The most wonderful time of the year is over, and now we're starting another year. Time flies so fast and the next thing we know, we're counting the days 'til Christmas again!
The recent holiday season was festive, stressful, joyous, and tiring all the same time - at least for my family. One awesome thing that came out of the break was a welcome respite at Acacia Hotel Manila, where my family of four was treated to an overnight accommodation after Christmas.
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| Festive lobby with this edible life-sized gingerbread house, and a tall white Christmas tree |
"Acacia Hotel Manila is 20 minutes away from the airport and easily accessible through the Skyway and South Luzon Expressway. It's conveniently located in Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang surrounded by business centers, malls, churches, hospitals, and residential areas.
Its prime location makes it within easy reach to almost everything. Although a highly-urbanized area, guests will enjoy the laid back and serene environment that Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang has to offer." - www.acaciahotelsmanila.com
Allow me to share this photo essay and relive our brief yet wonderful stay at Acacia Hotel.
Warning: Photo-heavy feature (",)
We arrived at the hotel before 2 o'clock. Check-in was a breeze and we were warmly welcomed by the hotel's guest relations and staff. Minutes after, we were led to our Junior Suite on the 10th floor.
A nice personal touch to welcome us to the hotel, with a platter of fresh fruits.
I immediately took pictures and logged on to their free wi-fi.
The suite was bright and spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows - perfect for our family of four.
Although the Junior Suite was a bit smaller compared to other hotels we stayed in, it was a well-appointed room with warm hues, sleek modern furnishings, and equipped with modern amenities for a comfortable stay.
This king-sized bed beckoned, and these two quickly settled in and "owned" it.
They have the softest pillows in different sizes, and even have a pillow menu!
Aside from the free hotel-wide WIFI, other features we liked about the Junior Suite:
- A separate living area with mini-bar and refrigerator - complimentary bottled water, coffee and tea as well
- J and the kids were happy with the 40” LCD TV with cable mounted on the wall across the bed
- Centralized air-con with temperature control
- Electronic “Do Not Disturb” sign - this is activated by one of those buttons on that side table, so no doorbells, allowing complete privacy - very cool!
Every time we stay at a hotel, the kids always have to check if they have a pool and a bath tub (as if we didn't have one at home). Well, there's the tub. Yes, it's bigger than ours, and these two already set an appointment for a bubble bath. =)
There was also a digital weighing scale, and two more bottles of water by the lavatory.
The fully marbled bathroom has a separate toilet area sans a bidet, and an enclosed shower complete with imported Pure Herbs brand of toiletries.
We also requested for an extra bed and was quickly set up beside the big one. Guess who slept on the king?
After "breaking in" the suite, eating the fruits and crashing the sofa, we decided to go around the hotel.
It's very relaxed here, not too formal and stiff at all.
Vibrant prints and patterns, contemporary interiors and sky-high ceiling make for a very fresh and inviting atmosphere at Acacia.
Below, left, is The Lobby at Acacia where anyone can lounge around and dine with an all-day menu. On the second level, Acaci offers sumptuous buffet meals and Pan-Asian cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
From Acaci, the stairway led us back down to the main lobby where a real fresh pine tree stood proudly. Behind it was an impressive structure -- an authentic gingerbread house.
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| No one can resist taking a photo here |
Since it was the holiday season, it was so apt to have this gingerbread house - a perfect focal point as guests enter the hotel.
The edible gingerbread house was made with real gingerbread cookies tiled together with some kind of icing. It's actually a shop where they sold holiday goodies and gift baskets. My girl can't stop going inside, looking at and smelling the house!
The whole afternoon was not really planned except for taking a swim. Incidentally, there was a local TV station shooting that day at the poolside. Our welcome letter indicated the time when the pool will be open to guests. As expected, the shoot extended beyond the time specified. It was not the hotel's fault as production schedules tend to be unreliable. The hotel staff was apologetic and so we missed the opportunity for a mid-afternoon swim. We opted to relax and have snacks at the lobby.
While waiting for our orders, the girl became restless, so we went up again and viewed the lobby from Acaci.
"Look, there's daddy and a-hia (big brother)!" The girl called out as she saw them (both in blue) waiting at our table below. =)
The girl was plagued with eczema (skin asthma / irritation) that day and I guess the temporary unavailability of the pool was also a blessing in disguise. Her itchy skin discouraged her from having a dip since we told her it might get worse. Besides, it was windy that afternoon too.
Here's our quick peek at the pool area before heading back to the room. There's a kiddie pool on one end, and a jacuzzi on a more private elevated area beside the other end of the pool, not seen here. I wished they had a bigger pool though.
Before I tell you about what we ate, you should know that the kids were already too lazy to go anywhere and only looked forward to a warm bubble bath. So there goes our dinner plans. We ended up with room service. Since it was the peak hour of food service, we expected dinner to arrive late. We're still full from our snacks anyway, so we didn't mind the wait.
Meantime, I decided to go down to Acaci and torture myself by looking at the buffet. I even had the pleasure of meeting executive chef Raffy Hubilla.
You all know I'm a foodie at heart, that's why it pains me to see all these mouth-watering food that I missed...waahhh! Since I did not get to taste them, I'm sparing myself the agony of describing the photos below. Let's just enjoy the food shots, shall we.
While I was busy with the food porn downstairs, the kids took their sweet time bathing.
Shortly after their bath, dinner came with the table all set up. It's Four-Cheese Pizza for the kids, and Japanese Bento Box meals for us. I think I got that lucky shot above with the girl stuffing her mouth with food, heehee!
J ordered Gyuniko, and mine was Tori Kara-Age. Our bento came with sushi, Japanese rice, side dishes, and a flavorful cup of miso soup! The tender beef and mushroom dish was really good compared to my chicken meal. The veggies, salad, and fresh salmon and tuna sashimi were excellent.
Even though we missed the dinner buffet, we still had a very delicious and satisfying meal in the comforts of our room. I was too full for dessert. The 5 scoops of ice cream were shared by J and M. My boy was happy with his fresh mango shake. J and I also had green tea for a night cap.
The morning after.
I believe we all had a good night's sleep. Did I mention we loved the pillows?
Here's the view from our window. We can see the edge of the pool from here.
We woke up around 8 am hoping the girl's skin condition would be better so they can swim. The boy won't swim without the girl, and vice versa. Sweet. Sadly, no improvements. No swimming for both.
I'm happy the kids didn't make a fuss about not being able to swim. It's usually the highlight of all our hotel "outings". I guess they also felt relaxed and enjoyed the stress-free environment. We took our sweet time during breakfast as well.
I did not expect the taho from the buffet. We loved it. Pancakes for the kids while we had a mix of our usual Pinoy and Amercian fare.
A hearty breakfast on a beautiful sunny day - we're all pumped and ready to go to the nearby mall after check out. Before packing, I accompanied the kids for a last stroll around the poolside.
Acacia Hotel Manila gave us a 5-star service during our stay. We had a lovely and memorable time bonding as a family here at Acacia.
Acacia Hotel Manila
5400 East Asia Drive corner Commerce Avenue,
Filinvest Corporate City
Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Tel: (632) 720-2000 / 588-5888
Email: enquiry@acaciahotelsmanila.com
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