Mercure Singapore On Stevens

ABBEY: We booked a night’s stay at Mercure Hotel on Christmas Eve. Good to hear when the staff told me that our room was ready for early check-in. Yey. The room was not that big as well as the toilet but the sheets and bed are clean. It has a gym with most of the basic equipments and two pools (lap and infinity).

We had our dinner at one of the hotel restaurants, Winestone. I enjoyed ham, chorizo, olives, a glass of red wine while listening to their live band.

The buffet breakfast is on that same restaurant and I had a couple of plates of bacon, eggs, bread, prata, idli and vada.The hotel is nowhere near a shopping mall or convenience store but 

they have shuttle service. Just hop on.

WILL: Abbey chose to celebrate the festivities in a hotel staycation. To get a satisfying rate, I browse booking.com and I hooked it up with Abbey’s Shopback Account. Discount + shopback is truly glorious! Haha! We booked Mercure Singapore On Stevens for 2D1N $221 inclusive of breakfast, from 24th - 25th December. 

The room is small for my expectation there is no desk for your laptop, only a small dresser, not advisable for business travellers. The bed looks, smells, and feels clean but I found four (yes counted it) big black ants on it. You can have an access on their lap pool, infinity pool and gym.

For dinner we went for Winestone. Ordered Plant Base Burger (S$19) and it made my eyes glistening. Their vegan burger is a winner. The taste and texture is totally different. It totally taste like meat! My brain can’t fathom how they do that specially the “fibre” of it. Oh darn! That night, there’s a band playing. Magical night. Got a discount by buying a FAVE voucher. Wink-wink. 

On our breakfast, it is still in Winestone! I indulge on their crispy pork bacon! Soaked prata in curry sauce and mix it with mint is heavenly! Yum! They offer a hot noodle soup too! Not a huge array of choices but all in there is enough for me. 

Another experience to be grateful and remembered.

***

Mercure Singapore on Stevens

(W) https://www.novotel-singapore-stevens.com

(A) 28 Stevens Road, #01-01, Singapore 257878 

(T)+65 6491 6100

Ring Boutique Hotel – A Boutique Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia

ABBEY: After a night’s stay at Angkor Village Resort, Ring Botique Hotel picked us up to check in. The rooms walled the pool, the hammocks and the massage room. We were greeted by a huge manhole-like structure wherein our bed was placed. This makes up the name of the hotel :)

It gives the basic features of a boutique hotel; sizeable toilet and bath, mini fridge and safe, coffee and tea. The bed and sheets are clean. But I find the TV a little bit awkward as it was mounted on the right side of wall. How am I supposed to watch? Or maybe this will discourage the guest to just lie on the bed but to go out. 

The staffs are helpful specially on booking our tours; temple, circus and hot air balloon. They even packed our breakfast for our sunrise temple tour.

A set breakfast is given each day and we really liked their noodles. The flavor of coriander, lime and broth went together well.

Ring Boutique Hotel – A Boutique Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia

WILL: We are always on a budget but we will not stress to compromise the quality on our own holiday. Yeah, because we are on budget, we moved to a cheaper hotel for the rest of our stay in Siem Reap. 

We want a serene place, no loud music at pool or bar area, not so crowded. Yeah! We are old already and have a short patience on noise. And of course, we like to experience a somewhat twist on a room. Presenting... Ring Boutique Hotel. 

We booked around July and they gave us US$30 per night breakfast included. Good deal isn’t? 

It is called “RING” because of the ring shaped sleeping area they are offering. It is indeed outstanding from others. The bed is comfortable but you can only watch your tv if you will be seating on the chairs. It is their subtle way to say “you shouldn’t eat in bed”. Haha. 

The pool gives a relaxing impression specially the lighting at night. Their breakfast menu varies from continental to local. Tip: Order their noodle soup! Can’t get enough of it. 

We also booked all our activities in Ring Boutique Hotel. They will do it for you without extra cost. 

