WORLD-class limited service hotel accommodations. Its time has come – especially for travelers who are always on the lookout for a clean, comfortable, safe and secure place to stay at an affordable, value-for-money price. No unnecessary frills or luxurious amenities that tend to make an overnight stay, for example, more expensive.
I found this when my husband Raff and I recently stayed at Microtel Mall of Asia (MOA) with our usual travel mates Lualhati Fausto, Fernan Nebres, Gillian Gacuma and Lester Hallig of Philippine Star and Maan Pamaran of Manila Bulletin. Our room, a Double Room with two Queen sized beds, was very spacious. It had all the essentials that I look for in a hotel room: a spacious floor area to move around in, comfortable beds with soft, snooze-inducing mattresses (the mattresses of Microtel MOA are even chiropractor approved!), a writing area where I could work with my laptop, good air-conditioning, LCD TV with cable channels like my favorite Asian Food Channel, and a good view of the surrounding area from the window.
There was no mini bar in the room, which isn’t really necessary since most guests, like Raff and me, do not really touch any of the stuff in the mini bar. But there was a personal refrigerator in the room which you can feel free to use for your own stuff. There was no bathtub in the toilet/bath, and it’s a good thing because I don’t really like having to step over and into a bathtub just to take a shower. But there was a cool “rainshower head” shower, which I love. The suites have a bathtub, though, so guests who must have a bathtub in their toilet/bath can book themselves in a suite and have their heart’s desire. There was no complimentary bottled water in the room, which is often limited to two bottles per room per day in most hotels, but you can have as much purified water as you want because there’s a huge glass pitcher on the table, complete with drinking glasses, and all you have to do is go out to the hotel corridor, where a 5-gallon water dispenser is stationed on every floor, and fill your pitcher with water. I find this idea so cool.
And when I looked out the window of our room, lo and behold, there stood the giant MOA Eye, or giant ferris wheel, and the Flume Ride by the bay of the MOA Complex, and the picturesque Manila Bay with its breathtaking sunset. Had we been there on a Saturday night (since it was within the six-weekend run of the World Pyro Olympics competitions in MOA when we were there), our room would have given us a full and unobstructed view of the beautiful and colorful fireworks cutting across the night sky.
But even after the Pyro Olympics is over (and it will be over by tomorrow, March 22, 2014, a Saturday, night), Friday nights would still treat Microtel MOA guests to a good display of fireworks, since Friday night fireworks are a permanent attraction at MOA.
JUST LIKE A LUXURIOUS HOTEL
But despite having pioneered the limited service hotel accommodations concept in the Philippines, Microtel, particularly Microtel MOA, is still equipped with all the necessary amenities that guests would usually look for in a hotel. It has a swimming pool at the roof deck, function rooms, ample parking space, scheduled shuttle service and city transfers, and buffet breakfast at Millie’s Restaurant for hotel guests the following morning.
Strategically located at the corner of Coral Way Ave. and Seaside Blvd. in the MOA Complex, Pasay City, Microtel MOA is just a short walk away from SM Mall of Asia, which is the Philippines’ largest and the world’s third largest mall; the Amusement Park by the bay, where guests can enjoy theme park rides and, yes, even a zipline adventure; the Mall of Asia Arena, where major concerts and sports events are held; the SMX Convention Center, a venue for major trade fairs and exhibits; and the Shrine of Jesus Church.
It is also easy for Microtel MOA guests to get to nearby attractions for some sight-seeing and picture-taking, such as the Manila Ocean Park, which is the Philippines’ first state-of-the-art Oceanarium; the Cultural Center of the Philippines, which is the seat of Philippine art and culture; Intramuros, the Walled City which offers a revealing glimpse into the country’s history; and the Rizal Park, an urban park where the monument of the Philippines’ National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, can be found.
DINING HAVEN
Lots of dining options present themselves to guests of Microtel MOA, since the SM Mall of Asia is just across the hotel, and several other major restaurants line the bay area and are just a short walking distance from it. But should guests choose to stay put and dine in the hotel, Microtel MOA is very proud of its homegrown restaurant, Millie’s Restaurant, located on the ground floor of the hotel, right beside the lobby.
Millie’s is named after Milagros del Rosario, the mother of Microtel president Jose Mari del Rosario, and it is just fitting because the lady loved to travel a lot, and so the restaurant is decorated with her memorabilia and paintings of places where she has been. The cozy restaurant serves buffet breakfast and a la carte lunch, merienda and dinner. It features Filipino and Asian cuisines, dotted with international favorites. Besides its all-day dining menu of appetizers, salads, soups, meats, fish and seafood, pasta and noodles, and a mean dessert selection that includes an awesome Tiramisu, Panna Cotta and Leche Flan, the restaurant also serves burgers and sandwiches.
The kitchen team, led by executive chef Gino Santayana, who is guided by its Italian food and beverage consultant, is in the process of revising the Millie’s menu. By offering Monthly Specials, they are able to gauge the taste preferences of guests.
“We regularly remove the slow-moving items on the menu, and the popular dishes, including those featured in the Monthly Specials, we keep as regular items on the menu,” explains general manager Dean Cid.
An innovation that Microtel MOA has recently introduced is its Friday night Mongolian Buffet promotion at the Roof Deck. A Mongolian buffet is set up near the pool, which is on an elevated area of the Roof Deck, offering bowls upon bowls of beef, pork, chicken, prawns, squid rings, salmon cubes, shredded cabbage, beansprouts, green beans, carrots, bell pepper, onion rings, garlic, sauces, spices, herbs and condiments. Diners availing of the Mongolian Buffet, which is priced at Php550 per person, can assemble their own Mongolian bowl, filling it with as much meats, vegetables, rice, noodles, sauces and condiments as they like and have the Mongolian station chefs cook it for them. Those who do not have any idea how to assemble and season their own Mongolian bowl can ask for the assistance of the chefs, who are more than willing to put together a good bowl of Mongolian dish for them.
For the price, diners can also have their fill of Chicken Noodle Soup, cooked vegetables on chafing dishes, such as Garlic Broccoli, fresh fruits and a Halo-Halo buffet.
The dining area of the Roof Deck is overlooking Manila Bay, so diners can have a good view of the MOA Eye, the Amusement Park by the bay and the Roxas Blvd. cityscape as they dine leisurely with live musical entertainment provided by a lounge singer accompanied by a pianist.
FUN AND RELAXING
Managed by Wyndham, which operates several hotel brands across the world, Microtel boasts of a network of 11 Microtel properties in the Philippines today. Microtel MOA, with 150 rooms, is the biggest in the country, offering value for money for guests. Come April, construction on another tower, commences. Construction is estimated to be done in 18 months’ time, in time for the APEC Conference, and will give Microtel MOA an additional 195 rooms. Enjoying an average 86% occupancy rate, Microtel MOA is making good on its promise to provide clean, comfortable, safe and secure accommodations to guests at value rates.
(Microtel MOA is located at Coral Way Ave. cor. Seaside Blvd., Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City 1308; with telephone number 403-3333.)
