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on Friday, November 29, 2019

It's that time of the year again! Time for the Blogafest, the annual gathering of content creators in the country! Together with the Iligan Bloggers Society fambam, we stayed at the Belmont Hotel. This is my review of my 3D2N stay in this 4-star luxury hotel, which is one of the 2019 winners of the World Luxury Hotel Awards.

To start off, here's a quick video during our stay there:

LOCATION

Belmont Hotel Manila is only a 5-minute walk away from Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3 via the Runway Manila footbridge.

The hotel stands within Newport City in Resorts World Manila, the first integrated tourist destination in the country. Belmont Hotel is right across Marriott Grand Ballroom and a few meters away from Newport Mall and Newport Performing Arts Theater.

ROOM

We stayed in a deluxe room, an air-conditioned room with two single beds, which are very comfortable and with fresh, well-pressed linen. I love that they have extra pillows in the closet should you need them. The room offers premium amenities, such as Belmont Signature green tea bathroom amenities.

The wardrobe closet has a huge space for the luggage, complete with hangers. Bathrobes, bedroom slippers, hairdryer, bottled water (not in plastic; win for the environment!), and coffee and tea-making facilities are also available for the guests.

Other amenities include a 32” LCD TV, in-room personal safe, mini-fridge, and telephone. For those of us who need to catch up with work, there's a full-size executive writing desk in the room, complete with notepad and ball pen. Plus there's wifi connection!

BATHROOM AND TOILETRIES

The toilet and bathroom area is clean, spacious, and well-lit (perfect for bathroom selfies!). Hot and cold shower is available. There are premium green tea toiletries for use. Face, hand, and bath towels are of great quality as well.

Other personal items such as vanity kit, dental care kit, shaving kit, and sewing kit are also provided.

STAFF

We received the warmest welcome when we came in. The check-in process was smooth, and their staff are all smiles and ready to help. Everyone who worked in the hotel is courteous, well-trained, warm and friendly. They are very helpful, attentive, and are quick to respond to our queries and requests.

HOTEL FACILITIES

Guests of the hotel have free access to the swimming pool, gym, and sauna.

TIP: Pack your favorite swimwear and gym clothes (and footwear) should you plan to burn off those excess calories from their breakfast buffet.

BREAKFAST

Speaking of breakfast, there's a breakfast buffet at the Cafe Belmont for guests from 6:00AM to 10:00AM.

There's a wide assortment of breakfast goodies. There are sausages, eggs, noodles, bread, cereals, fruits, salads, pancakes, waffles, French toast, yogurt, oatmeal, and many more.

PRICE

Rate starts at PHP 5,515.14 (6,223.84 Incl. Taxes & Fees) per night. Check room rates and other hotel stay packages here.

WIFI

There is complimentary WiFi internet access in rooms.

IN SUMMARY

PROS:

convenient location; within walking distance to NAIA Terminal 3, shopping destinations, tourist attractions, and transportation access
with complimentary WiFi internet access
spacious bathroom with hot and cold shower
provides premium supplies for personal care and tea fix
pool and gym and sauna access
online booking available

CONS:

WiFi can be a little wonky at times.

BOTTOM LINE:

Overall, I highly recommend staying in Belmont Hotel Manila for your next staycation in Metro Manila. Service is excellent. Location is perfect. Amenities are great.

The hotel is also perfect for quick layovers, especially if you are flying in and out of Manila via NAIA Terminal 3.

With the IBS fam. Thank you, Belmont Hotel!

CONTACT DETAILS:

Belmont Hotel Manila
Newport Boulevard, Newport City
Pasay City, 1309
Philippines
☏ Phone Number: +632 5318-8888 / 7903-1999
☏ Reservations Direct Line: 5318-8815 to 17, 19 and 27
✉ Email: info.manila@thebelmonthotels.com
✉ E-mail for room inquiries: reservations.manila@thebelmonthotels.com
✉ E-mail for restaurant reservations: fnb.reservations@thebelmonthotels.com

GETTING THERE:
Guests can easily access the hotel through Runway Manila, which is within walking distance from NAIA Terminal 3 and the opening skyways of NAIA Terminal 1 and 2. Travelers just need to pass through Runway Manila then brought down via elevator access to get to Belmont Hotel Manila.

Shuttle Bus Services
Belmont Hotel Manila is in partnership with Resorts World Manila in providing complimentary shuttle services to our guests. Transportation service operates 24 hours.

It's that time of the year again! Time for the Blogafest, the annual gathering of content creators in the country! Together with the Il...

on Saturday, November 16, 2019

Sometime last year, together with the Iligan Bloggers Society fambam, we took Air Asia's inaugural flight from Cagayan de Oro City to Iloilo. Okay, out with it: WE WENT WITHOUT A FIXED ITINERARY! 🤦 Let's just say we're spontaneous and adventurous like that, although that's admittedly not 100% true. Haha! We decided to have a chill type of travel and just play it by ear, which basically translates to "we don't have a plan."

So did we see much of Iloilo after all? Here's a quick video of our 48-hour adventure. Read on for more details of our impromptu itinerary.