Staffs are friendly and they treated us not just like a royalty but like a well-known friend. 🤗

***

Ring Boutique Hotel Siem Reap, Cambodia

(W) https://ringboutiquehotel.com  

(A) Funcky LN, Steung Thmey, Svaydangkum, Siem Reap, Cambodia

(T) +(855) 63 766 267

Angkor Village Resort and Spa at Siem Reap, Cambodia

ABBEY: Angkor Village Resort is our first hotel to stayed in at Cambodia. It is a stone’s throw away from the main road but once you’re in, you will only feel quietness and serenity. We were welcomed with drinks and cold towel. They are refreshing. Whoah, they use lemon grass as straws! The resort has lots of fountains, trees, a 250m-long pool (you can also paddle a boat), gazebos, and hectares of land mostly covered in grass.

Our Traveller's Room (SGD155.87) is spacious and our bed is very relaxing. The toiletries smells good as well.

We had a full lunch meal; soup, appetizer, main and dessert. They made me sleepy after as they are delicious and heavy. By the time I thought that is the last item, then the food keeps on coming.

And the breakfast the day after was all good. I really liked the fried rice and beef noodles. The buffet do have egg station, sausages, congee, cut fruits, and bread. The resort also offers spa treatments and free use of gym.

Angkor Village Resort and Spa at Siem Reap, Cambodia
Suites

WILL: How we can experience a bit of life in Cambodia if we will stay in a hotel? And hey! To tell you, hotels in Siem Reap is pricey as here in Singapore. For a total experience of a village life, we booked a 2D1N stay at Angkor Village Resort and Spa. Okay, before you get confused, there are two sites. We stayed at the RESORT. 😊

We requested an early check-in and it was granted. The room is spacious and you will never smell any hint of old furnishings or bad odour. The bed gave us a long and well-rested sleep. We formally asked to see one of their suites and we are astounded. It is huge that it can house not only a couple but a family of 3-4 members. Living room and dining table is separated from it’s bedroom and a jacuzzi inside the bathroom. Oh! They have their own pool too! 

Angkor Village Resort covers hectares of land. It is indeed a walk. They have a quarter kilometre long pool. You can not only swim but also paddle your way on a boat. 

Their food is extraordinary plated when we dined in their restaurant for a lunch set and filled our tummy on second serving. Haha. 

Their buffet breakfast menu varies from Western to local. Mango reminds me of Philippines. Pork Bacon!! Haha! Love it! I gained weight in no time! 

Before we stepped out totally from their resort, we hit the gym to pump-up our blood and sweat a little bit. 

During the whole stay, we are totally pampered and well-served. They are always ready to grant your wishes. One thing, they will not just smile but will strike a conversation with the guests which is more welcoming. 

Do you know that Angkor Village Resort and Spa is eco-friendly establishment? They are using lemongrass stalk to serve as a straw and they are recycling 100% of their rubbish. 

Enjoy your stay in an environment and people friendly resort in Siem Reap. 

***

Angkor Village Resort and Spa

(W) https://www.angkorvillageresort.asia

(A) Phum Traeng Siem Reap , Kingdom of Cambodia

(T)+855 (0)63 963 561

Swissotel Al Ghurair - Luxury Hotel In Dubai

ABBEY: Swissotel Al-Ghurair became our home during our 7-day stay in Dubai. The staffs warmly welcomed us and really attended to our needs; like supplying us with bottles of water, vanity kits, and shower gel upon request. The bed is soft and comfortable as well as the pillows. What I liked the most is the shower. It feels like rain giving me a nice soft massage. It refreshed me after each working day at Gitex. We also have Nespresso machine.

Our buffet breakfast is at Liwan (3rd floor). I indulged in their omelettes and sunny side up, pineapple fried rice, stir fry noodles, cheese za’atar, cold cuts, turkey bacon, sausage, juice and coffee.

We visited the gym only once due to time constraints. But it has lots of equipments like cable and smith machines, free weights, barbell, kettle ball, treadmills, and resistant bands.

We also made our Desert Safari tour at Swissotel for 230AED per person.

There’s only one incident that I was asked if they can scan Wilma’s ID. I told the security that she was my wife. Then they apologized. I don’t know what is that for but it left us puzzled.

Swissotel Al Ghurair - Luxury Hotel In Dubai

Swissotel Al Ghurair - Luxury Hotel In Dubai

Video from 0:33 to 1:16

WILL: First of all, again thanks to NEM for this wonderful trip. Hehe. And to Ms Lourdes Bermudo of Gulf Rain Travel and Tourism who applied for our visas, arranged our plane and the Swissotel Hotel booking. Lourdes extraordinarily phoned the reception and requested to give us a good view. Naks! Service to the max! 

