixed glass windows.  Similar windows provide an open and light feeling to the 110-pax restaurant and the 45-pax, open-air veranda pool view area, with its expansive views of the hotel pool and the lush, green surroundings.

Hotel Vida facade

The hotel’s modern but Southeast Asian-inspired façade, conveying both comfort and luxury, is a contrast of structure and nature.  Contrast is achieved through the combination of smooth walls against rough wood slate cladding. Aside from its abundant water features and lush vegetation, the unique, modern tropical theme is further emphasized by the exterior’s use of earth tone colors such as beige, brown and gray. Indigenous materials are used to enhance the tropical theme, through modern and innovative means. The interiors also mirror the same tropical and Asian influences of the façade, with its contrast of wall texture (smooth walls complimented by the roughness and hardness of natural stone).  

Hotel Vida Clark: 5414 M.A. Roxas Highway, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023.  Tel: (045) 499-1000.  Fax: (045) 499-0979.  Manila Office: UG-9 Cityland Herrera Tower, 98 V.A. Rufino corner Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City. Tel: (632) 840-1430.  Fax: (632) 840-3589.  Website: www.hotelvidaclark.com.

Taal Vista Hotel (Tagaytay City, Cavite)

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Taal Vista Hotel

A lot of my childhood memories included family visits to Tagaytay  City where we enjoyed the cool and crisp (average temperature is 22.7 degrees Celsius) mountain air and a picture-pretty view of Taal Volcano from its original grand viewdeck: Taal Vista Hotel. I wanted to sample what the hotel had to offer, so I brought along my wife Grace, kids, Jandy and Cheska, plus in-laws, and stayed two nights in 2 (out of 88) interconnected superior rooms. On arrival, we were welcomed by the soft-spoken, Mr. Ikuo Itoi, and Ms Zeny Alcantara.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Taal Vista Hotel“

De luxe room

The hotel has its beginnings way back in 1935 when the Zamoras of Manila Hotel bought six hectares of flatland perched atop an incline along Ilong Kastila (people say it resembles a nose or ilong) from American Hammon H. Buck, the Superintendent of Schools in Batangas. Two years later, hotel was built. Its architect was probably Andres Luna de San Pedro who, just a few years earlier, renovated another landmark, the Manila Hotel, to accommodate a suite for Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

Its contractor was probably the well-known Pedro Soichi who built the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila. Both were favored by Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon who was then, as I still am now, equally fascinated with Tagaytay. Upon completion, Quezon frequently held cabinet meetings in the lodge’s premises and, on 21 June 1938, he converted Tagaytay into a chartered city by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 338.

During World War II, the lodge was converted into quarters for Japanese officers. Between 1956 and 1964, Tagaytay began to be promoted as a major tourist attraction of the Philippines and Taal Vista Lodge was one of its leading attractions. n fact, the hotel was the public viewing ground to the September 28, 1965 (8 PM) major eruption of the volcano as well as mild to moderate eruptions from 1966 to 1970 (lasting from three to 65 days), and mild eruptions in 1976 (September 3 to October 23), 1977 (October 3 to 4 and  November 9 to 12) and 1991. In 1973, Taal Vista Lodge, now a three-star hotel, boasted a large pavilion for dinner and dancing, a bowling alley, a golf course, a billiards hall and a horseback riding area beside the lodge.

One its many regular visitors was a young man who often chose one spot in the grounds from which he gazed out and dream. That dreamer was Henry Sy whose SM Investments Corp. would later acquire the hotel. In 2002, he had the hotel rebuilt in the style of the original lodge and added 2 new extensions on the east side of the complex to provide 128 rooms, conference facilities and amenities. In 2004, this reinvigorated and now first-class hotel welcomed back guests and visitors. Today, it remains a landmark deeply entrenched in the history and heritage of Tagaytay City.

Taal Vista Hotel Historical Mural

The original building now houses the hotel’s front desk, business center, shops, ball room and meeting rooms. At the hotel foyer is the 26-ft x 8-ft. Taal Vista Hotel Historical Mural, a joint project of Paolo Alcazaren and Felix Mago Miguel.

Seasons

However, the building’s focal point are its three food and beverage outlets: Cafe-on-the-Ridge, Season’s, and the Lobby Lounge. Both take you far beyond the plate,whether al fresco or from within, as their panoramic floor-to-ceiling glass windows allows diners to watch, aside from Taal Volcano and Lake, the fog rolling in, the captivating sunset and, at nighttime, the stars or the pinpoint lights of fishing boats and the lakeshore towns. cafe-in-the-ridge, offering a la carte & buffet service, recreates the cuisine and ambiance of two continents, featuring a menu that distinctly highlights the simple elegance of Europe, the carefree disposition of Spain and the Asian mystique was offered with live entertainment at night. Season’s, where you can dine of the finest gourmet creations made from the freshest of the season,  is a classy fusion of setting and landscape, is a perfect place for intimate dinners and cozy get-togethers.

The Lobby Lounge, with its natural motifs, was an ideal rendezvous for a lazy after dinner conversation, evening interludes and winding down moments. Its well-stocked bar offers light meals, coffee or cocktails. Here, warmed by the fireplace, we all sampled hot chocolate while listening to a piano.Try sampling  the Chocolate Eruption, a sinfully delicious dessert concoction prepared and baked, minutes before serving, by Canadian executive chef Bill McGrath.

Swimming pool

The tropical style Ylang-Ylang Spa, ran by French doctor, Charles Sutter and his Filipina wife Pristine in Davao, applies all-natural techniques and ingredients rooted on the principle of  “touch therapy” which has been proven to stimulate the release of endorphins which is supposed to make you happy.

The hotel is in the midst of a Php 650 million (US$16 million) expansion which will add 133 more rooms, 6 function rooms, and a 1,000-seater grand ballroom. By the end of the year, the hotel will have a total of  261 guestrooms, 2 grand ballrooms and 16 function rooms.

Taal Vista Hotel: Tagaytay City, Cavite.  Tel: (046) 886-4325 and (046) 413-1000.  Fax: (046) 413-1225.