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. 

Starry comfort

The Holiday Inn is located by
the historic Straits of Malacca

Place: MELAKA

Hotel: HOLIDAY INN

Melaka, about an hour and a half south of Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, is one of the its two UNESCO world heritage sites. The Straits of Malacca have been a very crucial route for east Asian economies, and the sense of history is still there, through a lot of museums and ships replicas strewn around this picturesque city, which unsurprisingly also has some old hotels. 

Well, I got to stay in one of the newest. And it was just the best stay I have had a 4-star hotel anywhere. I was very pleasantly surprised by the excellent quality of this Holiday Inn. Holiday Inn anywhere has a winning combination in their colour scheme – white and lime green, which just makes it more soothing to look at. When I looked up this hotel online, I was a little surprised to see it was away from the centre of old Melaka, but then I realized a walk to Jonkers Street is about 15 minutes if you stop and take pictures on the way! Though I later discovered there are shuttles to the old town from the hotel, and from morning to night! 

The infinity pool and the sea beyond. Just spectacular. 

The views are very good, and even though the sea view was amazing from my room, I actually thought the city view is better, just because Melaka is such a heritage town, and it has been done up beautifully, so what if all of it is not authentically antique! It is next to a large mall, and an adjoining night market. As this is one of the tallest buildings in the city, the views from the higher floors are very rewarding. 

It is a largish hotel, 20 stories, 275 rooms and suites. The lobby is huge and welcoming in warm oriental colours. I was fortunate to visit ahead of the Chinese New Year, when it was additionally done up. There is lots of art all across the public spaces in the hotel. 

A view of es.sense

The all day dining, es.sense is again a nice option for meals. I had a sumptuous breakfast, which had Continental and local options. For a large hotel, it wasn’t that crowded either. The gym is large, the Tea Tree Spa very pretty, though did not try, the pool large. It is an infinity pool, facing the sea.

The room was great too. Spacious, well lit naturally. The white bed was good, and the colours watercolours of Melaka contrasted well. Little touches, like a great platform to keep luggage at a good height, added to the pleasure. It has all the requirements of a business hotel. Most important, the net is easy to connect to. TV, pillows, ample docking stations, alarm clocks, easy to figure out switches(!), ironing board, tea maker, slippers, toiletries – all good. As was the staff in general.