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Friday, March 29, 2024

The suite-est of them all

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The presidential suites of hotels are expected to be the biggest, the grandest, the best equipped rooms in the house, and having been involved this long with our country’s Tourism Industry, I’ve seen the presidential suites of all five-star hotels in Metro Manila, including those in some of the other major cities.  I must hasten to add that none of them has fallen short of my expectations.

When Conrad Manila entered the local scene, it immediately established itself to be a class above the rest.  Aside from its ultra de luxe facilities and service, people are fascinated by its unique cruise ship-like façade, perfect for its location by the Manila Bay. The hotel maximizes its “ownership” of the calming and de-stressing view of the Bay, and this is evident wherever you are in the hotel—at the lobby, inside the guest rooms, having a meal at any of its restaurants, or enjoying a drink at the bar.  The breathtaking view gives the hotel its “Wow” factor.

So, when I received the invitation to the inauguration of the hotel’s Presidential Suite, in celebration of its first anniversary, I made sure I marked it on my calendar.  I was eager to see how the hotel’s prime guest room would match up to or surpass, if ever, those of the other hotels in its category.  Well, I wasn’t disappointed.  In fact, I found myself raving about it even when I was already back home.

Conrad Manila’s Presidential Suite is on the topmost floor (7th) of the hotel, and boasts of two bedrooms, a study, two terraces and a private pool, all providing an unobstructed view of the Bay.  It covers 1000 square meters, a little less than half of it is indoors and the rest is outdoors. Its interior’s curved lines, rounded forms, high-gloss timber and lacquers and polished metal finish give one the feeling of being inside an exclusive super yacht.  

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Even before you enter, you will immediately have an indication of its size because of the very spacious entrance Foyer meant to accommodate security processes or the customary official protocol for heads of state, industry leaders or the most discerning travelers and guests.

Entering the main door puts you in the short corridor leading to the very spacious living room, with its ceiling, walls and custom furnishings employing organic lines and soft, rounded forms that complement the magnificent view of the bay from anywhere in the room.  

The dining room features fabric-wrapped silk panels with gold thread and a large custom timber and crystal modern chandelier.  The oval dining table has settings for ten people but it is so big, it can easily accommodate double that number.  My friends and I can lay claim to the fact that we were the first ones to use it while enjoying the wide array of delicious finger food and overflowing drinks during the inaugural.

The wide expanse of the outdoor terrace is so tempting that every guest had to check it out as soon as he or she saw it from the living room.  Its large curved lounge area with circular sun loungers can easily hold 100 guests for a party, and there would still be much room to move about in.  With the wind blowing from all directions and the in-your-face mesmerizing view of Manila Bay, this has got to be the best part of the suite!   

Already impressed by the sheer size of the terrace, I was even more impressed when I saw the large private pool right next to it.  One has to take a few steps up to get to the pool, and anybody doing several laps in it would have a good view of the entire terrace, plus the stunning expanse of iconic Manila Bay.  Certainly, such visual treat will give anyone the drive to do more laps in the pool or just lounge around in any of the oversized poolside sofas to soak in the sun or just plainly relax.

I was curious about the master’s bedroom so I made sure I checked out its every nook and cranny.  It has a polished modern look and soft glamour with organic, glossy forms, upholstered ceilings and walls, and pale finishes.  The king-sized bed looks out into the terrace and the Bay through the floor-to-ceiling glass wall, beside which is a glass door providing easy access to the terrace.  At the foot of the bed is the 50-inch flat screen TV, which is electronically hidden inside a console.  But what I found interesting was its Bathroom.

The 1,000-square meter Presidential Suite of Conrad Manila, located on the topmost floor, boasts of two bedrooms, a study, two terraces, and a private pool—all providing an unobstructed view of the stunning Manila Bay 

First of all, let me say this—I’ve never seen a bigger bathroom than this one.  It is as large, or maybe even larger, than a regular sized guest room of any hotel!  It has a hydrotherapy shower separate from the bath, a whirlpool and in-mirror TVs.  Here’s the nice part—the stand alone bathtub is right beside the panoramic window facing the rest of the hotel guest rooms and the bay.  So, go figure, if you want to be naughty or nice!

The well-designed guest room is across the corridor from the master’s bedroom and is larger than the regular room of other hotels.  It has the same de luxe furnishings as those in the master’s bedroom, and offers a diagonal view of the bay.   

Another impressive part of the presidential suite is the executive study room with its upholstered walls.  It is large enough to have living-room furniture set for private meetings.  It has a large desk with an avant-garde-designed chair, and lacquered built-in shelves that add to the room’s subdued sophistication.  I could spend hours in that room and enjoy myself all throughout.  

The ceremonial ribbon cutting of the Presidential Suite inauguration was officiated by Director of Business Development Mike Albana, Senior Vice President Peggy Angeles, General Manager Harald Feurstein, and Director of Operations Leo Holli

As a Cebuano, I was very happy to learn all the furniture sets in the suite were handcrafted by Cebuano manufacturers.  I’ve always marveled at the creativity of my fellow Cebuanos.  This pride of place became more prominent many, many years ago, while going around a furniture shop in New York where on display were expensive and beautiful sets imported from Cebu.  I saw the same thing at a swanky furniture store in Beverly Hills, California.  All that genius and creativity from Cebuano minds!  It must be the corn, or the sauce-less lechon we eat!

The suite’s affordable price of “only P300,000” per night, plus tax and service charge, gives you access to all the aforementioned luxuries, express check-in and check-out, complimentary buffet breakfast, refreshments throughout the day, evening cocktails, and the services of a personal butler, with a kitchenette as work area.  

Conrad Manila’s Presidential Suite has definitely raised the bar of excellence and quality of hotel suites hereabouts.  If the Presidential Suites of our five-star hotels were likened to various delicious fruits in an orchard, and I was made to choose one, I’d go for Conrad Manila’s…it’s The Suite-est Of Them All!

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

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