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I would like to think that the MARCO POLO HOTEL in MANILA as a home away from home. I had the pleasure of staying in MARCO POLO ORTIGAS for a few days last month. I had free time but I couldn't leave town and I figured a staycation would be the best deal.
So I picked
MARCO POLO MANILA.MARCO POLO MANILA is located in ORTIGAS. 45 floors of awesomeness.
Since it was not my first time staying in MARCO POLO MANILA, I knew the drill. Hopefully, this article would help those that are new to it.
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Once you enter the ground floor, you will be greeted by courteous guest officers. You are then advised to go to the 24th floor for check-in.
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CHECK IN is done on the 24th floor at 3pm. That is where the real lobby is located. Check in could take awhile during peak hours. I would suggest that your companion wait in the CONNECT LOUNGE found directly in front of the front desk.
Parking is found at the back of the hotel. They also have valet which is 24/7. Although the valet service has a charge, the parking fee is free.
ELEVATORSmight be a little confusing at first but you will get the hang of it by the second day. For security purposes, they had it built so that you would need to change elevators on the 24th floor for check in or on the ground for parking and the top 2 floors for dining and clubbing. A key card is needed to access the different guest floors.
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PRO TIP: There is this single elevator that has access to all the floors. From parking and all the way to the top. I usually use this to just go directly from my room to my car without having to change elevators.
As for rooms there are basically two types and would also depend on the location you would prefer.
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THE ROOMS
To keep it simple, there are two types of rooms. The Twin and the King.
They are also divided also by their location. Either on the noisy METROWALK side or the quieter ORTIGAS SIDE. The charge is minimal and I would just suggest that you just go for a higher floor.
If you want something more upscale a Premier Suite would be your pick.
To get it out of the way, the suite is usually a corner room that has a bigger floor size.
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The bathroom is bigger with a his and her sink and you have a long walk way to get to the bed. Also, there is a divider that you could close just for fun. Luckily, I was able to try this out last
VALENTINE'S DAY in MARCO POLO (Click here to see).Going back, the normal rooms aren't really normal. They are up to date and pretty on the eyes. New compared to other hotels in the area.
Bathroom configuration is basically the same with both king and twin typed rooms except that a KING has a see through window for you to watch the flat screen while tubbing. Don't worry there is a screen you could pull down just in case you are shy.
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As you can see here, a twin room may look a bit smaller since two Queen sized beds are placed in it. Another difference that I saw was that a twin room has a couple of comfy chairs compared to a day bed for a King Typed room.
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Going back, the tub is separate from the shower and there is a speaker in the washroom. Pretty ideal set up. Built for comfort and with the guests in mind.
The toiletries are complete except that they don't give razors. They also have a bath salt that is perfect to scrub you down while in the tub. One thing I didn't like though is that they DO NOT have a bidet.
Entering the room, you have a couple of closet, with a lot of hangers and a flat iron for your suits.
The mini bar is complete with alcoholic drinks and even snacks. The best part of it is that they have a Nespresso Machine for your coffee addiction. In case you aren't into coffee, they have Dilmah tea too. Complimentary of course. Not the mini bar, but the coffee and tea.
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They have a long table for your work needs. It also houses the in room safe.
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If you look closely, there is a panel that has a lot of outlets and ports for you to charge your devices. If you forgot your cables, you could use the built in one on the telephone. I tried it and it works perfectly with my old ipad.
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Their welcome fruits are usually if not always apples. Why is there a Philippine Airline December 2015 Mabuhay Magazine? Well one of my pictures got printed on it. YAY! #shamelessplug
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The bed isn't too hard. It was just right. Perfect for a night's sleep. PRO TIP: No need to ask for an extra key to keep the room's ac on. They already left a permanent card there for you.
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IN ROOM DININGWho doesn't love room service? IN ROOM DINING in MARCO POLO is a 24/7 gastronomical delight.
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A little bit expensive compared to eating in their restaurants or having a buffet down stairs. BUT, this is the ultimate treat. No need to dress up. Everything is prepared for you in room.
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PRO TIP: Don't forget to remind them to bring up water. They usually ask how many would eat. Remind them to bring condiments such as ketchup or mustard. Sometimes, they would forget this. If in case you want ice, there is a bucket in the mini bar. For this, you should call the housekeeping and not the in room dining.
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AMENITIESNow, what makes a hotel different from all other places is their
AMENITIES. Located on the 22nd floor, here you will find the pool, the spa and the gym. As you exit the elevators, you are greeted by the staff.
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To your left would be the pathway leading to the indoor heated pool and jacuzzi.
To your right would be the gym. The bikes and the treadmills aren't as high end as other hotels but it serves its purpose. There are also some benches and other weights around. Electronically locked lockers are also located here for your personal belongings.
