Halo from Hyatt

Place: MANILA

Hotel: HYATT

I guess one can judge the efficiency of a hotel if one has checked in and out of the same hotel thrice each in a span of ten days. Well, I had to do that on a recent trip to Philippines, and was based in the Hyatt in Manila on Pedro Gill and close to the waterfront. The location is convenient if you want to be in the downtown, or are a tourist. For those coming for the SMX Convention Centre, it is not far, but the traffic can be dampener.  It is just two blocks from a Robinson’s Place, so great of you want to shop or dine out. If you are in the mood for a stroll, beware of being propositioned in the streets around! 

It is a tower hotel, with rooms beginning from level four. The lobby is business like, with no seating spaces. That said, there are excellent restaurants around the corner from the lobby, and a corridor leading to the casino just a few seconds from the main lobby. I guess the hotel does not want its guests to linger! The staff is ok, not overfriendly, but helps whenever required. Check in was not fast! 

There are a few dining options at the hotel to choose from. The Lounge has live music, the Pastry Boutique is cute and has a fair range, while seafood aficionados can enjoy Fireplace. For me the best was Market Café, which had live show kitchens for a number of Asian cuisines – Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and of course Filipino. Yes, the omelette, pizza, waffles, toast sections were all present and extensive and the breakfast spread made for a great start to the day. Loved the halo halo! The lunch buffet was nice too, though not as spectacular as breakfast one. 

I stayed in three different rooms, all on different floors, and even of different layout! The rooms however were uniformly nice, though unexciting in any way. Standard, but no individuality, and there are better Hyatts around. Of course a higher floor eg 32 offered a better view a lower one, and there are some bay view rooms, though view isn’t that great. The rooms are adequate provisioned, from bathing facilities to net requirements. Not to forget the 32 inch LCDs, with a fair number of international channels. The baths are quite deep, so beware. Also, the lighting in one of the rooms was fairly dim, and lent a depressing look.