So what about the Swissotel? The room is fine. There’s a bathroom/bathtub and still the questionable for me and Abbey is the the two different toilet bowls. This is the second time we saw this kind. 

The white sheets smell and feel clean, but the color gold cover at the bottom of the bed have a numerous stains. The towels as instructed was changed regularly and the room service is excellent.

Breakfast buffet is simple. For our stay of 7-days, I do not see something that is worthy for a second plate. 

All in all, we felt home at Swissotel. Thanks Swissotel for accommodating the NEM team during GITEX event. 

***

Swissotel Al-Ghurair

(W) https://www.swissotel.com/hotels/dubai/

(A) PO Box 185060, Omar Bin Al Khattab Road, Near Fish Roundabout, Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

(T) 97142933000

Gulf Rain Travel and Tourism

(W) gulfrain.com

(A) PO Box 39884 Dubai UAE |Abu Hail Centre 

(T) 04 268 0052

Avillion Cameron Highlands Malaysia

ABBEY: Avillion is a newly-opened hotel at Cameron Highlands and we’re glad they accommodated us for a night stay on a discounted price. 

We got a spacious room with a large bed, a bathtub and the works. I like how soft their pillows are and I got a good night sleep. It also included breakfast for each guest; kway teow, porridge, fried rice, eggs, sausage and toast. 

There are nearby establishments in the hotel like bar, grocery, money changer and restaurant where we ordered our pizza for late night snack. 

The bus terminal going to Kuala Lumpur is a 15-minute walk from the hotel.

Avillion Cameron Highlands Malaysia

WILL: In Cameron Highlands, the famous choices will be Strawberry Park Resort or Heritage Hotel or Copthorne Hotel . I always pick out a new hotel/hostel and because we are lucky and blessed, haha!, we found Avillion Cameron Highlands. 

Avillion is a newly built hotel that runs a 50% off promotion. For only S$82.11, we got a huge room with comfy-clean bed, bathroom with rainfall shower, and separate sink for your utensils. Of course no air condition was provided. The downside, we were placed at the side of a street where too many bars are located. Until 12mn, there are people merrymaking! Even the windows are close, you can still hear the noise. 

With S$82.11, a simple breakfast buffet was provided. Kway teow, porridge, bread and spreads, nasi lemak, fruits and hot drinks. 

The place is recommendable maybe you can ask for a room that is an "inner" room. 

Thanks Avillion for accommodating us for a night!

***

Avillion Cameron Highlands

(W)http://www.avillioncameronhighlands.com

(A)C-3 Jalan Camelia, Tanah Rata, 39000 Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia

(T)+603 2262 0288

(E)resach2@avillionberhad.com

Element Kuala Lumpur - Luxury Studio & Suites

ABBEY: You’ll be able to enjoy perks and discounts if you’re a member of SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest). What do we got for our stay at Elements? First, a 500MYR room rate with king-sized bed with a view; complete with spa shower, wide screen tv, internet and includes breakfast. For another 60MYR, it was upgraded to a room with skyline view. 

Element Hotel knows how to pamper their guests. Upon filling up the reservation form, we specified if we can leave our bags early in the morning so our day-tour will be light. Then the day itself, we were able to check-in by 7AM. Wow, earliest check-in I had. 

The room is clean and the toiletries smell good. I was refreshed after my shower. After a long day, it was time to rest. The bed is very comfortable and the pillows and linens are soft. I dozed off in no time. 

The morning meal is great. Lots of choices; laksa, nasi lemak, sausages, grilled tomatoes, bacon, eggs, cold cuts, and fruits. 

They also have gym and swimming pool at 39th floor which we used before checking out. It was a wonderful experience. I would like to commend their staff for superb service.

WILL: Abbey, a proud member of SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) took the opportunity to book on KL’s newly opened hotel, the Elements Kuala Lumpur by Westin. Being a member, you can get a slight difference at the price of a room BUT you will have for sure to get a special treatment.  

