IT’S always nice to check into a highly reputable hotel. You are able to get away from the grind of your everyday life, slow down and relax. You get to enjoy your room, the food in the hotel’s dining outlets, especially breakfast, and the other amenities that go with your overnight stay. But not often do you get to ‘experience’ three hotels in two days.
This was exactly what my husband Raff and I got to experience with a group of other media people recently when Holiday Inn, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, decided to treat media to a two-day Holiday Inn Experiential Tour of its three Philippine properties – Holiday Inn Manila Galleria in Ortigas Center, Holiday Inn Clark in Pampanga, and Holiday Inn & Suites Makati in Ayala Center, Makati City. No, of course we didn’t get to stay in all three properties overnight, but we got to sample all three properties’ food offerings and their own brands of hospitality.
The two-day experiential tour started with buffet breakfast at Holiday Inn Manila Galleria’s Fab Restaurant. Holiday Inn Manila Galleria is the first international mid-market hotel to rise in the business district of Ortigas. Just minutes away from premier institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), the hotel is directly connected to Robinsons Galleria Mall and has 285 deluxe rooms and suites that boast of floor areas of 32 to 234 square meters.
Guests who check in at the hotel get to enjoy leisure amenities such as outdoor swimming pool, gym, kiddie corner and spa. An overnight stay also comes with a buffet breakfast for two at Fab Restaurant, which is the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant that offers buffet breakfast and a whole day a la carte menu that consists of local and international favorites.
On Day 1 of our recent Holiday Inn Experiential Tour, we got to enjoy its buffet breakfast at Fab, which was packed with diners, both in-house guests and walk-ins. The breakfast buffet spread was replete with appetizers, salads, soup, hot dishes on chafing dishes, breads with butter and various fruit jams, fresh fruits, juices and desserts. There’s an egg station, where you can have eggs prepared the way you prefer them, and other interactive cooking stations that make sure diners get to truly enjoy their breakfast. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it jumpstarts your day and gives you energy to fuel you throughout the day.
I got excited when I found taho in the buffet spread. You often just get taho, which is freshly made soybean curd flavored with syrup and served with sago (tapioca), from a mobile vendor. It’s a favorite merienda of lots of Filipinos, and I’m no exception. I only found taho in the buffet breakfast spread of a five-star hotel in Alabang, Muntinlupa, and Holiday Inn Manila Galleria was only the second hotel that served taho for breakfast. It’s definitely lots of plus points for Holiday Inn.
Aside from Fab Restaurant, Holiday Inn Manila Galleria has Bar One, a fun and relaxing bar and lounge that serves food and cocktails perfect for after-work hours. It also offers a 24-hour room service featuring a selection of hearty dishes, comfort food choices and kiddie options.
For the recent Holiday Inn Experiential Tour, the group set off on our trip to Holiday Inn Clark right after having a hearty breakfast at Holiday Inn Manila Galleria.
– to be continued –
(Holiday Inn Manila Galleria is located at One Asian Development Bank Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City; with telephone number 633-7111.)
