Summer at The Sofitel Hotel Manila - Club Room with a View

When you don't have the luxury to go outside Metro Manila but want to experience a five-star summer time, your best bet is The Sofitel.



It was my first time to stay in this luxury hotel so here I blog on how to make the most of it. Upon check-in, I was presented an offer to upgrade to a club room. The temptation was hard to resist after reading what's in store.

From my original booking of an Aqua View room, a standard room with a balcony and ocean view - I upgraded to a Sofitel Club Room at the 11th floor.



The club room gave us the privilege to check-in early at 12NN and a late check-out the next day at 4PM. From that alone, the upgrade as worth it. But there's more.




A club room comes with buffet breakfast for two at Spiral or Club Millesime (your choice), free refreshments whenever you please and how much you please at the club lounge including a magnificent spread of horderves for high tea and wine tasting from 5-7PM.


Waiting for his Apple Juice


Macs you can use at the Club Lounge (Millesime)

Club Millisime was always our fancy pitstop between meals and activities. You will love the feel of exclusivity and comfort here. Not to mention, the club staff were very welcoming and  attends to all of your needs.



Next attraction for us was the famous Sofitel lagoon. This was active with tourists, kids, and people toasting under the sun. My son loved the kiddie pool which was very shallow and not intimidating for kids his age. We enjoyed splashing and playing with other kids here.



The pool felt never-ending and has enough spots for families, kids, couples, etc. Trees afford visitors to swim anytime with a friendly shade. Plus, the natural sea breeze was just wonderful and lent a natural feel even when swimming in an artificial body of water.



Our stay also coincided with the Pyro Olympics and we had the best view from our balcony for the night. It was truly magical and I love the al fresco spot that I just keep the sliding doors open most of the time.



We celebrated and capped the night at Club Millesime, which turns into a very cozy place in the evening. Great spot to go for parents who want couple time sans the kids.



Next day was breakfast at Spiral. Make sure you get up early as the place gets pretty crowded. The choices were plenty but I expected more. One thing I like is how they had Korean choices like Kimchi early in the morning. Just my kind of treat to go with the traditional Tapa and Tocino.



Here, every spot has WiFi including our room which has complimentary internet access. Very easy to entertain yourself while digesting food or waiting for the next activity. Since we were given a lte checkout, we were unhurried on our 2nd day and afforded a relaxing morning along the bay. Just before we jumped into the pool again.



Manila bay never looked so exclusive. It was nice to have my son see it minus the crowd at Mall of Asia. It felt like the bay view belonged to us while we sat, walk, ran, and play around healthy patches of green grass.



There's also a mini playground in case your kids get bored of the view which I doubt. Ashton loved the driving fixture and dancing the Harlem Shake around the garden.

Exclusive check-out was a breeze from the 10th floor. I can get used to this "exclusive" treatment easily!



Overall, Sofitel is one expensive five-star hotel (at least for me and compared to others I've stayed in) but the memories created during our stay was worth every penny.

Highly recommended for: mini families. The absence of a nearby mall forces you to bond and enjoy nature which is a rarity these days :)

SM Southmall 3 Day Sale's 3 Way Save

Fashion Walk at The SM Store

SM South Mall turned into a frugalista shoppers' playground today. Check out my previous post about their 3 Day Sale, 3 Way Save to find out why. As expected, the mall was packed with smart shoppers and I joined the club early today, armed with my mini calculator and inside my head, fashion inspirations for summer.


The SM Store - Soiree

Almost everyone's goal at The SM Store was to purcahse Php 2,000 worth of items. Not a surprise when you can get Php 100 worth of savings coupon for reaching the threshold. SO, with my 2,000 budget - my focus was super sharp on my favorite SM Store Brands - Soiree, Betty, Red Head, and Chill. 


The SM Store - Betty

Sweet dresses are the top trend this summer. Actually, if you choose classic styles then you can wear them all year round. I have a soft spot for dresses as they are super versatile and create a flattering, soft look.



Printed pieces from some of these brands were up to 50% off! I couldn't believe my eyes as they are not even off-season. It must be every shopper's lucky 3 days!



To break the monotony of classic styles in my wardrobe, I purchased a Red Head printed short dress. Originally, it was around P799. Now it's just about P400 after the 50% discount. Mission accomplished!

At Chill, I purchased a classic golden mustard textured dress that look so simple and stunning. I've been looking around for this. The price was P1,199 and it came with a slim belt. But wait! There was a class discount of 10% so I only paid P1,000 :)



Now, all eyes on Betty please. I just love this brand so much even if I just discovered it a couple of months ago. If you peak into my closet I have at least 3 Betty dresses now. The style is classic, sweet, and simple. Don't be fooled with 'simple' though because I just love dazzling it up with statement necklaces from SM Accessories. (I'll blog about this more later. Hint: their summer collection just launched!)

I seldom have a pink dress so I took the 3 day sale opportunity to grab one. Betty's prices are always affordable so I didn't mind that they were not slashed at all. P599.75 for my little pink dress, sweet!