Element’s lobby is at the 40th floor and their rooms starts from 41st to 53rd floor. Our upgraded room is at 52nd. Abbey, upgraded the room and he is expecting that our bathroom may have a bathtub, but it didn’t. They provided a pleasant array of toiletries. The shampoo and body wash are fantastically fragrant. They supply lotion too!

It is facing the Petronas Twin Towers but another p building blocked one of those. Argh! The pillow and bed is so soft that it moulds and hugs our body to a good night sleep. Oh! They do not have bottled water on their fridge but they have a filtered tap water for you to enjoy their complimentary tea and coffee. Their tv is usb ready, you can charge your phones in there. 

Don’t forget to visit their gym or try their free yoga sessions. The indoor saline pool excites not only the adults because of the view of Petronas but also the kids too. 

Trace restaurant is open for a buffet breakfast and of course we indulge at Local food. I am so full, I forgot to take some granola treat and soya milk. Haha! 

Overall, we truly enjoyed our stay. Hey! One more thing. We push our luck if we can make an early check-in by 7am through SPG website and when we reached the Element Kuala Lumpur by 8am, our room is there waiting for us. Satisfied and happy couple here! 

Thanks Element Kuala Lumpur! Thanks to all smiling staff! We love you!

***

Element Kuala Lumpur - Luxury Studio & Suites

(W) www.elementkualalumpur.com

(A) Ilham Tower, 8 Jalan Binjai, Kuala Lumpur, 50450, Malaysia 

(T) 603 2771 3388   

(E) reservations.elementkl@elementhotels.com 

Marina Mandarin | 5 Star Hotel Singapore Marina Bay - Christmas Eve Staycation (2015)

ABBEY: Got reservation at Marina Mandarin on the eve until Christmas day. We understand that it will be a busy day at the hotel and services will somehow will be delayed. But the hotel management also must need to consider that if it is a holiday then more people is needed to support the workforce. Sadly, we got the room keys by 4PM. We were there since 2PM.

We got a deluxe room at 14th storey with a view of Marina Bay. Ths room and spacious, the pillows are soft and we got a bathtub :)

After spending few hours watching reruns we went down to grab some bite to eat.

Coming back to the hotel, we had a chance to see live performance at the lobby. Christmas spirit can be filled thru the songs. We also took a look at their gym. It was clean and I even tried some of their machines.

Night has passed and I'm looking forward for the breakfast. It was a buffet. It was included in the roomrate we had. They have Japanese, Indian, Western and local cuisines. I indulged myself with salmon teriyaki and sashimi, sushi. Pair it with vegan fried rice and it is a combo. I also have some sausages, ham and eggs. The egg station offers omelette, fully cooked sunny side up and the one with "runny and gooey" yolks :) The bacon is not that good as it is not crispy.

We dipped few minutes on their pool, fixed our things and then we headed for checkout.

WILL: Without having a second thought, I clicked the link when I saw the advertisement of Meritus Group for their holiday season. It will be a our first time to experience celebrating the festivity out of own home. That was August. 

Fast-forward December 24th, we have reached the hotel around 2pm. Well, the queue is not that long but we wasted so much time in waiting for our keycard to be handed over. They informed all of their guests that the rooms were not yet ready. The check-out time is 12pm and check-in is 2. I can only see that they maybe lack of people to clean the room. And you know what time when we got to our place? It is around 5pm. 

It gets me frustrated, of course, but I chose not to go to that mood because I do not want to ruin our staycation. 

As requested (came with a fee) we have a room with a view of Marina Bay Sands. The room is pretty huge, the bed and beddings feels and smells clean same as the bathroom. I commend their bath foam, one small tube is enough to bubble up the whole tub. When we go to the terrace, the floor tiles are still wet maybe because of the rain that noon time. 

After the dinner at Burger Bar, we roamed around to check out their pool and their gym. The gym is quite impressive. They have those complicated apparatuses inside. After walking and walking we sat and watched a mini concert  that was held in the lobby. The happiness is really in the air. 

Their breakfast buffet at AquaMarine is love! A quite of variety to indulge to. The pool! And the falls! Instant hydrotherapy haha! 

I noticed that their hallways are not properly lit even in the early mornings, the reason we do not get a good shots on that. 

