Marco Polo Ortigas, situated along Sapphire Street and Meralco Avenue, is proving the “terrible two” theory right, but in a very good way. It may be a business hotel but this leisure traveler spent four days in the first sky hotel in the Philippines and was pampered—terribly (again, in the positive way).

It was one of the most well spent “me time” I had.

How can anyone not bask every minute of this 5-star hotel’s silken loving? It was a staycation and I had everything I needed within the tower. I found no reason to step out the front door.


Warm welcome and beaming smiles. These marked the start of a pleasant stay. From the concierge desk to the elevator, from the check-in counter all the way to the room where I passed the housekeepers, the pleasantries from each of the hotel staff was extended with a genuine smile.

Sunset sweet. My room was expansive at 50-sqm. An aerie 33 floors high where none of the area’s bustle can be heard, and tinted with a fiery red-orange hue of the sunset at day’s end.

Comfort, style, space. With the big rooms in the this hotel, guests think they have been upgraded

“The lead-in rooms (standard rooms) of the 316-room hotel start at 40sqm. Marco Polo has one of the biggest guest rooms in the city that guests think that they have been upgraded,” shared Judith Los Baños, the hotel’s Director for Marketing & Communication.

“The modern hotel is the newest in Ortigas. The big rooms is just one of the features that make our hotel unique and special.”


Continental Clubbing. From the break of day to moonrise, the Continental Club on the 24th floor is a private nook I enjoyed having my cups of freshly brewed coffee with breakfast, choice tea with sconces, and a glass of fine wine with hors d'oeuvres.

Fresh brew & great view. Breakfast, afternoon tea, evening cocktails, sunrise & a commanding view of Pasig City & beyond all served daily at the exclusive Continental Club on the 44th floor

Sunrise bathes the room with its warm rays that brightens the rest of the metropolis and beyond, from the far mountains of the Sierra Madre to the bustling streets below. And at twilight, the same view lights up against the deepening color of the sky.

Vu’s with a view. What I kicked off at the Continental Club, I continued at Vu’s (pronounced as “views”), a first-of-its kind sky bar and lounge on the top 45th floor of the hotel tower. The al fresco section of the rooftop bar offered a commanding view of the East and West faces of the metropolis and beyond, serving as the perfect backdrops to the specialty cocktail, the Sapphire Road, and savoury Mediterranean tapas served before me.

Al fresco chilling with a view of the Wast of Ortigas.

The outdoor lounge offering a view of the West of Ortigas & beyond.

Or you might prefer to have your drink indoor.

Mind the giant LED screen behind the bar.

Get the wine pouring at Vu's.

A feast of Eastern delights. With so many good food listed on the menu of the specialty restaurant on the hotel’s 44th floor, I left it to the Lung Hin’s Executive Chef to deliver his specialties on the table.

Chic. The receiving area of Lung Hin

Lung HIn's modern oriental interior

Chef's recommendation- Shrimp Ball with Dried Scallop. An instant favorite.

What he served was nothing short of remarkable. It was a complete Cantonese meal from starter to dessert with each dish bursting with flavor with every bite. No wonder this restaurant is being lauded as one of the city’s best Chinese restaurants.

The kitchens of Cucina. In this all-day dining space, live show kitchens headed by a Spanish executive chef take center stage at lunch and dinner.

“The restaurant may not be as big as the other hotel’s, but here in Cucina we offer good food made from quality ingredients,” said the MarCom Director, and I believe her.

The offerings are well selected giving the diners a chance to taste a specialty from each station. The paella was good, but I say go for the Salted Caramel Ice Cream. It’s delicious!

Heat up or cool down at the Flow on 22F. Pump irons at the fitness center (fruits and citrus-infused water are on the house), loosen up at the steam room, cool down at the indoor infinity pool and end it with a relaxing massage at Asmara Spa. I just opted for the last.

From the menu of Asmara, the two-hours indulgence “For Him”, which consisted of a Philippine Barako Coffee Body Scrub, sports massage and ending with Algotherm soothing facial, was the perfect therapy as finale of my stay cation.

Retail therapy, just in case. I enjoyed my “solitary confinement” in the comforts of the hotel. But who am I to say you shouldn’t be heading out if you want to? After all retail therapy might just be part of your relaxation.

Within walking distance are SM Megamall, The Podium, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, and Robinson’s Galleria, while Greenhills Shopping Center, Tiendesitas and Eastwood City are short drives away.

