Jade Hotel and Suites: A Special Valentine's Day Family Staycation

Wazzup Pilipinas!

I thought my Valentine's Day would be the typical dinner and movie date with the wife but luck seems to be always on my way recently. Valentine's Day for me and my wife, as well as my three children, was made even more special after we got an opportunity to have a family staycation at one of the hotels located in Makati.

I've been itching to try an overnight stay at the Jade Hotel and Suites since a few months ago after I learned the owner was a friend but it was only this February that I finally got to talk with the hotel manager. I was sort of so busy with my weekends since its the travel season and they would normally schedule the sponsored trips during weekends to accommodate those who are working during weekdays.

What made the opportunity more amazing was that the hotel was just a few steps away from the Media Resource Plaza building where the Radyo Inquirer DZIQ 990 AM radio station was located. It is where I would sometimes join in on the broadcast whenever I'm free. Unfortunately, the out-of-town travel, events and hotel reviews made me miss the Vigattin radio show which was scheduled every Saturday from 10 to 11 am. That Saturday was very convenient since I get to drop off my family at the hotel before showing up at the radio station, then easily walking back to the hotel to join my family for lunch.

Jade Hotel and Suites is a 9-storey contemporary designed condotel with 41 sophisticated rooms consisting of comfy beds and furniture, and boasts of an Infinity Pool with a view of the Makati skyline, free Wi-Fi Internet access, a resto bar and grill called Infinity, and complimentary buffet breakfast for every overnight stay. It's located at 1120 Don Chino Roces Avenue (formerly Pasong Tamo) Makati city.

 

 

Our Valentine's Day family Staycation began as we took our first steps inside the hotel. The hotel manager, Ms. Lene Ramirez, approached us with a welcoming smile and invited us to the Upper Deck for breakfast while her staff prepared our room. We didn't expect to have breakfast that day since we were supposed to check in at 2 pm but since I wanted to join the radio show which starts at 10 am, we arrived at the hotel earlier before 10 am. It was an amazing buffet breakfast: champorado, danggit, egg omelet, sweet ham, pancakes with maple syrup, fried rice, beef tapa, as well as hot coffee and iced tea.

 

 

Since it was Valentine's Day, the girls were all given roses as complimentary gifts from the hotel.

From the Upper Deck, we could see the Infinity pool and the buildings nearby. But even though we were already tempted to try out the Infinity pool, it was not yet time to dip into its waters. We had to resist the temptation for later. It can wait since we still have time until tomorrow morning.

 

After our breakfast, we immediately went to our room. The cold air from the air-conditioning touched our skin when we went inside the room. The room had one bedroom and three improvised beds for the children. It had a bathroom with shower, a mini kitchen with refrigerator, cabinets to put our stuff in, complimentary waters, slippers, toothpastes, soaps, and shampoos. Since there was an LED television, our children were able to watch their favorite television programs on cable TV while some of us browsed the internet using our smartphones, tablets and laptop. The Wi-Fi Internet connection of the hotel was really fast, so my children grabbed the opportunity to watch their favorite Anime series on their respective handheld gadgets.

It was already midday when the phone rang; it was the manager telling us that our lunch was ready. Arriving at the Upper Deck once again, three kinds of dishes were served. Served on our table were Filipino dishes Pork Sinigang, Kare-Kareng Lechon Kawali, (Crispy Fried Pork and Vegetables in Peanut Sauce) and Pork Binangoongan (Pork cooked with fermented shrimp paste or 'bagoong'); the latter being introduced and served in English by the waitress, providing a good laugh. A couple of minutes later, my two boys and I did some sight-seeing and swimming at the Infinity pool, whereas my daughter and her mother proceeded back to our room and continued with their respective activities.

Up on the 7th floor of the Jade Hotel and Suites is their fabulous Infinity Pool, undoubtedly the very highlight of the hotel. My kids and I spent an entire afternoon swimming in its waters and admiring the view of the buildings within that part of the city of Makati.

With waters as deep as 5.5 feet, that depth just about sinks us under its waters so most of us stayed on the 3 feet deep part of the pool. We would have stayed longer but when more people came in to enjoy the pool as well, we had to go back to our room since the new hotel guests started to become a little bit rowdy. Some of them were running at the edge of the pool beside its glass walls which was quite a dangerous thing to do.

 

 

Miss Lene, the Hotel Manager, had to come into the pool area to warn them about how unsafe their action was. But when she left, the guests were back to being naughty again. It seems you can't really help yourself having fun in the pool. My two boys and I went back to our rooms to join their mother and sister.

We felt comfy, cool, and entertained all throughout the day; however, we were too excited to go back to the Upper Deck to enjoy the special event later that night – the Valentine’s Day Dinner Show. The view at the Infinity Pool area also becomes more spectacular at night when all the lights are turned on and you get to see the Makati skyline with all the building lights lit. But the main destination that night was at the Infinity restaurant for the Valentin's Day Dinner Show so no night time swimming for us.

 

The lighting of the restaurant this time was dark with a few candles lighting the tables. The place was decorated with red roses, rose petals and heart-shaped images aiming to set a romantic ambiance. The menu consisted of Clam Chowder (entrée), the choice of either Tomato Basil Pasta or Carbonara (main), Beef Tenderloin Steak (main), Fruit Punch (drinks) and Bread Pudding a la Mode (dessert). The food was so filling that we were not able to finish everything on our plate.

 

Three performers were also onstage, performing valentine songs requested by their audience, one of whom was my daughter. She requested that they sing the song, “Forevermore” by Side A. The whole family was smiling as the song was being performed by the talented group. It was indeed a lovely song fitting for such a romantic night.

We wanted to finish the dinner show but my kids wanted to go back to our room to rest. We all lay ourselves in our respective relaxing mattresses, reminiscing what we have experienced throughout the day. We cuddled with the soft pillows and embraced our fluffy blankets as we slept.

The next day, my daughter and I were the first ones to wake up. The two boys were still under the sweet enchantment of sleep. I guess the beds were so cozy that they could sleep that long. Meeting Ms. Lene again after breakfast, we bid our grateful goodbyes to this amazing place called Jade Hotel and Suites, with the aspiration to return and experience it once again.

The hotel is highly recommended for an affordable overnight stay especially for short stays and transients. It may not be as luxurious and spacious as the other hotels we had a staycation, but the Infinity pool and buffet breakfast was among the reasons why it's value for your money. Normally small hotels would not have a pool and would only serve plated meals for breakfast.

But I guess the other reason why it's so pleasant to stay at the hotel is because of their warm and friendly management and staff who are all willing to help out and be of service whenever we need them especially during photo ops with the entire family.

Get to know more about Jade Hotel and Suitesfrom their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jadehotelandsuites

For inquiries and reservation please contact 890-0686 / 890-0691 / 890-0710 / 890-0711

You may also visit their official website at www.jadehotelandsuites.com