Thanks for a wonderful experience Meritus Group - Marina Mandarin Hotel. :)

***
Marina Mandarin Singapore by Meritus
6 Raffles Boulevard
Marina Square, Singapore 039594

Tel: (65)­ 6845 1000
Fax: (65)­ 6845 1001

Reservations: resvn.marina@meritushotels.com
General Enquiries: marina@meritushotels.com

https://www.facebook.com/marinamandarinsg

Golden Phoenix Hotel in Boracay (Station 3)

ABBEY: This is the second hotel we stayed in during our Boracay trip. Since it is at station 3, we sprinted to Station 1 to meet our contact for parawsailing and stand-up paddling. We were greeted by tables of food coming back from our water adventures. It is a buffet dinner. I took a lot of pork and chicken barbecue and made it a feast. I also have siopao and some fruits. There's not much guest during that time.

We went for a foot massage after dinner at their in-house Hotel Dream Spa. For less than 1000php, you can have an hour of relaxing and ache-removing massage. The massage is awesome and I had a good night sleep. My feet got very tired after all the activities but it was gone the next day. 

The next morning the rain poured but we were not dampened by it as the "unlimited" breakfast is waiting for us. Omelletes, sunny side up, dumplings, watermelon, and fried rice were available. Good thing we stayed for a while as they brought out lechon later; crispy lechon skin. Wow.

Wifi is chargeable per day. But during our stay it is free.

Few items though for them to improve. As I'm working on bank, I know how critical information security is. When we are doing our booking at the hotel, the staff is asking us to give the credit card number. Yes, this is ok as most hotel is asking for this. But they are also asking us to give a scanned copy of a valid ID copy and back of the card which the CVV is located. For what? Once the CVV is given, security is lost. Maybe it is part of the hotel's protocol, but once that info is out anybody can use the card. This is the only hotel who asked us for that.

Next is, Wilma is having a habit to put her feet up on the chair while sitting. I don't know the reason why, but she was told to put it down and we obliged. Maybe she has very short shorts. Thank you for the concern.But the next morning while eating, I saw one guest who did just what Wilma had done and wearing "short" short also but she was not reprimanded. That same staff is there eating as well. I waited for the staff's action, but resulted to none. Is there any different policy between a foreign tourist than a local one? If there is none, then better to check your staff's behaviour.

WILL: Because I want to experience the both world that is why we stayed at MNL Hostel at Bulabog Beach and I looked for a beachfront hotel at the stretch of white beach. 

Then I stumbled upon at the Golden Phoenix Hotel. They are having a free dinner buffet promotion and that enticed me to book on their hotel. 

What I like about this hotel? First, is their feather-soft pillow, no unnecessary smell and so white and clean. Second, their breakfast. Dimsum is overflowing. I think I have up to 10 servings of it, and 5 of those are spareribs. Third, their Dream Spa is open til midnight. For 60minutes, I slept there while Abbey and I are on a session of foot reflex. 

What are the cons? The pool seems full of sands so we do not dare to hop in to the pool. No white light inside the room, not totally lit. When we are having a dinner, a very loud speaker is in front of the hotel, it is irritating. No bidet?! And the last..I have this attitude that I always put my feet up on the seat. It is either on indian seat or fetal position.While we are waiting for our keys to check-in, one of the staff approached me and requested to put my feet down. I obliged without a word. But when Abbey saw a foreigner while eating breakfast and her feet are on the seat and nobody approached her, my husband is like a volcano ready to erupt. Haha! I told him that I am okay to stop his anger. 

Sometimes hotel is good but because of the attitude and management of the people working in there make the business flap down.

Cheap Dinner Buffet at La Carmela de Boracay

ABBEY: After a 3-hour trip from Manila to Boracay and walk along the beach, we ended our first day with a buffet dinner at La Carmela. It is a 12-15-minute walk from D Mall. After paying PHP700 for two, we were led to the table where sumptuous food is waiting for us. I got some onion rings for appetizer. Then I took a plateful of beef mushroom sauce and chicken cacclatori; had some fruits and greens also.

We got a table on the beach and enjoyed our dinner with a view of the sunset. I think I made 3 trips to the buffet. 

The night ended with a fire dance. Make sure to empty your plate else you'll be paying double. This is their initiative for their anti-food wastage drive.

