The Foodinista

"With 144 elegantly designed guestrooms, complete with world class amenities, well planned lay-out and an array of delightful features. All rooms are fully equipped with modern amenities and facilities." - One Pacific Place Serviced Residences

My first ever staycation in my entire life is with One Pacific Place so it's a very unforgettable experience for me. I found them through Agoda when I was browsing affordable hotels in Makati and I stumbled across their page. Good thing I checked their website and found out that booking straight through their website was cheaper.

I booked the One Bedroom Premiere Suite priced at P3,600 for an overnight stay. They have 5 types of rooms in One Pacific but I wanted a spacious room so I can freely sit wherever I want and cook unli meals any time so this deal was perfect for me.

Booking and checking-in was super easy. Upon entering the room, the receiving area was the first thing that can be seen. The receiving area has the following: 32 inches LCD TV with DVD Player, 2 Seater Sofa with Ottoman, Side Table with Telephone, Air-Conditioner

It's really spacious. I can't believe this humongous space is only for P3,600 at night which is usually priced at P5,000 up on high-end hotels - DEAL BREAKER. And would you believe that the rate is already inclusive of breakfast? Just wow!

This area has a separate air-conition too, a separate TV and sofa. I love the sofa on the receiving area, it's just too cozy and I even took the comforter out of the room, stayed here all night and watched Netflix Series with my love. <3

The Dining & Kitchen area comes with a dining table for 2, Plates, Glasswares, Placemats, Cutleries, Cooking utensils and Tools, Pot & Pans, Rice Cooker, Microwave Oven, Electric Stove and a Refrigerator

We were also given complimentary bottled water and tea. 

The Bedroom on the other hand comes with a one Queen Sized Bed, Air-Conditioner, LCD Television, IPOD Dock with Alarm Clock

I am very particular when it comes to bed sheets and blankets. I specifically wanted the blankets to be be thick cause what I really love about staycations is laying all day in bed, being cozy, eating my favorite chips and watching all my favorite series. Good thing their blankets were made of thick quality cloth - duvet which is great enough to motivate me to lay in bed all day! (Haha!)

The Bathroom comes with a Rain Shower Head and Telephone Shower, Granite Sink, Hair Dryer, Complete Bathroom Amenities and a Bath Tub

It has two doors where you can enter from - the bedroom and the kitchen. I didn't like the look of the tile of the bathroom cause it looked cheaped but regardless of that I won't complain cause it has a bath tub. Not all One Bedroom Premiere has bath tubs so better request for it if you really want one! 

The shower has a heater but the water temperature is quite hard to control. The Toilet area doesn't have a bidet as well. 

Good thing they have a hairdryer cause I really needed one! I have a very long hair and I love soaking on the tub so drying ze hair became easier <3 Hay sarap magbabad sa tub. Wish I brought scented candles with me to add a relaxing vibe during my bath.

We spent our breakfast buffet at The Strand Cafe & Restaurant which is located on the ground floor of the hotel. The breakfast is already included on our package. They serve a mixture of Filipino & international cuisine. It is open from 6 am to 10pm daily. 

There's nothing really special about their breakfast. Some of the food I remember they serve were plain and garlic rice, tocino, ham, hotdogs, eggs, omelettes, fruits, and the usuals. I find it a hassle to cook breakfast pa cause all I kept thinking about was to stay in bed so it's a pretty good deal that the package we availed already comes with one. Hassle-free!

I've always had a thing for sightseeing on hotel room windows, good thing we were situated on a higher floor which made it enjoyable for me just looking at the beautiful Makati Skyline From Sunrise to Sunet.

Other Features of the Room includes a Wireless Internet Connection, 2 Bedroom Slippers, Windows and a Balcony

Other Amenities of the Hotel:

* Function Rooms

* Fitness Gym

* Swimming Pool

+ PROS

* There are a lot of nearby malls to visit such as A.Venue Mall, Cash & Carry, Century Mall, Glorietta, Greenbelt Mall, Landmark, Makati Cinema Square, SM Makati, Rockwell

* Some activities that can be done nearby: Alliance Francaise de Manille Art Gallery, Art Gallery Phils, Ayala Museum, Manila Contemporary Gallery, Museo ng Makati, Tin-Aw Art Gallery

* They offer promos regularly on their website 

Check this out: https://www.onepacificplaceresidences.com/promo/

* A lot of restaurants nearby 

* Good Customer Service

* Value for Money

* Room with a tub for an affordable rate!

X CONS

* A lot of close shops during Sundays

* Malls are not walkable but commutable :)

* Nothing to do much inside the hotel

Overall rating: 4.5/5

St. Giles Makati is one of the most pocket-friendly hotels located in the business district of Makati City. It is situated on a very strategic point - the A. Venue Mall, Century City Mall and the Burgos Area which is a famous location for night outs, parties and hole-in-the-wall restaurants. It is also a few minutes away from famous shopping malls such as Greenbelt, Glorietta and Rockwell so if you are restless like me and you feel uneasy not making the most out of your night then looking for something to do won't be a problem at all!

