Viva Vivere

MANILA, Philippines - Down south of Manila, the modern city life and the laid-back charm of rural living have become magnets for big-city dwellers. It is, after all, a change of pace from the usual hectic Metro Manila life. Businessmen and leisure travelers have the same opinion that the south has an abundance of choices. Fact is, practically everyone of them agrees that Vivere Hotel stands head and shoulders above the landscape.

Vivere Hotel has been in the business since 2001 and has retained that distinct warm southern spirit. It was originally built as a business hotel to cater to executives, particularly foreigners, who work in the Calabarzon area. However, it did not take long for Vivere to evolve from business hotel to home away from home.

“The minute you step into the lobby, you will feel that Vivere is more of a home than a hotel,” Vivere general manager Elvie Sanchez-Quiazon begins. “The feeling of warmth is undeniable. Those who travel far will easily feel relaxed with the sound of water rippling, birds chirping, and koi swimming in our pond.”

Vivere has chosen to take a different approach in treating its guests. In fact, Sanchez-Quiazon tells us one does not have to be billeted in the hotel to be treated as one. She explains: “We offer complimentary coffee, tea, and pastries at the lobby. Even if you are just picking up a guest here, you still get those items because we consider you as our guest. That really is what we are about: we make everybody feel at home.”

Vivere is the first accredited five-star deluxe hotel in Alabang, and it is no mystery why. First off, guests can choose from a wide array of guestrooms with each of the 15 room types having a character of its own.

“We are probably the only hotel with the biggest selection of rooms. Even in the 15 room categories, one category has seven types. These rooms have different layouts and design. Each room has a character of its own and a story to tell,” she shares.

She adds that despite the pervading elegance of their rooms, they still retain that down-home ambience with nature-inspired touches that are uniquely Filipino. “We use all-Filipino materials, which is something we are proud of. I believe we are the only five-star hotel with such an arrangement.”

Guests in the penthouse suites at the Executive Floors are pampered with full butler service and presented with special privileges, including exclusive access to the Executive Lounge and all its amenities such as complimentary three-hour use of its meeting rooms, business center, free mini bar items, free laundry and pressing services, and express check-in/check-out, among others.

To go with these accommodations is five-star security, and we are not simply talking about foolproof key cards. Sanchez-Quiazon points out that Vivere is the first and only hotel that uses the security component known as Dial-Lock System in all guest hallways, something which their foreign investor-guests appreciate.

“We put premium on security that is why Vivere has invested so much on them. With the Dial-Lock, a guest cannot gain access to a floor that he does not belong to. So if you are billeted on the 25th floor, you cannot get into another floor that easily,” she says. “If you have visitors but are not yet ready to receive them, they cannot just barge in or knock on your door.”

Instead of a Ving Card, Vivere uses a special mechanical key for the guestrooms. The general manager says the mechanical key is so unique that it is impossible to be duplicated in the Philippines. “It is made in Europe, so guests can rest assured that their room key is truly the only one of its kind,” she says.

Such is their dedication to guest protection that the hotel earned the accreditation of being the first and only five-star deluxe hotel in Alabang to pass the international standards of safety and security of various leading multinational companies.

What would the south be without its gastronomic offerings? Trust Vivere to come up with the goods, with Asian, European and American cuisine served in the first and only al fresco dining in a hotel rooftop. Over at their Skylounge, situated at the 31st floor, the guest is presented with a jaw-dropping view of the entire metropolis. Imagine piling up one’s plate from the buffet breakfast while basking in the sunrise, viewable from the Laguna de Bay. We have to put it in here that Vivere’s Skylounge makes one of the best crispy pata in the south.

“In the evening, you can have a moonlight dinner at the Skylounge. Countless marriage proposals have already happened here,” Sanchez-Quiazon shares. The topmost floor also features the Infinity Pool, the first and only edge pool in Metro Manila.

There is another pool in the premises, the Lama Pool at the fourth floor which has its own bar. She reveals that Vivere is opening a sports bar at the ground floor very soon. It will serve various beverages as well as gourmet sandwiches.

Recreation can also be had at the hotel’s spa, Jacuzzi and sauna, or at the Fitness Edge Gym. Children have their own space here, considered as the first and only kiddie playroom within a hotel in the south.

Vivere can very well claim many exclusive firsts in the south. It has the first and only 24-hour free daily shuttle service within Alabang without a rigid schedule; free parking for in-house guests, visitors, and diners; chapel and a regular Mass service; and choices for welcome amenities. For the latter, guests can select from a fresh fruit platter, rhum and Coke, or San Miguel Beer Grande.

“These unique features may be some of the reasons why we have a steady stream of guests and visitors. All these would be useless if they are not delivered well by the staff. That is why the best compliment we always get concerns our staff. The Vivere staff is the best asset of this hotel. They are here to serve, and to serve exceptionally well. I am proud of my great team,” she gushes.

They are also known to execute various events in style. Weddings, in particular, can be held here at the ballroom, which accommodates 200 guests, or at the more intimate Picasso Room for 60 people.

Vivere’s annual special events have become popular in themselves. They have their most awaited costume contest this coming Halloween as well as the 8th Choir Competition in December where schools and church choirs get the chance to win big cash prizes.

“You should be at the top floor during the New Year’s Eve countdown. You will see the fireworks from all angles and areas in Manila,” she recommends.

Of course, the real fireworks happen every day at Vivere, where guests are dazzled with a great experience, done by way of the south. We take the general manager’s word when she declares, “I am proud of this hotel.”

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Vivere Hotel is located at 5102 Bridgeway Avenue, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. For more information, call 771-7777, e-mail at info@viveresuites.com or log on to www.viverehotel.com.ph