Month: May 2016

Azalea Baguio: Your Home in the City of Pines

When you think of summer in the Philippines, you would immediately imagine white sand beaches and crystal blue seas. But did you know that the place that racks up the most local vacationers every year—even beating El Nido and Boracay—is actually high up the mountains and boasts of a year-round cool and breezy climate, making it the perfect escape from Manila’s scorching heat? It is no other than the City of Pines itself, Baguio City! And we’re so elated that we were able to cap off our summer in this lovely city, all thanks to Azalea Baguio!

Azalea Baguio Hotel Facade

One wonderful Tuesday in May, top fashion, food, and lifestyle bloggers were all hurled into three different vans for a long, butt-numbing 5-hour drive! Our destination? Azalea Hotels and Residences Baguio! Our mission? To visit the Summer Capital of the Philippines and enjoy one last summer getaway before we officially welcome the rainy season!

 

Azalea Hotels & Residences Baguio

Azalea Baguio is the first and only 4-star serviced apartment hotel in Baguio City. They have luxury suites that each come complete with their own kitchen, living, and bedroom areas. What I love most about Azalea Baguio is its proximity to the city’s top tourist attractions BUT, because it is far from the busyness of the city and not located directly along a major road, it is the best place you can book if you’re searching for some peace and quiet.

Azalea Baguio Hotel

The front desk welcomes you as you enter the main door into the hotel lobby. Behind it are their incredibly friendly staff who would be more than happy to assist you with your inquiries and requests.

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Club Paradise Resort – A Piece of Paradise in Coron, Palawan

It started a couple of years ago when Ken and I made a pact that on our birthdays, we have to celebrate by traveling some place we’ve never been. Our 2014 birthday celebration was not as spectacular as we wanted so we vowed to make up for it in 2015. And, boy, that we did… in an island paradise in Coron, Palawan – Club Paradise Resort. 🙂

Club Paradise Resort - our view

Club Paradise is under The Discovery Leisure Co. (TDLCI) We planned a 4D3N vacation in Coron, but due to unforeseen circumstances – my flight with nanay got cancelled, so we had to fly out early on our supposedly Day 2 – it was cut short by a day. Ken’s flight had no issues so he was there already. Thankfully, our stay in Coron and in Club Paradise made us forget all that happened on Day 1. They gladly made adjustments to our accommodation, and we had an absolutely amazing time. Nanay was particularly amused by the VIP treatment we got from the moment they picked us up until the time they dropped us off the airport to fly back to Manila.

We were picked up from the hotel where Ken stayed on his first day and we were taken to Club Paradise’s own private port where a speed boat is waiting to take us to Dimakya Island. The speed boat ride was exciting, and we had the whole boat to ourselves. They offered us some snacks – bottled water and a sandwich. It’s a 30-minute boat ride, I think. I can’t remember ’cause we were busy taking photos and enjoying the windy ride. 😀

Nanay on-board Club Paradise private speed boat Continue reading Club Paradise Resort – A Piece of Paradise in Coron, Palawan

Feast on Friday Dinner Buffet at Richmonde Hotel Ortigas

Thank God it’s Friday! This expression was coined because Fridays signal the start of the weekend—the time when we can finally take our well-deserved rest from a stressful week at work. What do we do to welcome the weekend? We hang out with our friends and co-workers either going to bars or having dinner at a restaurant. Well, you can hit two birds with one stone at Richmonde Hotel in Ortigas, where you can stuff yourselves full during their Feast on Friday Dinner Buffet at Richmonde Café and then enjoy a few drinks at The Exchange afterwards.

Facade of Richmonde Hotel Ortigas Pasig City

 

Feast on Friday Dinner Buffet at Richmonde Café 

Spend your Friday evening at Richmonde Café for their Feast on Friday Dinner Buffet and indulge in a wide array of international dishes, action stations for a la minute cooking, and refreshing drinks available from 6PM to 9PM for only PHP 750 nett per person. On top of that, you also get a 50% discount on wine bottle orders!

Buffet Spread at Feast on Friday Dinner Buffet Richmonde Hotel Ortigas

Executive Chef, Jesse Factor, together with her team, has prepared a sumptuous buffet spread for their Friday dinner buffet. For starters, you can enjoy a bowl of their piping hot Shrimp Bisque soup or their Vietnamese Shrimp and Pomelo Salad, which a chef will assemble fresh and on-the-spot for you. They also have a platter with a variety of cheese, which I highly recommend that you pair with some wine. A good choice is their Moscato, since it can go with anything from savory items to desserts.

Continue reading Feast on Friday Dinner Buffet at Richmonde Hotel Ortigas