I saw a great staycation deal last December in Agoda but booking with them directly through their site is much cheaper cause they offer promos and discounts often and even has early booking promotionals.

I got an overnight rate for P3,300 which doesn't come with a breakfast but the room comes with a bath tub so it's a plus points for me. I also upgraded my check out time and moved it to 6pm with an additional charge of P350 per pax.

The rate is already inclusive of tax and other charges.

The place is pretty decent. The lobby is neat, the receptionist and staff were all friendly. They were also very accommodating even through e-mails and reservation confirmation. 

Calamba Laguna or Pansol Laguna known to many is one of the most sought after place for quick getaways and overnights during holidays or during the summer season. There are numerous Private Resorts here which are affordable and family-friendly, it's also just an hour drive away from Manila. I've been going here back and forth when I was young cause most of my relatives prefer spending staycations than adventures when travelling so we often end up staying in Pansol. I have discovered this new private resort in Laguna - Villa Sofia Private Resort which is pretty decent place to relax and unwind during weekends or just when you want to chillax.

We rented the place during a non-peak season for around P20,000 for a night - 22 hrs. It can accommodate 30 pax so it's also a good venue for small parties and events. 

It has two pools which is filled with hot spring water. One is the big pool for adults and the other one is a mini pool with Jacuzzi. They also have lounge pool chairs where you can relax and have a drink - I love staying here during the night time and just look up to the stars while doing my muni-muni sesh. Haha! 

By the way, the pool now has a basketball ring so you can actually play basketball while swimming. The photo I have attached is not updated, sorry about that! They also have 2 parking spaces within the area. 

They have a Karaoke Machine on the Receiving Area/ Sala where you can sing-along all night and chitchat with your friends!

The place is really spacious which I liked and made it presko during the evening.

They also have a billiard table with complete set of billiard balls and sticks - good thing they added this one which made everything less boring during the night.

This is the dirty kitchen where we cooked our prepped meats and barbecues. They also have a refrigerator where you can store your food, alcoholic drinks and so forth. Bring Utensils or Disposable Utensils, Cups and Plates to lessen the hassle of washing dishes. You can cook and bring your own ingredients but for us we just ordered delivery meals during lunch and dinner cause we want to avoid the stress in cooking and thinking of what ingredients to buy. None of us also cooks well so we knew we just had to order outside!

There are convenience stores outside which is around 15 min. walk from the resort. 

For the rooms on the other hand, Villa Sofia has 3 rooms with different types of bed per room.  

Two Rooms had a Queen/Kind size bed with pullouts under the bed and extra mattress.

I just want to commend how clean the rooms are. I have been here twice and the place is neat as my first visit. 

Some rooms have double deckers which is really friendly for barkada trips especially if there are a lot of you who will stay.

I really love the air-conditioning of their rooms. :) Super lamig sa gabi, it's just so cozy at night.

Lastly, the pool. I really love the warm temperature of the pool cause I can swim at night without having to worry about freezing to death. It's just so calming plus they light the pool at night which gives it a different vibe! Will definitely go back here if I get the chance again!

My best friend and I were dying to get a good massage a few weeks ago so we went to Banawe to get a massage. She lives around the vicinity so she had few spas in mind that she recommended for us to try. I have been having a tough time lately at work because it's peak season for weddings here in the Philippines and I've been stressing about life lately so I just thought I really needed to get a good massage.

Bali Palace located at Banawe, Amoranto is one of my bffs go to massage place so we went there to get a dry massage for P250 per person. I never had a dry massage before and never experienced a Balinese massage so I was kind of excited since it was my first time.

The place is quite big and cozy because of the lighting and the ambient music. It's a mid-range spa so I didn't really expect much of it. 

Good thing there were few customers when we went there so when we arrive it's our turn right away! 

First thing the therapist did was to cleanse our feet with antibacterial soap and warm water.

We requested to stay in the couple's room so we could chitchat while having a massage. 

The room had two bed cushions on the floor. They also gave us clothes for cover-ups. The light is adjustable, talk about mood lighting love it! The air-conditioning is good we didn't freeze to death. 

I like the texture and design of our robes it adds a Balinese feel which made it very ethnical. 

After waiting for 10 minutes or so we finally had our massage.

VERDICT: I may never come back here again.

I find dry massage less relaxing than the usual oil massage. It was a little painful cause there were arm and leg pulling which I didn't like. Para ako kinakarate! Haha! I went back the 2nd time a few months after and I had bruises on my back. Even if I keep telling the therapist to soften the pressure it stayed the same.

What I only loved on this massage is the head massage. The therapist really did a good job in focusing on my pressure points which made it so relaxing that I almost fell asleep.

The massage lasted for exactly 60 minutes.

After the massage they gave us a complimentary hot tea with a cute tip bag. 

OVERALL RATING: 3/5

I guess this rating is fair enough considering the ambiance and price range. But if you rarely do massages this won't make you feel relaxed afterwards so I suggest you try looking for other places in Banawe.