Thank you SQ - Semi Picture YVR-ICN-SIN-MNL

[yvrcnx]

Wow, that is unusual. Almost up there with an op-up on SQ.

That's one of the hotels I'd like to try in MNL. My brother thinks highly of it. Do you recommend it? How is the service, and what is the neighborhood like? (Yes, I do have a sheltered perspective on Manila. )

I have been staying at this hotel for the last 2 years and have really enjoyed it and would very much recommend it.

I found that the service has throughout this time always been wonderful, that is one of the reasons I keep coming back and of course their rates are very reasonable though they have gone up this year.
Most of their rooms are suites.

With regards to service I am almost always adressed by my name and it is consistent throughout the hotel from the check-in staff to the bell boys to room service.
If you have a room included with Club Access they are one of the best club crew I have encountered.
Each time I would come back they would go out of their way to please and to make me feel at home and remember my name.
Their attitude has been that nothing was to much trouble for them.

For me the location is good as it's very close to our clients and suppliers I work with and also gives me easy access to drive up to Clark. It is about 5 - 10 minutes further from the Shangri-La Edsa just up the road on EDSA.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF8&q...i=lmd&z=11&t=m

I used to stay at the Mandarin Oriental in Makati and found that the service here is as good as at the MO if not a little more personal.
I like the size of their rooms, you can get a nice suite for the price of a room at some other hotel.
The hotel is connected to the Galleria Mall and next door there is also the Holiday Inn.
There is a very high scale sub division next to the Crowne Plaza and to go to a place to have more choices of restaurants it would probably be just a 10 minute drive.
I hope this helps jjpb3

[jjpb3]

I hope this helps jjpb3

It sure did. Much obliged, kind sir.

[yvrcnx]

Here is the continuation of this trip.
After working in Manila I flew for 3 days to Cebu.
Flights were operated by Philippine Airlines. MNL-CEB on an Airbus 320 and from CEB to MNL we were in for a treat - a Boeing 747-400 for this 1 hour flight.
The flight was only about 30% full.

While in Cebu I stayed at the Hilton Resort & Spa.
I will post pictures below.
The Hilton is nothing to write home about and I would definetly recommend, if going to Cebu to stay at the Shangri-La, where I stayed on a previous trip and is much better.

The Hilton is definetly not for those who do not like the colour pink.
Everything is pink, except the rooms.
Their cars, vans, they have a jepney to do the shuttle into town twice a day.
The outside of the hotel is pink. If you have your laundry done, the hangers are pink, the bag the newspaper comes in is PINK!

This was a little to much pink for me.

Terminal for PR domestic departures






A few airline pictures just arriving/departing from Manila




A320 to take us to CEBU

[yvrcnx]

Arrival in Cebu


The hotel room at the Hilton








View of the hotel by night, I didn't dare to take a picture by daylight:


View from the room

[yvrcnx]

Check-In lounge in Cebu. It is quite outdated.



Departure Lounge





Boarding our 747-400 service to MNL



The seats were quite worn and outdated, quite uncomfortable and I would not want to spend 14 hours on a longhaul flight in this seats.
However the seat pitch was very good.



Views of Cebu city during our climb






A very empty cabin


Beginning our decent into Manila flying over some beautiful scenery



Arriving in Manila I saw the new Hawaiian Airlines 767 service from Honolulu but couldn't get a good picture as it was to dark.

[jjpb3]

Very nice pics, yvrcnx. (That's Diet Coke in them steins. ) My brother also dissuaded me from the Hilton in CEB; looks like he was right!

Did you get to explore Cebu City? My brother brought me to a wine bar (that was a pleasant suprise), where I had him and my dad do a taste test of Krug vs. Moet to prove my point about premium champagnes. Awesome cheeses and cold cuts (chorizo and serrano ham) to go with our imbibing beforehand. (EDIT: Oops, I just remembered that you don't drink.)

Dang, I miss the Mactan Shang and the relaxation it offered. (It needs to beef up its Filipino selection at breakfast, though: I think there were more Korean options than Pinoy!)

[yvrcnx]

Very nice pics, yvrcnx. (That's Diet Coke in them steins. ) My brother also dissuaded me from the Hilton in CEB; looks like he was right!

Did you get to explore Cebu City? My brother brought me to a wine bar (that was a pleasant suprise), where I had him and my dad do a taste test of Krug vs. Moet to prove my point about premium champagnes. Awesome cheeses and cold cuts (chorizo and serrano ham) to go with our imbibing beforehand. (EDIT: Oops, I just remembered that you don't drink.)

Dang, I miss the Mactan Shang and the relaxation it offered. (It needs to beef up its Filipino selection at breakfast, though: I think there were more Korean options than Pinoy!)

The service in the Hilton itself is quite good, it's just that there are 3 towers, 2 of them are residential towers which gives the whole place not such a nice feel - this is just my observation.
I definetly wouldn't stay there again.

I do have 0.5 beer sometimes but I guess that doesn't count.

I didn't have to much time to go around in Cebu as I had meetings, but it has such a different atmosphere compared to Manila, much more laidback.
If you go back there is a really wonderful restaurant on Mactan Island just down from the Shangri-La and Hilton; The ABACA.
Our contact there took us one evening, they are japanese living in Cebu and they told us that it is the best restaurant in town - it was really wonderful.
From what I have heard from the others, the wines there are really good too.

I am now on my way back, boarding my flight in about 15 minutes for YVR from SIN.
I ended up staying at the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore for my last night.
I will share and explain when I get back.
Pictures will come with that too.

I am glad I changed to the MO as it was wonderful as always.