We were at the US Embassy so after our morning there, we decided to have breakfast at Apt 1B which was nearby already. We wanted to see the new Henry Hotel by Hanky and Christine and Apt 1B operates the coffeeshop of the hotel. It is by the reception area- look for the secret door 🙂
Serving only the best tea 🙂
Organic Pancakes 🙂
Click below to go to their website for more info
There are three kinds of villas in Banyan Tree – depending on what view you like 🙂 Beachfront for beach 🙂 Lagoon Villa for Lagoon and mountain and Hillside Villa which is in the hill 🙂 and overlooking the beach and the whole resort
Lagoon Villa – Each villa has a bike which you can use around the resort. You can also call the golf car if you are lazy to bike! haha!!
Hillside Villa – one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom. This is really beautiful since it is on the mountain but its a bit far from the beach 
Beachfront Villa
Click below to go to their website
Another beautiful place discovered!!! This time in Central Vietnam. If you want solitude, peace, relaxation and time away from the world, this is a good place to be 🙂 It’s an hour and a half from Danang airport and there is nothing around the place, so you have no choice but to stay and just relax haha!!
I love the lanterns!!! This area is the land of the lanterns because they are near Hoi An where all the lanterns are manufactured
There are two scenes here from the resort – Mountain and Sea – You can choose which side you prefer 🙂
Click below to go to their website
We wanted to stay in Park Hyatt hotel but it was under renovation. So we stayed in Intercontinental Asiana which was also a bit in renovation mode but it was very okay. We enjoyed our stay and the location is quite good since we just walked to the places we wanted to go to
Arrived in Ho Chi Minh and stayed at the Intercontinental Asiana Hotel
Love the Vietnamese hat 🙂 they used it to put the fruits
Logo being trimmed in the garden below 🙂
Click below to go to their website
There is only one suite (A Villa) in Azumi Hotel which is on the rooftop / penthouse floor (17th flr). This is where we stayed. It is by the hotel pool and has a 360 degree view. As I feature this, this has been removed already so we are lucky to have stayed here. Romulo Cafe will turn it into a restaurant or rooftop bar. Construction started right after we checked out a few weeks ago
View from the villa
The pool is actually open to all the hotel residents so during the day there are a lot of people in the pool. So there is not much privacy in the A Villa but at 10pm – the pool is closed so the whole top floor is yours
Looking into the A Villa 🙂 It’s the living room and dining table with kitchen -On the other side is the view on the other side of the building which is a more private balcony – no one can go to that balcony. The hubby is working again on our staycation haha!!
here it is- living room and dining room
Bedroom
Love the view from the bathroom
Spacious closets
Visitor # 1 , bestfriend Eds who is always in the Alabang area showing houses to clients! So glad she passed by
Of course, drinks from brother in law, Steve of Sola and Stellina’s 🙂 Inside the refrigerator 
More visitors at night 🙂 Ned, Janet, Josh, Jinggoy, Fia, Pao and Trina. We had the whole roughneck to ourselves from 10 pm onwards
I love staycations, but mostly I like discovering nice places around the city. Going to Alabang is quite far for me already so for me it’s a getaway to go there and I am happy there are some nice places to go to like Azumi. Thank you to Chris and Patty for hosting us in their beautiful boutique hotel.
Azumi Boutique Hotel at Madrigal Business Park Alabang. Just look for the black building. Originally Chris built this as a condo building to be sold to individuals but last minute saw the demand for hotels in the area so he converted it. It’s a 3-star hotel conveniently located – very near Molito and Ayala Alabang Towncente
Interiors by the Almario sisters
Nail Spa by the lobby owned by the sister of Chris – our friend Cherina
We toured the rooms
On each floor of the hotel as the elevator opens is a panel which looks like an artwork but is really textured tiles by Ecocarat. A brand of tiles which the owner of Azumi, Chris Chilip, brings in from Japan. It absorbs harmful substances, moisture and odors. ECOCARAT is a revolutionary natural ceramic tile for interior wall surfaces. Designed for surfaces not subject to becoming wet, INAX succeeded in developing a completely new building material that provides functional and aesthetic features beyond conventional tiles. By controlling room humidity, odors and harmful substances, ECOCARAT fosters healthful and comfortable living at a level unmatched by other wall surfacing products.
