Our Sofitel Manila Staycation – DAY 1
I was eagerly counting down the days to our family staycation at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.
I knew even before getting to Sofitel Manila that it was going to be an amazing 3 days and 2 nights. Heck, we’re talking about Sofitel here…! The only 5-star luxury resort hotel in Manila.
I particularly love Sofitel Manila’s sprawling layout. Not to mention their amazing pool and greenery by the bay. Way different from newer hotels that just seem to care more about how towering they are.
So, let’s get right to it…
On the day of the start of our staycation, we hurriedly sped off to Manila. Oh, happy joy!
Upon arrival, we were immediately met by Ms. Jane Santiago, Sofitel Manila’s E-Commerce Executive.
Sofitel Manila – Club Millésime
We were whisked straight to “Club Millésime” located on the 10th floor in order to facilitate our check-in as well as have a few snacks while our room was being prepared.
Club Millésime are for guests staying in Sofitel’s club rooms which are exclusively located on the 10th & 11th floors. This place is more intimate and very private compared to the usual reception area located at the hotel’s lobby where it is usually very busy and bustling with people.
Think of Club Millésime as a “hotel within a hotel” for lack of a better way of describing it. Everything that Club Room guests need and every concern they might have, Club Millésime takes care of. They even have a vast selection of DVD movies which you can borrow for FREE in case you had a movie marathon planned in your room.
I absolutely love how Club Millésime has its very own buffet spread for Sofitel’s Club Room guests. Naturally, I went straight for it and checked out the variety of food which I was so ready to dive into. I enjoyed the different kinds of fare – all sorts of bread, cupcakes, mini burgers, and so much more.
My kids had so much fun because Club Milléseme’s buffet included a good number of sweet delights such as macarons, cookies, dried fruits and marshmallows.
Our check-in was facilitated over afternoon snacks… it was quite different and very laid back, I must say. Nice!
In no time, we were promptly led to our club rooms on the same floor. Our kids excitedly brought their stuff and followed the kind lady through the hallway.
Club Rooms
I just gotta say… one of the most exciting moments of staying in a hotel is when you first enter your room with bated breath, slowly peering inside anticipating how beautiful the place will be.
And, boy, how beautiful indeed were our club rooms!
Sofitel Manila provided two adjacent (connecting) club rooms – one room with a king-sized bed for me and my wife and another room with two separate beds for our kids.
Our kids were so excited to see their rooms that they immediately jumped on their beds before I had a chance to take a photo of the room in pristine condition. Just look at their beds… all ruffled up and harassed! It didn’t stand a chance… Hahaha!
Both rooms had everything one could ever need… it was perfect.
Even the bathroom was a joy to behold. I don’t know about you guys, but my wife and I are very particular with how bathrooms look, not to mention the toiletries that are provided. I’m happy to say that Sofitel did not disappoint even the least bit.
We even had delicious fruits, pate and a platter of dried fruits with a bottle of wine. Together with it was a beautiful welcome letter from Sofitel Philippine Plaza’s General Manager, Adam Laker. Thank you!
Oh hey…! What does a family of Instagrammers love doing? Taking photos, of course! Naturally a family selfie was in order… LOL!
We immediately gathered by the room’s balcony for a group photo just in time for sunset.
And a wacky version as well just for the heck…!
Just look at that beautiful view from our balcony. Amazing.
Shortly after settling in and getting comfy, we freshened up and prepared for dinner. Our first stop…
Le Bar
Le Bar is located right beside the lobby of Sofitel Philippine Plaza. The place provides a very intimate and cozy ambiance for guests.
During this evening a lounge singer was performing with a pianist providing wonderful music not only for Le Bar customers but for guests by the lobby and nearby. Our kids, old souls that they are, could recognize some of the songs being sung and started to sing along to some of them. They loved the ambiance and the dimly lit area. It is such a delight for a parent to be able to connect with their kids on different levels.
Le Bar’s very kind, courteous and attentive manager, Mattieu Chapuis, explained the kind of dinner our family would be having. They have also pre-selected a number of dishes which they believe would give us a better understanding of what Le Bar has to offer.
Impeccable service, I must say. Even my kids were impressed. They felt like VIPs and yet they felt right at home at the same time. That’s saying a lot.
Here are some of the dishes we had that evening at Le Bar.
My wife and I were served a variety of wines to pair with each wonderful dish that was served to us. Fortunately for our kids, they were also given similar yet non-alcoholic counterparts as well as sparkling water. It was fun watching them enjoy a good number of drinks, too.
My daughter, Isabella, enjoyed watching different kinds of wine being poured into our glasses.
It seemed like she was mesmerized by it. Haha!
We also enjoyed the backlit menus that Le Bar provided.
[iframely]http://instagram.com/p/mXcUFcqirj/[/iframely]
The menu’s built-in back illumination automatically turns on when you open it up. Really cool!
Just before we wrapped up dinner at Le Bar, Ms. Jane Santiago, Sofitel Manila’s E-Commerce Executive dropped by to see how our evening was going.
Of course, we couldn’t let the evening pass without having a family photo with her. We had so much fun sharing stories and learning more about the establishment.
All’s well that ends well. It was time to call it a night since dinner ended quite late because the food seemed to never end… Hahaha! *burp!* Excuse me!
Besides, there was so much yet in store for us the next day and we wanted to be ready for all the fun, food, recreation and action. No doubt, it was pretty obvious that DAY 1 of our Sofitel Manila staycation was an absolute success!
Well… time for bed.
For now, I shall leave you with a short yet very fun (and silly) Instagram video of my daughter (Ella) fondly wearing Sofitel Manila’s bathrobe and pretending to be a thug rapper during this very same evening before retiring for the night. Enjoy!
[iframely]http://instagram.com/p/mX6BG8qihU/[/iframely]
Ella always cracks me up with her little antics! Hope you enjoyed it too.
Thanks for reading and sharing in our joy and family fun during our first day.
Watch out for my post all about DAY 2 of our Sofitel Manila staycation in just a couple of days.
Contact Details
CCP Complex
Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City
T: +63 2 551-5555 / +63 2 832-6988
F: +63 2 551-5610
E: fbreservations@sofitelmanila.com / H6308@sofitel.com
http://www.sofitelmanila.com/en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SofitelManila
Sofitel Manila's amenities and facilities (Part 2)
May 22, 2014 @ 2:41 AM
[…] The magnificent view of Manila Bay. Photo courtesy of Chuckie Dreyfus. […]
May 23, 2014 @ 4:02 PM
cute heheheheh, btw chuck i hope u don’t mind, did u grow up english speaking? eh kc naman parang ang galing mong mag english
May 23, 2014 @ 4:26 PM
Hello! Actually, I speak tons of tagalog at home also. But since I studied in La Salle, medyo (actually very) strict sila dati sa “Speak English” campaigns nila. May violation dati pag magtagalog ka. Hahaha! i guess it was for the better. Ang tagalog naman hindi mawawala kasi nasa Pinas naman tayo eh. So speaking in english kinda became second nature to me… to the point that I think in english as well. Thank you for the compliment nga pala. :)
May 31, 2014 @ 9:00 AM
room looks so crisp; the view of manila bay by the window even more amazing!