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PRO TIP: After taking a quick swim, you may want to get a quick shower in their locker room. Also, the towels aren't allowed to be brought back to the room. So dry yourself properly before entering the elevators.
My favorite though would be the
FLOW SPA. This is open from 9am to 12mn. Other than that, you could reserve a slot and have the massage in room.
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I would suggest that you do it in the SPA. It has a two couple massage room and one for a single. The rooms has shower that can be converted into a steam room, a tub and of course a washroom.
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Believe me when I say, that it's a bit expensive but the massage is luxurious and can really make you feel wonderful. I had mine in room at 12midnight to 1:30am. It was a joy and I slept like a baby.
CLUB LOUNGE ACCESS: The Continental ClubI have a love hate relationship with hotels and their club lounge service. Sometimes, it may be a hit or at other times, something totally unnecessary and expensive. At MARCO POLO MANILA, it is luxurious and totally worth it. Usually, it comes automatically with a club room or suite. BUT, you could avail of it from any room with an additional charge set in.
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Located on the 44th Floor, The Continental Club is anything but the usual.
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As you enter, you are floored with a view. A 180 degree view of the Cainta Area. All the way to Antipolo. Totally uninterrupted.
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It's like a library with everything that you might need. Flat screen tv and even a long table to gather friends in and have a little meeting.
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Access to the lounge gives you unlimited Coffee, tea, and drinks. If you are in a club floor room, you could do your check in here.
At 2:30pm to 5pm, you are treated to Tea Time. Afternoon snacks, from sandwiches to shortcakes and also juices and drinks.
Come 5:30pm to 7pm, COCKTAILS are served. This is basically your dinner. You could treat it as a mini buffet with all the essentials you would ever need.
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Other than that, they have an extensive bar. From hard drinks to white and red wine and even Prosecco.
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PRO TIP: Ask the staff to make you cocktails. My brother had 2 glasses of Prosecco, 2 double jack daniels, 2 double black label, a glass of bacardi on ice, a mojito, a shot of tequila, and a ginger ale.
This time around, the back area is opened and dishes upon dishes were served.
With the different days that I stayed and had access to the lounge, I was impressed as the main dishes are different from each day.
PRO TIP: If something is gone and or missing from the line and it seems forever for it to be replenished, ask the staff. They usually find ways and bring the dish to your table. Thanks Chef for the salmon!
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They also have a make it yourself salad. The only thing missing here is RICE.
CHEERS!
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BREAKFAST is served from 6:30am to 10:30am. I would suggest that you pick a seat away from the window as it would get hot. Even if there are blinds rolled down, the sun's rays is a bit glaring.
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For breakfast, they have a whole setup and then some. You could actually pick from this menu any additional things that you may want.
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My go to would have to be the French Toast. This is something that I like and always order from their alternative menu.
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Of course they had bacon. It would be madness if they didn't have any.
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On my third visit, I brought my brother along for him to enjoy the staycation. Just a day's rest in our house and off he went to the hotel with me.
I think he went a little overboard with everything. If you think this is a lot, wait for it....
wait for it... this was our table.
I really enjoyed the smoked salmon. I think I must have had if for breakfast for almost a week.
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The CONTINENTAL CLUB in MARCO POLO MANILA is definitely a must try. The staff is well trained and they know how to interact properly with the guests. They anticipate your needs and everything is amazing. PRO TIP: get there at 2:30pm for a late lunch, come back at 5:30pm for an early dinner. Believe me, you'll thank me.
IN HOUSE DINING
One thing that I am happy with MARCO POLO is that their F and B is amazing. I can not say this enough but the food they serve is awesome. Kudos to their F and B director and General Manager. They make it so that I keep on coming back for more.
CAFE PRONTO is the go to cafe place of the hotel. It is located on the ground floor and serves different sandwiches and pastries for the guests.
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It opens at 7am and closes at 9pm.
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Here, you could have a go with the different sandwiches, cakes and pastries to your heart's content.
Different freshly baked goodies are lined up for everyone to see. I believe come night time, they give out discount to customers that order the pastries and bread.
One morning, I headed down and tried out their sandwiches.
The ham sandwich was pretty solid. You are given a choice between different types of bread too. I was pleasantly surprised that it came with a seaweed salad and it was good too!
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Amazing stuff! One thing I noticed about MARCO POLO is that their pastries are delicious unlike those coming from other hotels. Theirs is fresh and not too sweet.
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CUCINA If in case you would like to have a hearty breakfast, the CUCINA's breakfast buffet is for you.
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CUCINA is the all day buffet restaurant of MARCO POLO MANILA. It opens at 6am for breakfast and closes around 10pm. I actually ate here a couple of times before and I realized that CUCINA isn't the biggest buffet around but it is concise and has everything that you would need. Not only that but, the food quality is impressive and I loved it! The last time I was there was for
CUCINA's Flavour of Thailand feast (click here to check it out).