Grand total of my dress shopping spree was P2,709 and this earned me my P100 savings coupon! It was very easy to claim near cashier 15 where I also claimed my raffle stubs. This was a first for me, I never experienced cash backs in my entire shopping life. I used the P100 savings coupon right away to buy discounted diapers for my son. Good mommy!



Of course, you have to be prepared when you come to the 3 day sale. So heads up to all of you going to the last day tomorrow - choose items you want to fit first, grab possible sizes, and fall in line at the fitting room.

There are several fitting rooms but with discounts this big, expect to fall in line. Wear flats and clothes that you can easily remove for effective fitting. If you have a Prestige or silver/platinum BDO rewards card - you get the privilege of not lining up.


All the wait was worth it for me with all the savings I made, not to mention my fantastic fashion picks :) So off I joined my partner and son to dine at The Black Canyon Coffee, located at SM South Mall's food street.


SM South Mall Food Street - Black Canyon Coffee's winning Pad Thai
See, we saved a lot so we could happily splurge and eat our favorite Asian fare.


Black Canyon Coffee's deliciously Japanese Katsu

Toy Kingdom was also on sale so we got Ashton a flashy Hotwheels ATV, complete with Disney Cars safety gear.



This day was such a winner, thanks for the extraordinary experience SM and I heard this won't be the last certainly. Now I'm on the lookout for the next SM Supermall to hold their 3 day sale, 3 wave save!

SM Southmall 3 Day Sale on March 1-3

Is this the most exciting and generous 3-day sale ever? Look below for their 3 way save promo:




Lucky people who get to shop for the first 2 hours today! I will however, unleash my shopping monster tomorrow (weekend). Spend P2,000 and get P100 back from SM Southmall. Sounds like a plan!


Best thing to do before heading to a big sale really, is to learn the fine print and memorize all the good deals to be had. Talk about stretching your peso to the max. As you can see below, you can join this competition on Instagram and Twitter while you shop.




It won't hurt to join and win/save more right? Not sure what the prizes are but I can imagine SM Southmall giving away more shopping GCs or GCs from their partner establishments.

If you're in a hurry and social media is not your thing (which I doubt), then also join their onsite raffle to win 1 of their 3  Devant 50" Smart 3D TV. This is actually a very fun activity that you can share with other shoppers, find out where the draw will be held and join others in anticipation :)



Personally, it's time for me to grab some summer fashion essentials and there's no better time to do this than this weekend! See you all at SM Southmall and good luck in grabbing the best bargains plus many prizes!

Discovering Chinese New Year at Ramada Hotel - Chinatown, Binondo

Chinatown in Manila will always be a curious place. It's a good adventure to walk along Ongpin and find bargain food, bargain feng shui, bargain fruits, etc. You name it, they have it.


 Amazing chaos and photobomb in Chinatown haha

One thing that holds me back from going is the hassle of traffic and the thought of not having a comfy pitstop to rest tired feet. One week before Chinese New Year, my partner announced that we're staying in Binondo - and beside Binondo Church.




The hotel is called Ramada, I googled it quickly and could not imagine something fancy like this can be had in Chinatown. Indeed it was a stone's throw away from the iconic Church, in fact- the Church's medieval dome was beside our window.



We stayed in the 9th floor, an executive room with a king sized bed. The room exceeded my expectations from all levels. Everything looked spick and span, the bed looked very fancy with the turtle-shaped towel arrangements and with little surprises for guests.




There were some tikoys and peanut bars for us to enjoy while we acquiant ourselves with the room.

A little work corner was available, and like many of the furniture - it was ergonomically placed in a quiet corner.



The TV looked shiny and new, flat screen and mounted on the wall. I don't like huge TV sets encased in old furniture. They take a lot of space in small hotel rooms. Ramada knows better.



The bathroom was immaculate, roomy and functional. My eyes feasted on the generous toiletries, and look - a bidet! Both a bath tub and a shower room were available separately. The most interesting things would definitely be the glass window between the bedroom and the bath room.

This made the room look even more spacious and provided some comic moments to me and my partner. Of course, there's a blind you can turn to conceal one side and to enjoy your privacy.



From our room, I can easily look down at Ongpin St. There were dragons, lions, and fire breathers. I feel like Wendy in Peter Pan.

But more important to me than Chinese New Year is the flea market. My target was 168 mall where wholesale stuff are available and retail are at a big fraction of a price from malls.This shopping mecca is just a 5 minute walk from the hotel. As with other places, be careful when walking the streets of Binondo. Best to have someone with you at all times.



If you want something more posh to match your Ramada stay, there's the newly opened Lucky China Town Mall. No flea market here, just luxurious brands and diners that can easily spoil your desires.

After all the walking and shopping, it always felt like heaven to retreat to our bed. It was five star quality and everytime, we hesitate to get up from it. I had a good night sleep and woke up at 9AM. Almost late for the breakfast buffet.



