6.19.2015

Fun Friday: Father's Day Staycation at Ascott Makati, Day 1

Third Friday of the month: Celebration / Recreation / Leisure

It's Father's Day weekend so before anything else, I'd like to greet all you dads out there a very HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! This greeting goes out to my own papa, to my brother, and to my dear husband J as well just for being great dads! Let's celebrate! =)


My family already had an advanced celebration for J. Ayan siya (spot him above), at the Ascott lobby with the kids while I checked-in for us. That's the only photo of him in this entire post, hehehehe! We're so happy to be able to treat daddy and indulge in a family staycation last weekend in a deluxe 2-bedroom unit courtesy of our friends from Ascott Makati. =)


Whenever possible, we book for a hotel stay when there's an occasion or if there's a long weekend. This way, we'd all be very relaxed, can stay in bed all day if we wanted to, and just forget about work and studies for a day or two.

Actually, ang pinaka-masaya naman lagi sa staycations are the kids. Look at this girl, nauna pang nag-invade ng master's bedroom before us! Natuwa sa pillow art -- peacocks daw kasi.


We were billeted at Ascott Makati in Glorietta last June 12 to 13, Independence Day long weekend. We chose the long weekend instead of this Father's Day so we still have a whole Sunday free to visit the grannies.

Our check-in was quick and easy and we were immediately ushered to our 2-Bedroom Deluxe Unit on the 15th floor. This is our first time to stay at an exclusive serviced residence.


I'm assuming you all know what to expect already when it comes to hotel accommodations. What I'll share with you is what made our stay at Ascott Makati different and why you should consider having your own family staycation at Ascott as an alternative to hotels.

I have to applaud Ascott for preparing this welcome platter filled with fresh mangoes and local mango products. Since Ascott caters mostly to foreigners, what better way than to welcome with the best mangoes in the world and delight guests with these local mango delicacies. We all love mangoes!


2-Bedroom Deluxe Unit - 113 sqm. apartment:
  • Daily housekeeping service
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning 
  • WiFi access
BEDROOMS - This is what we loved the most, having our own bed and no need to share a room with the kids, especially for me, since I'm the one who usually sleeps with them on a king bed whenever we stay at hotels.
  • Master's Bedroom: 1 king-size bed with clean and simple beddings
  • Alarm clock radio with iPod dock
  • Writing desk with lamp
  • LCD television with cable channels; DVD player -- a wider screen would have been nicer =)


    • 2 toilet and bath 
      • I can't compare with most hotel suites which has bigger space and separate shower and tub, 'coz having 2 T&B is better than 1 big one, right? =)
    • Bathtub with a hand shower (above) in master's BR
    • Shower stall (no tub) for the second BR
    • Storage and closet - master's walk-in closet has electronic safe and drawers; the girl made theirs a playroom, LOL! 


    • Second Bedroom: 1 queen-size bed 
    • Extra bed can be requested for a 5th guest 
      • We don't have a nanny so the kids had the room all for themselves. The girl didn't mind staying on the extra bed since "a-hia (big brother) is bigger so he can stay on the big bed, but don't touch my elephant (towel art)".
    • Writing desk
    • Television - time to change to flat-screen TV
    • Towels, complete sets of toiletries, and L'Occitane bath products - sosyal!
    • Weighing Scale; hair dryer; robes and quality bedroom slippers -- the kids loved the slippers so much they took all pairs home! =)


    LIVING AND DINING - When the kids entered the unit, they instantly felt at home because they saw a dining table and spacious living area with TV.
    • 3-seater sofa, coffee table and armchairs
      • The interiors need to be updated, and it's good to know they have plans of renovating very soon so that's something to watch out for.
    • Cordless Phone
    • Home theater system; LCD television with cable channels; DVD player
    • Dining table and chairs

    • Separate utility room/closet with iron and ironing board 
    • Washing machine and dryer with shelves


    KITCHEN - A fully-equipped kitchen with counter makes everything so convenient, especially for guests staying more than a day. We only stayed overnight but I definitely appreciated having a big ref, double sink, and all the utensils and glassware available for us.
    • With breakfast counter
    • Refrigerator and freezer - with complimentary bottles of water
    • Cooker hob and hood
    • Glassware, crockery, cutlery and utensils
    • Microwave oven, coffee maker, rice cooker, electric kettle, bread toaster, and more small kitchen appliances
    • Pots and pans


    OTHER RESIDENCE FACILITIES

    • All-day dining at Cafe On The 6th
    • Business centre services and meeting rooms
    • Carpark
    • Outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi
      • Kids need to have swimming time whenever there's a pool. There was a wading pool but no kiddie pool at Ascott. My kids didn't mind coz they already know how to swim in the big pool. On day 1, only the girl dived in and it rained that afternoon.



    • Kids' outdoor play area
    • Cubbie's Garden was created for resident kids as an outdoor activity and venue for special activities


    • Tennis court
    • Game room - children and adults can read, play billiards, darts, Boggle or chess to pass the time
    • Babysitting service
    • Laundry & dry cleaning services
    • Fitness Center and Paradasia Spa
    • Aerobics Room
    • Broadband internet access at the main lobby on the 6th floor 
    • Easy access to Glorietta 4, just a few steps from the ground floor entrance
      • Our room overlooks the park and Glorietta 5



    While the girl and I were at the pool area, our boys went for a quick walk in Glorietta, bought a few stuff and some doughnuts. We all met up in our room for snacks and just watched TV before we went down for dinner at Cafe On The 6th. It's the only dining outlet at Ascott but it's okay since Glorietta has endless food choices for guests.

    We ordered our own meals but ako naman, I share with whatever the kids order since I usually eat their leftovers. There were fresh fruit shakes and iced tea, and my girl and I shared their soup of the day, which is Cream of Vegetables. It's a bit salty but we both still loved the rich flavor while we dunk in their soft buns. Yummm.


    J and I split a light caesar salad. The girl just ate a few shrimps from her pesto since she had a lot of the soup and buns na. I eventually ate half her pasta on top of my own order.


    The boy got the angus beef burger with fries and J had their Beef Tapa, which he said was really tasty and tender. My order was this Kung Pao Chicken with rice, but it did not taste like kung pao for me.


    Aside from the tapa, the runaway winner was this White Chocolate Berry Brulee. It's velvety smooth and creamy, filled with strawberries and blueberries. My girl and I shared this luscious dessert. We were also given a complimentary bottle of rosé, which they offered to send to our room together with our leftovers since we were already full to have a drink with our meal.  Service was excellent.


    When we got back to our unit, we were surprised with these plates of cookies and two tumblers of milk for the kids. What a sweet and thoughtful gesture from Ascott. A glass of white zinfandel was a perfect way to end our first day at Ascott Makati.
    To be continued.

    Update: 



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