Start the day right at The Malayan Plaza

MANILA, Philippines - It goes without saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Warm breads, fresh eggs, a slice or two of ham, bacon or some sausages. How about a light salad instead? Or some fresh fruits straight from the market? Your wish comes true with breakfast made perfect at the Executive Lounge of The Malayan Plaza.

Started last January, the buffet breakfast of The Malayan Plaza in the Ortigas Central Business District is served at the Executive Lounge on the 33rd floor. Exclusive to guests of The Malayan Plaza’s Serviced Residences, the buffet breakfast menu featuring a variety of dishes from Asian to continental is sure to satisfy a discerning multi-cultural palate. The lounge, tastefully designed with modern lines and warm touches of color, is also the perfect place to start your morning in peace and luxury.

Prepared by Executive Chef Nico Jimenez, the buffet breakfast is available from 6 to 10 a.m. Afterwards, the Executive Lounge serves other purposes for the hotel as well. Hotel manager Melisse Salvano says, “After breakfast we are open to private functions, seminars or meetings.”

She continues: “We can do special arrangements and can come up with a special menu.” Meetings and gatherings can accommodate anywhere from 30 to 60 people.

The Executive Lounge actually consists of two floors, with the first floor occupied by the buffet and the seating area, and a second floor with more tables and seats. The space is not small, but it is not overly large either. One would think this a problem for a hotel with over a hundred serviced residences. Not at all. Turnover is high in the morning with guests — usually the business district’s corporate citizens — getting through their food quickly and peacefully before rushing off to their offices located nearby. But there are many reasons for other guests to stay for as long as the buffet is open. Salvano says, “We look at the profile of our guests and make sure we always have something for their tastes.”

The Malayan Plaza follows the Quantum Hotels & Resorts’ successful formula, carried out in its other serviced residences in Makati, of having the right location. Built right at the center of Ortigas within walking distance of numerous business establishments, companies, The Philippine Stock Exchange, hospitals, shopping malls and restaurants, the hotel’s serviced apartments are the perfect home away from home for international and domestic guests doing business in the area. Each serviced apartment is equipped with all the comforts of home, including a kitchenette where guests can cook, coffee and tea-making facilities, and basic dining necessities. The buffet breakfast at the Executive Lounge is free to all of the hotel’s guests.

“The serviced residences have been in operation since May 2006 and we have developed our client base since that time,” Salvano reveals. “(Guests) have come to realize the importance and the convenience of the location of our property since we are really, literally, walking distance to the malls and their offices. The building itself is mixed-use — it’s a mix of residents and hotel guests.”

Food and beverage director Bernie Tapnio says, “The menu at the Executive Lounge changes within a 15-day cycle and covers a broad spectrum of tastes. Sometimes we get a lot of vegetarians, so we make it a point we have all kinds of vegetarian food. But we really don’t put an exact specialty for any particular day. There’s something for everyone.”

Salvano says, “We have six types of bread, three kinds of appetizers, five different cereals, a soup station, three hot dishes, and fruits. We make our own granola.”

This month the Malayan Plaza offers a special treat — “Sizzling Summer Promo” — that has guests getting a taste of the buffet breakfast at the Executive Lounge. Up to April 30, enjoy the buffet breakfast for two, gift certificates at Golden Spoon  and use of the gym and pool for P3,499 on a studio superior room, or P4,199 at a one-bedroom deluxe room. Prior reservation is required by calling The Malayan Plaza at (02) 706-0055.

There’s no better way to start the day right in Ortigas other than with The Malayan Plaza’s buffet breakfast at its Executive Lounge. Try it out and have a wonderful morning.

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The Malayan Plaza Serviced Residences, managed by Quantum Hotels and Resorts, is located at Opal Road cor. ADB Ave., Ortigas Center. For more information, call (632) 706-0055, fax at (632) 635-2969, visit its website at www.themalayanplazahotel.com or its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/themalayanplazahotel. Photos by Fernan Nebres