Breakfast was simple and straight forward. Choices are limited but maybe this is how it is in Chinatown. There's dumplings, pancit, and siopao for breakfast. If you want pancakes, bacon, and eggs - those are available too. If you want to have brunch, there's rice and some viands like adobo and century egg. It was an interesting buffet after all.

The dining area was cozy, it felt more like a private restaurant without the ruckus of breakfast buffets. TLC was on cable TV which was mounted strategically on a wall. I felt both at home but with the luxury busy people will appreciate.



Not to forget, the staff are warm, friendly and looked smart. As if they are waiting for you to ask something, and when you do - they immediately get it done. They also took us around to discover Binondo.




Ramada Hotel provides a welcome contrast to Chinatown. Outside it's all busy and can get chaotic but at Ramada, you can expect privacy, comfort, and reasonable luxury. Something I will recommend for everyone to experience and discover. There's no better way to explore Chinatown than with Ramada.

2013 at EDSA Shangri-la Hotel

The tradition I've started carried on and we spent another auspicious New Year at EDSA Shangri-la Hotel. Our stay here is always fantastic, hence we can't help but always return.

 


We checked in early on 31st December. I make it a point to be early and organized when checking-in. You can expect chaos at around 2pm when everyone is rushing to be settled in their bookings. Since I was early (and nice), our room was ready around 12.30pm so we had plenty of time to rest.

My family and relatives are celebrating with us so we booked a total of 3 rooms, two of them connecting. Perfect for a small in-room NY party.

 


After resting, we got to enjoy the resort right away. Again thanks for the early check-in. It was my first time to swim here and it was so much fun! The pool is well-kept, lots of lifeguards and guards to ensure everyone is safe and properly dressed.

Kids are given life vests which is a super plus. My niece enjoyed swimming without the fear of sinking! The pool was as still pristine the next day, even after the New Year celebration. My partner and I also dined at the pool side before checking out the next day.

We ordered some ravioli and char kway teow. Bar service took a while, food arrived like after 45 minutes but it was okay. It is the new year after all.

Back to day one, we just had dinner at Shangri-la mall. Hotels that are walking distance from malls are a major plus. We'd love to dine at HEAT but when you're with a toddler, it's hard to make the most out of your buffet.



Come midnight, we could see a fantastic view of fireworks from our room. Really enjoyed all of them minus the smoke. We actually saved a lot of money by having our mini-party here instead of the hotel's ballroom.




My sister Joni bought this New Year cake which was a perfect mood setter and my sister in law, Michelle brought some bubbly. Perfect!



We all had the best celebration but wait, there's more. And I'm talking about the buffet the morning after!




As usual, choices were impressive and almost paralyzing. We also got to dine in their private area because of our head count. I managed to eat Lechon for breakfast too :)



Lunch time was room service, a bit expensive for the taste and delayed arrival of the food. Although the malls are closed so we didn't have a choice. 



We requested for a late checkout at 2pm which was granted and in time for the car service. All cars had wi-fi and a fancy looking driver.


All in all, it was another well-spent stay at The Shangri-la and we all can't wait to come back again. Maybe next time we'll remind ourselves to bring more food! :)



See you again next year!

Flip flops: Back for the Summer!

The cold spell is now dwindling and it only means one thing. Summer is here and a long one it's going to be! So as early as now, I'm writing about a summer must-have and I'm talking about flip flops :)



If you're like me who can't have enough comfy pairs, there's a brand of flip flop you might be overlooking. When it comes to flipflops, different brands not only mean different styles but different comfort levels too.




And don't forget that comfort should be on top of your list. These Caribbean flip flops almost makes me feel bare feet. As if my feet are sking on the rubber soles. I want to get the most out of this summer and these are perfect to keep my feet going whilst staying pretty!

Caribbean footwear says these soles are artistically formed to create proper foot formation and posture that will enhance endurance while walking or running. 

I have two Caribbean flip flops whose designs are fairly simple (see above, those are actual photos of my own pair). I think that's what summer is all about. Letting your hair down, keeping it casual, light, and fun.


This season, we're seeing more shear long dresses and skirts that have dipping hems. I'm talking about these:



I officially declare these are equally good-looking with my Caribbean flip flops. Look for these styles when shopping trendy this summer. Don't forget to bring your flipflops to dry-run your outfits with.

Shopping for summertime is really exciting - tell me about it! Just writing this post makes me want to go to the department stores (where Carribean flip flops are also available). One of my goals is to be more organizes when packing for the resort. Hence, I think another must-have is a clear bag like this:



Also perfect for stuffing and showing off your cute flip flops! By the way, if you frequent The World Trade Bazaar, Caribbean was one of the top sellers. So expect to see more pretty feet wearing this brand. Don't be surprised, a pair only costs around Php 200 - so get as many as you want without breaking the bank.



So, where are you headed this summer and what are you wearing? Tell me via comments below!

Follow Caribbean on Facebook for more info.