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The breakfast buffet spread was pretty intense. An omelet station, breads on one side, all the protein and cards you would love on another. They even have a soup station and a Japanese station for all the rolls that you would want. Juices, coffee and tea are all there.
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LUNG HIN LUNG HIN is the Chinese in house Restaurant of MARCO POLO MANILA. Located on the 44th floor, it has stunning views of the city. It isn't big the place screams privacy and formal at every turn.
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There are private booths along the window and they even have a few conference rooms that could accommodate around 10 people. These rooms have LCD TVs and some of them, their own bathroom. You could use them and reserve them but they have a consumable amount.
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I actually visited LUNG HIN around four times in the past month so I could definitely tell you that the quality and the taste of the food is amazing. Albeit pricey, you definitely get what you pay for.
A more in depth review on Lung Hin here (click here).
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My favorites would be the HAKAW or shrimp dumpling, the TRUFFLED SIOMAI, and their sweet and sour pork. Simple yet done perfectly.
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AT night there is one place to be at. That is
VU'S .The VU'S BAR is located on the top floor. Since it is on the 45th floor, you could definitely have an amazing time watching the stars and even looking down on the traffic below.
Open from 5pm to 2am except on Sunday (until 12mn), the VU'S BAR is the perfect date place. You could go for a table inside.
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or pick between the two outside bars. One facing Ortigas while the other all the way to Antipolo.
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Drinks are impressively priced. Very competitive with other high end bars in the metro.
PRO TIP: Go for the Ambroxia. It's currently the cocktail of the month. They also have happy hour with drinks priced lesser from 5-7pm.
THE FOOD is pretty good too. Not overly expensive, the tapas are delicious. Yes, you could also order rice.
All in all, I am definitely impressed with the MARCO POLO MANILA team. The service and dedication shows. Granted that there were misses on some front, but overall, I am happy with my stays in MARCO POLO. I suggest you follow their facebook page and check out their promos. I actually stayed last month for almost close to a week by paying only half. That big a savings. Thanks Marco Polo, and yes I will be back.
NOTE: Prices are not included in this post because these differs from different promotions the Hotel has. If you wish to check out the menu of the different in house restaurant, I suggest you visit their
Disclaimer: Wrote this based on my experience and opinions. Paid for my stay including for the access to the Club Lounge on both occasions. The meals at VU, Cafe Pronto, Cucina and Lung Hin and the massage were complimentary of Marco Polo Manila. Thank you very much to the staff in the Club Lounge. Thanks also to the front desk. Of course, super thanks to Ms. Judith.
The view from my room.
I didn't know what to order so I asked the staff to order for me. HE then suggested these items: 
STEAMED SHRIMP DUMPLING with GOLD LEAF (220Php). I think the gold leaf was just placed there for special effect. It didn't have any flavor but let me tell you this though, these babies were huge. Compared to other HAKAW, these were plump. Real shrimps were used and there were no extenders. Each bite screams shriiiimp!
It wasn't too oily nor was it too rich. The coating was sticky rice with meat inside. It was a blend of sweet and savory. I like this one!
I actually can't describe the taste. Naturally, the filling is made of black sesame. It wasn't too sweet though but after one bite my dinner mate stole the rest. Apparently, she liked it pretty much.
PRO TIP: Ask the staff to make you cocktails. My brother had 2 glasses of Prosecco, 2 double jack daniels, 2 double black label, a glass of bacardi on ice, a mojito, a shot of tequila, and a ginger ale.
For something luxurious, the KAKI PAPAYA YAKI or Roasted Japanese Oysters on Papaya and miso sauce would be your bet. Oysters flown in from Japan are used to make each bite perfect. I didn't know that Papaya would work well with oysters and miso. After just one try, I got hooked.
For something sweeter and different, the WASABI CREME BRULEE might be your go to dessert. It wasn't that spicy nor was it that hot but the wasabi flavor was spot on and very distinct. It might be okay for some but it might not be for others.
FROM FEBRUARY 8 to FEBRUARY 12, You can get your pancake fill from IHOP!
Freshness is one thing that SPECTRUM got right. They don't make large quantity of dishes from the start. Rather they just prepare and do them as the brunch goes along.
You could have them grilled or cooked to your liking or just get them off the rack like these crab claws or clams.
One would also appreciate their sushi bar. Different creative creations were made to make it more appealing to the taste buds.
Steaks and lamb chops were present and cooked to your preference.
The CARAMELIZED PINEAPPLE CRUMBLE with star anis and vanilla sauce was the perfect ending. It wasn't too overpowering nor was it too sweet. It was just right. Served warm and just right I wouldn't mind having more of this.