There are 187 rooms in Azumi Boutique Hotel with 17 rooms per floor. My favorite is on the 5th floor- the Garden rooms which has a balcony/garden. It also has a daybed for an extra person or just as a sofa. ?Room rates range from around P2,700 to P3,500 per night. I heard that when there is brownout, the residents of the villages look for hotels to stay in and this is one of the options 🙂
More Ecocarat walls in the rooms
Garden Villa
Balcony of the Garden Villa seen from a higher floor
Each has a kitchenette. Originally this building was supposed to be sold as condos but eventually they decided to make it a hotel due to the demand in the area.
Click below to go to their website for more information
I visited the office of Horizon Homes in Shangri-la Hotel Makati
And you can get a glimpse of how the interiors of the development will be.
The interiors of Shangri-la at the Fort are by Manny Samson. Manny Samson lived in LA for two decades and came back to live in Asia. He has done several projects all over the world, majority of which are in Asia. To name a few, St. Regis and Ritz Carlton in Bali, Shangri-la Mactan, Solaria Resorts and Casino and many more. He does only resorts and hotels. His style is subtle luxury. And according to Julie, there will be many Filipino materials and designs used in the development. Subtle luxury =class = Shangrila-la. This is my friend Julie who is the Director of Sales and Marketing for this development
Beautiful Chandelier that will be in the lobby of the hotel
Pina barong material framed 
Beside the hotel will be the residential part of the development and it is called Horizon Homes
Subtle luxury is like this beautiful Mother of Pearl handle on the drawer of the cabinet 
The other office of Horizon Homes
Julie beside the model of Shangrila at the Fort
In exactly a year from now, the Horizon Homes will be turned over to the unit buyers and it will be 20 floors of residential condos with 98 units which includes the Penthouse unit. This will be on top of 41 floors of Shangri-La at the Fort. We are looking forward to this new development because for sure this will be a beautiful one. The Kwoks are very hands on for this project so you can be assured of the quality that Shangri-la is known for. 
There will be a mall and a fitness club ( Kerry Sports )
Interiors by Manny Samson. I like his concept of subtle luxury – it means beauty with class. It means beauty without having to scream or brag about it. It’s there but in a humble and quiet way. 
Common area where the pool will be. There will be function rooms which you can rent out to have private dinners and entertain guests
If you are interested, give Julie a call. They just opened up two more floors for sale. This will be a very exclusive residence in the Fort
I’ve always dreamt of living in Rockwell. It’s true when they say “Be careful what you wish for….dream for… or even worse …pray for!” Because today my dream came true 🙂 I just checked in Aruga services apartments at the Edades Tower for a staycation and it’s so nice!!!!
Aruga in Filipino means “exceptional care” I love it here.
I like serviced residences because it’s like staying in a hotel but in a more spacious and it’s more relaxed environment because it’s like your home…. and without having to pay suite prices 🙂
We stayed in a two bedroom so this is the other room
And this is the Master Bedroom
They have a golf car to take you around Rockwell 🙂
My gosh! They even have an IT guy on standby. Very important for me! haha!! Good thing he gave me access for 5 devices haha!! 
The beautiful swimming pool of Edades Tower and Garden Villas which is shared with the Aruga Serviced Apartments – 3rd level. We had a wonderful stay. I want to live in Rockwell!!! 
Very important! 🙂 Access to the mall right across 
Secret passage from and to the Powerplant mall and Aruga serviced apartments.
You need your apartment key as access so it’s safe plus there’s a security guard it’s right beside The Marketplace by Rustan’s so it’s so convenient!!! Love it here! Wait didn’t I just say that? 🙂
C lick below to go to their website for more information
Staycation is the “in” thing now 🙂 I am definitely joining this trend! haha!! Checked in Bellevue Manila in Alabang. After a wonderful experience in Bellevue Resort in Bohol,
Previous entry: Bellevue Resort Bohol February 23, 2014
I had no hesitation to try out the Manila Hotel
There are two wings in this hotel- Main Tower and Tower Wing
Two bedroom suite 
No need to go to the Spa because the Spa can go to you!
Second bedroom which is a connecting room to the suite 
Each tower has its own pool. This is in the Main Tower 
Where there is a Jing Monis Salon 🙂
Fitness center
The other pool in the Tower Wing
Click below to go to their website for more information
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