The Itinerary

Iloilo is all about its rich and colorful history and spectacular architecture. If you have just 48 hours in Iloilo, you need to plan your day in such a way that you enjoy the best of its culture. We have a pretty short checklist: Good food, old churches, and maybe a glimpse of the "new" Iloilo.

Day 1:

📍 Madison Hotel PHL

Our first order of business: Catch some precious zzzzzz's. We checked in at Madison Hotel and rested for a few hours while we crowdsourced how we're spending the next couple of days in the City of Love. We were serious about taking our sweet time and just have a laidback adventure. Haha!

📍 Esplanade Boardwalk, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

Feeling refreshed and well-rested, we stepped out for a sunset walk at the Esplanade Boardwalk. It's where the "I am Iloilo" sign is located. There were tourists and locals in the area -- strolling, jogging, paddle boating, or eating out.

📍 Molo Mansion

We continued our walking adventure to Molo Mansion, which is just across Molo Church and Molo Plaza. The mansion was built in the 1920s and was reopened to the public in 2015 as a cultural souvenir shop (Kultura).

There's also a cafe within the compound, where we tried the authentic Pancit Molo.

Day 2:

For Day 2, we still wanted to keep it easy and chill. We opted to hire a van for an entire day. Quick side note: We contacted the van that brought us from the airport to our hotel the previous day. We told the driver we wanted to go to Garin Farm and then visit some old churches in Iloilo.

📍 Guimbal Vanishing Mansion

On our way to Garin Farm in San Joaquin, we had a quick stopover at Guimbal Vanishing Mansion. Stories have it that at this spot, where a century-old acacia tree and a statue stand, is where taxi drivers have reportedly picked up a white lady, who then directs them to a gate that leads to a mansion.

📍 Garin Farm

Garin Farm Pilgrimage Resort is an inland resort in San Joaquin, Iloilo that integrates agriculture, leisure, and religion. It features a farm, a recreational place with tons of activities, and a pilgrimage site all in one. Shuttles are available for easier access to the key features of the resort.

Garin Farm is famous for its Stairway to Heaven, a 400-plus stairway that represents a journey from the creation to ascension. There is a Divine Mercy Dark Meditation Tunnel on the Pilgrimage Hill that leads to its main attraction, a representation of heaven -- with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, surrounded by angels and saints.

Entrance Fee: Php150

📍 Camposanto De San Joaquin

On our way back to Iloilo City, we had another quick stopover at Camposanto de San Joaquin. It's a Catholic cemetery in San Joaquin, which was designated as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.

📍 Miagao Church

The Santo Tomás de Villanueva Parish Church, or Miagao Church, was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. It was built in a Baroque Romanesque architectural style and was mainly made of adobe, egg, coral, and limestone.

📍 Lunch Stop: Doming's Talabahan

When visiting Iloilo, eating talaba (oyster) is a must. We stopped at Doming's Talabahan, a no-frills eatery located along the national highway of Miagao, for lunch.

Oh, and we found this there:

📍 Guimbal Parish Church

The Parish of St. Nicolas of Tolentino, or Guimbal Church, made of yellow adobe and coral stones, is also one of the oldest churches in the country.

📍 Tigbauan Church

We also dropped by San Juan Sahagun Parish Church, or Tigbauan Church, in the town of Tigbauan, Iloilo. It was built in Spanish Baroque style and features intricate designs in its interior. The biggest mosaic is found on the church’s altar in a dome, showing Jesus and his disciples, heaven, earth, and hell.

📍 Iloilo Business Park

Before heading to our final church stop, we had another quick stopover for a glimpse of the "new" Iloilo. We stopped by Iloilo Business Park and took pictures of Casa de Emperador, which houses the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA), the first museum dedicated to contemporary and modern art in Visayas and Mindanao. We didn't have a chance to get into the museum as we were kind of pressed for time. Saving that for our next visit. :)

📍 Jaro Cathedral Church

We then headed to Jaro Cathedral, which was constructed in the Romanesque Revival style. The facade of the Cathedral features stairs leading to the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Candles.

📍 Souvenir Shopping: Original Deocampo Barquillos

It's Filipino culture to always bring pasalubong. So we made sure to visit this shop in Jaro.

We then went back to the hotel for a quick shuteye and freshen up a bit before heading out for dinner.

📍 Dinner: The Pitstop Restaurant SM City Iloilo Southpoint

For dinner, we wanted something uniquely Ilonggo. We opted for the Pitstop, which serves nearly everything with Guimaras mango -- from pizza to bulalo and sisig. Interesting!

📍 Plazuela Dos
After a very filling dinner, we walked around SM City Southpoint to a nearby Plazuela Dos before heading back to the hotel.

Sticking with our plan of keeping the itinerary chill and easy, we opted to stay in the hotel (while some friends went back to Molo Church) while waiting for our AirAsia flight back to Cagayan de Oro City.

I posted this on my Facebook account right after:

No wonder Iloilo City is called the City of Love: You spend barely 48 hours, yet you fall in love with the city. ❤️

Sometime last year, together with the Iligan Bloggers Society fambam, we took Air Asia's inaugural flight from Cagayan de Oro City to...

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