A grand celebration. At a young age, this hotel won the Spirit of Marco Polo’s Best Guest Experience Award for 2015 and Travelers Choice 2016 Luxury and Best Service Awardee. Its sisters in Davao and Cebu couldn’t be any prouder.

With the Marco Polo hotels across the country achieving its individual milestones, the cluster is celebrating together with its first ever grand affair with Silken Voices, Silken Roads: An Opera Gala Dinner, at the Grand Ballroom of Marco Polo Ortigas Manila on April 18th, 2016.

The event focuses on Marco Polo’s 24-year journey along the Silk Road, which will be interpreted in music by Francisco Aseniero, Gerphil Flores and talents Philippine Opera Company; on cuisine by Luis Pesarrondona; and in fashion by Renee Salud.

Make your way to Sapphire Street and take the Silk Road journey.

I say, nothing could be more perfect than culminating my seven-day visit to Manila with a staycation at the Marco Polo Ortigas. The four days flew by too quickly.

For more information & booking, visit their website.

*****

Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com. For more lifestyle & travel stories, visit http://apples-and-lemons.blogspot.com and http://jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on April 15, 2016.

“The DaLa Spa is for the hotel guests only. We want to keep it exclusive for the residents of the Alaya Resort,” shared the hotel’s MarCom Executive, Noventy Ariani.

There is nothing conventional about DaLa Spa. It imbibes the look of a boudoir decorated with restraint. Shades of bleached wood and cream dominate the room and sprinkled with colors in muted tones. Detailed with rich textiles, vintage-inspired furnishings and sensory lighting, Moroccan-born interior decorator Zohra Boukhari showcases a touch of her culture into the spa’s interior.

The spa design is Moroccan inspired.

A peek into the foot massage & nail care section from the spa lobby.

Designed for comfort. The foot massage & nail care nook.

By setting a mood through the use of lighting and essential oils, DaLa Spa prepares clients for a personalized experience that evokes the senses. Offering an array of Age-old Indonesian ritual inspired spa packages, Dala Spa has something for the couples, spa connoisseurs, and even children.

Designed as an opulent wellness facility, personal indulgence takes on a whole new meaning. A choice of 6 treatments rooms (4 Double Treatment Rooms and 2 Single Treatment Rooms) is available, each one named after an exotic flower—Kamboja, Padma, Anggrek, Seruni, Aster and Matagari— and taking on a different color interior and ambience.

The treatment rooms are decorated with the flowers it is named after.

The Seruni Room, the venu of my 2-hour therapy

Shelves with the spa necessities- robe, slippers & personal valuables to keep in.

This spa aims to establish a strong brand that stands apart from other spa venues in Bali. Using only the purest natural ingredients, our therapists have been trained to deliver exceptionally high quality services with a sensitivity for clients’ needs that comes from the heart.

From the menu, a guest can choose from several signature treatments offered which not only pampers and rejuvenates, but provides its clients with unique cultural experience.

The "Potpourri Spa" treatment was recommended. This is based on the beauty traditions of the Indonesian and Malay cultures. It begins with a betel nut foot ritual followed with a Balinese Massage with a ritual sprinkling of fresh flower petals to generate positive energy. The cananga infused coconut body scrub will leave the body silky smooth. A lavish potpourri bath concludes the treatment.

Should I make it back to Alaya, the "Malabar Tea Ceremony" is another recommended therapy. This uses luxury products by THÉMAÉ Paris that rejuvenates the mind and uplifts the spirit with the healthy benefits of teas. The journey commences with an Indonesian Black Tea Foot Ritual followed by an Oriental Massage using a rich and creamy body balm blended with an elixir made from four different teas. An instant glow green tea facial revives tired skin while a signature malabar tea bath infused with fresh mint and lemongrass bath salt to restore energy levels.

DaLa in ancient Sanskrit means leaf. As a child of Mother Nature, the leaf is a symbol of the eternal cycle of life and man’s quest for vitality. A leaf is a source of nutrition, provides shelter and has extraordinary nurturing qualities.

I emerged from my two-hour therapy relaxed and nurtured. The visit to DaLa Spa was the perfect way to end a long adventure filled visit to Bali.

DaLa Spa is at Alaya Resort Kuta is at Jalan Kartika Plaza Gang Puspa Ayu No.99, Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. Visit their website at http://www.alayahotels.com

*****

Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com. For more photos about this story & other travel & lifestyle stories, visit http://jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com/ and http://apples-and-lemons.blogspot.com/

It is true what the hotel says, “From the moment a guest walks into a hotel, we believe they deserve an experience as unique as they are. They should feel a strong sense of place and style in the design, intimacy in the environment and human connection in the service. These things should stay with them - and this is what Alaya Resort Kuta is all about.”

