Bino

Buffet at Cafe Ilang Ilang, Manila Hotel

July 9, 2015 by Bino 2 Comments

A contender for the most underrated hotel buffet in Manila has got to be the Cafe Ilang Ilang, the all-day dining restaurant inside Manila Hotel along Roxas Boulevard. Though a deserving 5-star hotel buffet in its own right, it doesn’t get as much buzz as Makati or Ortigas hotels. During my staycation at Manila Hotel, I finally got to try out the dinner buffet at Cafe Ilang Ilang. Here is what to expect.

Entering the restaurant for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised to see modern and almost hipster-looking decor. It’s certainly not what I had in mind for a traditional sounding name like Cafe Ilang Ilang.

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The Definitive Guide to Nobu Hotel Manila in City of Dreams

July 3, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

Manila has seen a boom in hotel openings in recent years with several established hotel chains adding properties in the city. Part of this is due to the rise of integrated resorts and casinos – like those in Solaire or Resorts World Manila – which has led to a rapid change in the local hospitality scene. The newest integrated resort to open this year – City of Dreams Manila – comes with three new hotels. Namely, these are Nobu Hotel, Crown Towers and Hyatt. I was most curious to check out the Nobu Hotel Manila, the hospitality arm of the famous celebrity restaurant, Nobu. The property in Manila is just the second such hotel to open in the world which makes it really special as it brings about an experience that cannot be had elsewhere in Asia.

Everyone seems to be well aware of this unique selling point and it was quite evident when I was at Nobu Hotel Manila just earlier this week. When I entered the hotel lobby for the first time, I witnessed a large group of staycationers checking out. Business has been brisk for the property since it opened, with weekends typically booked out. My stay was for Sunday-Monday which fortunately was much quieter.

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Travel Guide: Bataan – From Balanga to Bagac

June 27, 2015 by Bino 12 Comments

One of the most popular weekend and holiday destinations for those living in Manila and a must-see for World War II history buffs, the province of Bataan has only quite recently entered the mainstream, thanks to new investment in hospitality and recreation.

I remember Bataan from when we used to venture out some 20 to 25 years back to Montemar Beach Club, one of the more decent beaches within a 2.5 hour radius from Metro Manila. I had not been back to Bataan until this year to check out some interesting restoration of heritage architecture in some places. Here were some of the places I discovered:

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Hotel Jen Manila – Great Value and Pleasantly Surprising

June 26, 2015 by Bino 2 Comments

Looking at Hotel Jen Manila (the former Traders Hotel Manila) from the outside, one would be forgiven to skip the unassuming facade while speeding past Roxas Boulevard. The Hotel Jen name is at once mysterious as it is seemingly disproportional to the mature building that houses it. Following a global rebranding effort by the Shangri-la group, almost all Traders hotels were renamed to Hotel Jen as part of efforts to effectively segment the two brands under the group. The name Jen is meant to exude a youthful and travel-savvy persona, in effect contrasting nicely with the Himalayan luxury that the Shangri-la flagship brand is supposed to imbibe.

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A Humongous 8,000 Square Meter Ballroom Just Opened & It’s at Marriott Manila

June 25, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

Trust the Marriott for doing things in a big way! The hotel group, through its property within Resorts World Manila, the Marriott Manila, just opened the largest ballroom in the Philippines with a total of 8,000 square meters of function space. The complex has several spaces for meetings and celebrations, from intimate meeting rooms to the grand ballroom with a capacity for 4,000 guests, a 3,000 square meter hall that’s so long it can probably double as a racing track. It really is a new step for the fledgling MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) industry in the Philippines with a new venue like this.

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Kitsho at Hotel Jen Manila – A Must-Try Japanese Restaurant

June 24, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

If I based my choices on what my family or friends recommend, I probably wouldn’t have come across Kitsho, the unassuming Japanese restaurant located inside the recently rebranded Hotel Jen Manila (former Traders Hotel Manila) along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City. The Ermita and Malate area is of course, quite famous for standalone Japanese restaurants which on paper sounds like a good location for another Japanese eatery.

I managed to try Kitsho during a recent stay at Hotel Jen Manila and I must say, this is one undervalued place for Japanese food! Entering Kitsho for the first time, I noticed the interiors were pretty humble – just the standard that one would expect for a Japanese restaurant sans the fancy lighting or artwork. The main thing to focus here is the food, without the other distractions.

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Hotel Review: Plaza Hotel Balanga – Accessible Luxury at the Heart of Balanga’s Plaza Mayor

June 23, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

The humble, newly proclaimed city of Balanga is probably not a place where one would expect to find a boutique hotel of international standards. Relatively untouristed, Balanga has a population of less than 100,000 and is often a transit point for those heading to the tourist attractions of Bataan. It was actually by accident that I discovered The Plaza Hotel in Balanga, Bataan. I was reading about how the plaza mayor or the central square of Balanga, Bataan was being spruced up to look similar to those in Spain when I chanced upon the property. Located right smack at the plaza mayor, the hotel facade was constructed in the Spanish colonial style and looks especially atmospheric in the evenings when floodlit.

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New Italian Flavors at EDSA Shangri-la’s Paparazzi

June 17, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

For a populace that that enjoys homey Italian dishes such as spaghetti and pizza, it is no surprise that those living in Metro Manila have a wide array to choose from when it comes to Italian cuisine. The degree of sophistication is quite impressive considering the number of expats (including expat chefs) here trails in comparison to other Southeast Asian capitals. One doesn’t have to look far for a decent plate of Risotto or a hearty serving of my favorite Italian dish, Osso Buco.

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