The new weekend buzz: Petstaycation
My late father, Vincent “Ting” Dayrit, used to say, “To each man his own madness.” Every obsession one indulged in was a special treasure worth remembering, avoiding or even emulating. I claim I have my own “madness,” which is discovering luxury hotels here and abroad.
This weekend, however, I had a different experience, as my two puppies Choco and Felizia were lovingly welcomed in the posh boutique property called Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery located in Roxas Boulevard, Manila. This petstaycation for dog and cat furbabies who are an integral part of solo individuals, couples and families is their newest offering in this part of town. They welcome their VIPs, meaning Very Important Pets, with a kind of treatment filled with love, kindness and compassion for our lovable furbabies.
This staycation for my friends and I turned out to be a most refreshing experience in the newest addition in the Philippines to the internationally acclaimed Accor Hospitality group and the largest international hotel operator in Southeast. Newly opened in July this year, Admiral Hotel Manila - MGallery is a cozy, luxurious hotel. Its sister hotels include Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel and Novotel, to name a few. The hotel is inspired by Filipino-Spanish and art deco style, evoking French elegance and serving as a portal to Manila’s golden era. Their pet-friendly offers turned our staycation into a paw-some stay as well.
From the moment we embarked from our vehicle in the hotel entrance, we were led to the reception counter where we enjoyed our ice-cold fresh juice. Together with my furbabies, my friends Edwin Santos, Mel Martinez, and I experienced a warm and gracious welcome. We secured a guide for the VIPs (Very Important Pets) that specified their rules. Among these rules is only one dog is allowed in the room, except for the Executive suite where you can have two “babies.” Also, a registered adult fur-parent must accompany the pet at all times. Pets must be on a leash and carrier at all times in all public areas. A pet dog hanger is to be kept on the door always to indicate a pet is in the room. My puppies Choco and Felizia had their own passports with their photos, personalized greeting cards, dog bowls and a specially curated pet-friendly menu. Dressed in their Sunday best, Choco and Felizia basked in the comfort of our Executive room.
The attention to detail shown by the pet-lover team of Admiral Hotel Manila - MGallery is worth commending. Upon entering our impressive and well-appointed room, excitement and joy became evident as we read the welcome cards for our dogs. The comfortable beds and the gold-laden bathrooms with classy and elegant fixtures greeted us and the bright red couch blended with the bright and happy fixtures. The father-daughter tandem of Choco and Felizia enjoyed the super comfortable and fluffy pillows and comforters so much, they didn’t want to leave the room.
Many thanks to marketing communications manager Katrina Nocom and graphic artist Charmaine Briones who arranged our delightful “petstaycation” with our furbabies. Today, Admiral Hotel - MGallery is my favorite luxury place in Manila.
American writer Thom Jones said, “Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them, filling the emptiness we didn’t even know we had.” In Admiral Hotel Manila - MGallery, your pets can have their own bed, unlimited water and a lot of snacks. Their pet-friendly menu is full of treats cooked and baked by their chefs to ensure the wellbeing of your furry friends. All dishes are grain- and gluten-free. Choose from these delicious “Dog Chows”: there’s Itsy Bitsy Beef Stew, which is lean beef slowly cooked with sweet potatoes and peas; Mad About Chicken, which is lean chicken breast with liver stewed with apples, bone broth and carrots; and there’s also Frap To Surf, which is lean beef, salmon with beef bone broth and green beans. And for treats, they have pumpkin and carrot cookies and apple and cinnamon cookies. The thirst quenchers include unlimited water and free-range chicken bone broth.
A gateway to the city’s vibrant past and present, the reimagined Admiral Hotel Manila - MGallery is designed to evoke Manila’s Golden Age. Spanish and Filipino designs epitomize this splendid boutique hotel that captures the spirit of Old Manila and modern refinement. Worth noting that this hotel features impressive views of Manila Bay and the dramatic world-renowned Manila Bay sunset. All of their 123 rooms of bespoke luxury have a significant story. They also have several restaurants serving international and local fare, cocktails, spectacular buffets and even party vibes replete with DJs. Choose from their Admiral Club Manila Bay, El Atrio Lobby Lounge, Coconut Grove and soon-to-open Ruby Wong’s Godown. We enjoyed the contemporary rooftop pool bar offering an array of amazing cocktails at the Coconut Grove located on the ninth floor. At the Admiral Club Buffet Restaurant, we savored their sumptuous breakfast buffet that includes continental items, French pastries, cold cuts, cheeses, sushi, omelets, congee, dimsum, noodles and fruits. For wellness and fitness, they also have the chic Parisian-style Admiral Spa offering hammam baths among other rejuvenating treatments, state-of-the-art gym and indoor salon with cosmetic treatments and hairstyling for men and women.
It is in this impressive setting, replete with all the fragrant organic amenities by Appelles and Cinq Mondes, Nespresso coffee machines, TWG tea sets and more than one can have their enjoyable staycations or petstaycations. With such experiences offered, how can one even consider leaving? If this is some kind of madness, then I certainly want to be a part of it.
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For more information pls call tel: +632 5318 -9000/ +63917-8636614 or send an email to H9338-RE1@accor.com
Email the author at miladay.star@gmail.com