Welcoming. The wide open space of the hotel lobby

Be refreshed the moment you enter Alaya.

Although Alaya Resort Kuta is a relatively small boutique resort, there are significant names associated with its completion. The meeting of great minds from concept to finished product gave birth to a stylish, well-designed hotel cleverly (and conveniently) hidden in a silent zone in the island’s busiest district. Alaya Resort may be Kuta’s best open secret.

Just like its sister resort in Ubud which opened in 2013, Alaya Resort Kuta was designed by Grounds Kent Architects (GKA), an award-winning company responsible for iconic resorts such as Four Seasons Jimbaran and St. Regis Bali. Carrying out its design concept by putting emphasis on creating culturally unique projects with a “sense of place“, the architectural group was successful in fashioning a fresh take on Bali’s local building culture. Different kinds of materials have been used both structurally and aesthetically, like utilizing repurposed antique wood as railings, resulting in a concept that is attuned to the surrounding environment.

Teak wood in its natural tone dominates color scheme of all the well planned and beautifully appointed rooms giving it a very homey feel. The complementing shades of blues and greys on the design appointments gave it a masculine touch. “Alaya brings back the boutique hotel concept in the area. We have the biggest rooms in floor area in the South Kuta Katika area,” said Noventy Ariani, the hotel’s Marketing Communications Executive.

Back in Kuta & this was yy nest for 3 nights, A Double Deluxe Room

Confortable & stylish. All rooms have a black & white mural depicting the best of Bali.

A very sexy T&B

All natural. Step out of the shower smelling good. The lotion (not shown) contains lavender & is mosquito repellant.

For the landscaping, Made Wijaya, Bali’s very own authority on tropical gardens, was tapped. His style is kept simple with random plantings of native Balinese flora to complement his artistic accents. Most notable is Wijaya’s statement piece that provides a sizable backdrop to the swimming pool. It is a striking interpretation of a traditional lamak, which is a long length of woven coconut leaves used to decorate Balinese shrines during ceremonial occasions.

Sukun Restaurant, Alaya’s casual dining space named after the towering tree (aka breadfruit tree) that grows in the lobby entrance, is Wijaya’s project as well. The look is “mood-enhancing” with its uplifting summer ambience—fun cut-outs in the wall, mosaic tiles in vibrant shades of blue, a sky-inspired ceiling and quirky light fixtures.

Rich textiles, vintage-inspired furnishings and sensory lighting is what Moroccan-born interior decorator Zohra Boukhari is known for and she brings her signature, internationally acclaimed look to DaLa’s Spa’s interior.

DaLa Spa’s six customized treatment rooms capture the stylish air of timeless boudoirs to complement the comprehensive menu of age-old Indonesian healing and beauty rituals. Meticulous attention to details is evident in both the interior design and the all-natural therapeutic indulgence.

Staying true to its “all-designer” concept, the resort commissioned Indonesian-born, Australian-educated fashion designer Peggy Hartanto to design the front liners’ uniform. Known for her clean, innovative technique of fabric cutting and construction, the designer worked on a “fashion meets hospitality” thesis and achieved a look that’s fresh yet totally practical for the workplace.

Joining the team is Pinto Sirait, an Indonesian contemporary artist born in Germany and educated in the United States. His modern masterpiece stands out in the hotel lobby— a large stainless steel car covered in bullet holes entitled “Democracy”.

His extensive travels as a liberal arts student brought him into direct contact with the two great accoutrements of life in American culture: cars and guns. These Western inventions have deeply permeated Asian life, producing a potent love-hate relationship. His unique brand of artistry is also evident at Sukun Restaurant.

“Alaya Resort Kuta essentially has been designed with sensitivity amidst the upbeat energy of Bali’s most colourful tourism district. It is the only culturally-related resort in the Kartika Plaza area that is attuned to the environment through the use of local materials and innovative design elements,” said Noventy.

Alaya Resort Kuta is at Jalan Kartika Plaza Gang Puspa Ayu No.99, Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. Visit their website at http://www.alayahotels.com

For great deals on this hotel, visit http://www.agoda.com/alaya-resort-kuta/hotel/bali-id.html

*****

Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com. For more photos about this story & other travel & lifestyle stories, visit http://jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com/ and http://apples-and-lemons.blogspot.com/


Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on November 26, 2015.