Solaire Resort and Casino

Location

Solaire Resort and Casino is located near Manila Bay and Mall of Asia.  It is a gaming and entertainment complex by itself so there are things to do to pass away the time.  Mall of Asia is also quite close by but unfortunately, the hotel no longer provides shuttle service to the mall.

Check In / Out

The lobby is located right in front of the casino so it feels busy but the Solaire staff was prompt and efficient.  There also appears to be a queue supervisor to ensure that the next guest waiting in line is attended to in a timely manner.

Room Size

I booked the cheapest available room I could find and I didn't do much research.  The hotel was my friend's choice as he doesn't want to be hassled by traffic going to The Theatre at Solaire to catch Les Misérables.

We were surprised with the size of the Bay Tower Deluxe Room.  A total of 43 sq meters of space for the basic room.

Room View

We especially loved that we have the garden view.  The garden is actually inaccessible but looking out to all that space creates the illusion having it all to ourselves.

Room Amenities

Standard room amenities such as a writing desk, upholstered bench by the foot of the bed, and a lounge chair are available.

I liked that the light switches are available on both sides of the bed and are properly labeled to avoid guess work.

There are no sockets by the bed so I had to use the socket for the dock.

You also need to request for an iron and ironing board if you need one.

Wifi is consistent and pretty good.  You also don't need any username and password to connect so it's hassle free.

The minibar only has drinks and there are no snacks.

Sleep Quality

The sheets are divine at 350-thread count, it was hard to stay away from the bed.  The foam pillows are one of a kind, they feel like Tempur pillows and were very comfortable.

Bathroom

The bathroom, much like the room, is big on space.  It is a little warm, unlike other hotel rooms, as it is not air-conditioned.  This turned out to be perfect because you don't get the shock of stepping into a cold marble floor late at night when you forget to put on your slippers.  The bathroom door also has two door hooks, a small thing but is really helpful so you don't end up placing your wet towels on backs of chairs.

I do have one small suggestion, it would be great if they have a vanity mirror as the bathroom mirror is a bit far from the sink.

Hotel Amenities

The hotel has a large inviting pool with cabanas.  The cabanas with your own small dipping pool are chargeable.

They have a decent sized gym with jacuzzi, steam room and sauna.  They also have a shower room where a mist envelopes you.  I don't know what it's called but it feels wonderful.

Staff Courtesy

Service was exceptional, everyone went out of their way to ensure that our stay was comfortable. When we asked for a bottle of water, we were provided with 6 small ones.

When we went to the pool, a lounge chair was set up for us and we were given two towels each, one to put on the chair and one for our own use.  Turn down service was also great, when we got back to the room, our stuff in the bathroom was neatly arranged and we were provided with a couple of sweets to make our dreams sweet. 

Solaire provides exceptional value for your money and is pulls out all the stops to make each guest feel special.  

Solaire Resort and Casino

Aseana Avenue, Paranaque

Manila

Shangri-La at The Fort

Location

Shangri-La at the Fort's one of many advantages would be its location.  It is centrally located in Bonifacio Global City and well within walking distance to places of interest such as the Mind Museum, High Street Cinemas, a couple of malls, rows of restaurants and bars, S&R, and St. Luke's. There are a lot of 24 hour convenience stores and restaurants so there are plenty of things to do even late at night.

The hotel is huge and there are three entry points that I noticed.  The one along the main driveway, one where the shops are that you should use to immediately get access to Bonifacio High Street (from the lobby, turn right) and another one in front of the Mind Museum though the entry point takes you directly to Kerry Sports.

Check In / Out

Checking in was quick as is checking out.  My actual issue was when I was trying to reserve the room.  I was communicating with one of their staff who mentioned that she'll forward my reservation request to their team when everything was set-up as I sent on a request a bit early.  A month before my check-in date, I still haven't received any confirmation.  I followed-up via email but didn't receive any reply. To make the long story short, I had to make another reservation, this time via phone.

Room Size

The Deluxe room's size felt just right and the muted colors of the entire hotel feels new and refreshing.

Room View

As we are in the middle of a bustling city, we had office spaces for our view.  Don't forget to close the curtains at night to ensure privacy.