WILL: On our first night at Boracay, we would love to have a buffet in preparation of tomorrow's activities. Haha! As I have read too many blogs, Buffet at La Carmela is worth the price of Php350.00

Not so many choices but having a sky's-the-limit mini crabs and shrimps sufficed the amount we paid.

Having a dinner by the beach is romantic but it is more sweeter if you are eating while marvelling the magnificent bursts of colours of the sunset.  Around 7pm, the fire dancers arrived and we watched their performances. After that we ate again and that time I go for the Mongolian bbq. Excellent!

A cheap alternative eatery for a hungry tummy.

MNL Beach Hostel Boracay

ABBEY: We stayed at MNL Hostel on our first 2 nights in Boracay. It is near Bulabog beach and a 15-minute walk from D Mall. We got their suite. As it is a backpacker hostel, our room is the best in building. It has its own toilet and bath, a queen sized bed, and it is on the top most storey. Yes the rate is cheap, but the experience is awesome. 

The wet clothes should be outside your room, toiletries are not included on your payment, no phone to call the front desk, no wifi on your room except for common places. But the staff will guide you and advise you for your itineraries. They will always be available and smile as they greet you. 

Activities like beer pong, billiards and movie night under stars are there. Bike rentals and tour packages are also offered. Fellow backpackers will meet and communicate with you during make-your-own-breakfast buffets. It will make you a free-spirited and a laid back individual.

WILL: We want a cheap accommodation that the quality of service was not compromised. Like other hostel that we booked, MNL Boracay didn't fail us. 

For only Php1,300/night for its air-conditioned deck suite. It includes a queen size bed, towels, flat screen led tv with cable channels, and a breakfast. It offers free wifi at the common areas, billiard and roof deck watching area. 

What I love the most at this hostel? The friendly staffs that will greet your mornings and the ambiance of having a laid-back and happy life. We enjoyed the white beach for just few steps away and the serene grounds of Bulabog beach too. 

Till next time MNL Boracay. Thanks for providing an affordable room for frugal but chic travelers like us.  

SILEO Balamban in Cebu City

ABBEY: Honestly, I forgot the name of the place where this beautiful house is located. But I do know that it is an hour travel from Cebu city proper and you will go up, yes up not north as it is on top of a hill. 

It's a 3-storey house; guest rooms with toilet and bath at level one. Next storey is dining, kitchen and living room. And on the top is a library and the master's bedroom. Since it is on a hill, the second floor acts as the main one. 

A veranda will give you a good view of adjacent hills. In early mornings, fog engulfs this space. There is a nearby restaurant which offers not only food but have "anger and fear management" activities. You can throw a plate on the wall if you're angry or conquer your fear by riding the zipline. The place is very good for relaxing and vacation.

WILL: Hey Cebuanos are you envious of people in Luzon because they have Baguio City? Look no further. You also have Balamban that Manila boys and girls are eyeing for their next vacation trip.

When we get there at Cebu, John’s mom is our host, Mommy Coy. She lent us car and their rest house up above Mount Manunggal for a night. We went there late that we never got a chance to have a glimpse of the whole area. When we arrived at their home, we were shocked to see the food waiting for us. It’s a feast!

The famous lechon Cebu was there, wine, rice and a lot more that our tummies cannot afford to take more. After our dinner we stayed outside for some wine. We talked, laughed and reminisced. It is November and the weather is so freezing cold. The breeze is cold as Baguio City but fresher.

After finishing our drinks we went to our rooms and awed with joy. Shocks! In my head, I am thinking is this a hotel or  just a house? We are so lucky to experienced this stay here! I told to myself by tomorrow I will ask Mommy Coy how much she invested in this magnificent home.

Sun rose and we were all up. Showered and went to Adventure Cafe. After our zip line escapade we went back to the Sileo and saw Mommy Coy. The ever warm and all-smile Mommy Coy. We talked about the house and more plans for the home. We told her that the rest house is awesome and why not help the others to experience also the wonderful time we had while staying in her home. Abbey and I confess that we want also a home that exactly like that. A peaceful home surrounded by green scenery.

Now readers, we are so excited to announce that this resthouse is open for public. Bed and Breakfast Style. We personally recommend for you to stay and know for yourself the amazing and serene time we had in this place.

For more information, please visit SILEO facebook page.