Room Amenities

Dried mangoes and pineapples are provided as welcome amenities along with a welcome card.

The hotel also sent an email asking us to reach out if we need anything, kind of like an online concierge.  I asked for a hotel fact sheet as they don't have one in the room and they replied asking me to check out their website.  Thanks, I guess.

I liked the good use of the drawers and cabinets where the ironing board, minibar items, laundry bag and the safe are all hidden away.  You end up with a room that looks neat and clutter free.  Their wardrobe, however, has no partitions so you have to hang all your clothes.

The in-room dining menu is also unique and has very inviting visuals as opposed to your normal boring menu.

There are sockets on both sides of the bed for your charging needs and there are also properly labeled light switches.

Wifi is strong, stable and doesn't require you to log-in.

There's no turn down service, always a hit and miss with a lot of hotels so it's not a big deal. 

Sleep Quality

The bed is huge and very comfortable with a 300-count linen.  I didn't see a pillow menu as advertised on their website.

Luckily for us, we didn't hear any construction noise except on our last day, a few hours before noon.

Bathroom

The white marble shower and bath is spacious and one that we really like. It has speakers that actually work so you can hear what's playing on the TV while taking your shower.

The amenities are from L'Occitane and I loved how good the soap smelled.  My friend loved the bathroom so much that he took really really long baths.

Hotel Amenities

Gym

The first in the country, Kerry Sports is a sprawling multi-floor gym.  It has a basketball, squash and tennis courts.  It also has a lap pool and an adventure zone for kids.

Lobby Lounge

They also have a gorgeous lobby lounge for your afternoon high tea or for just lounging around.

Grand Ballroom

For special events, they have the grandest ballroom entrance that I've ever seen.

The hotel pool is still under construction.

The hotel would also be host to retail stores but only a handful was open when we stayed there. 

Breakfast

Breakfast is served at the charming High Street Cafe lined with bookshelves filled with interesting knick knacks.  The selection is not as vast as the other Shangri-Las in Manila but is nevertheless plentiful.

I liked that you can have fresh fruits and vegetables slow juiced for you.

Their ice cream is among the best that I've ever had.  If you can only have one, try the pistachio flavored ice cream, but since you're in a buffet, don't stop there!  Check out the other unique flavors such as Ricotta Orange, Szechuan Passionfruit and Mangga't Suman.

Their danish also has fresh blueberries!

Staff Courtesy

The lobby is filled with Shangri-La staff and everyone is quick to welcome you or to extend assistance whenever needed.


Overall, we had a very comfortable stay and we can't wait to be back.

Shangri-La at the Fort Manila

30th Street cor 5th Ave

Bonifacio Global City

Taguig

http://www.shangri-la.com/manila/shangrilaatthefort/

Discovery Suites Ortigas

Location

Discovery Suites is located in Ortigas Centre close to a lot of offices and is within walking distance to three different shopping malls, The Podium, Robinson's Galleria and SM Megamall. El Pueblo is also a few steps away where some restaurants are open till late.  There's also a few convenience stores nearby.

Check In / Out

As we checked-in on new year's day, the front desk was understandably busy.  Take note that their standard check-in time is 3pm so if you're arriving early, it's better to let the hotel know.  Otherwise, you can take the time to go to any of the malls to pass the time.

Checking Out was fast and efficient.

Room Size

We booked the Serendipity Junior Suite room and at 45sqm, we were happy with the size.  The room is rectangular shaped and has been newly renovated.

Sleep Quality

The bed is huge and really comfortable.

Bathroom

The bathroom has a separate shower and tub and is really clean.  The bathroom amenities are generic hotel branded ones but I liked the colors.

Breakfast

Breakfast was okay, nothing really worth writing about.

Hotel Amenities

The hotel has a small pool and a gym that we didn't get to use.

WiFi

Their WiFi speed is one of the fastest ones from all of the hotels that I've stayed in so if you want to catch up on your downloads or do a lot of work without getting frustrated because of the intermittent internet connection, your best bet would be this hotel.


Overall, this hotel is value for money.  If you're the type who'd like to just crawl in bed and torrent away, Discovery Suites is perfect for you.

Discovery Suites Ortigas

25 ADB Ave, Ortigas

Pasig City