2024-05-12 03:48:58
‘Dong-A’.com ‘Review’ vividly conveys directly experienced ‘customer experience’. It covers all customer experiences around us, including products, spaces, culture, and art.
If a traveler who has fully enjoyed the Philippines’ nature, including its clear turquoise sea and lush jungles, wants to enjoy a city atmosphere, Manila is the place to go. You can enjoy everything in Manila, from the ‘Greenbelt‘ where various brand shops are located to hotels with spas and entertainment facilities such as casinos.
In particular, it is an advantage for those in the ‘hotel + vacation’ group to be able to stay in a 5-star hotel at a cheaper price than in Korea. In the case of ‘Marriott Hotel Manila’, it is connected to Ninoy Aquino International Airport and has excellent accessibility. It is a 15-minute walk from the airport terminal 3. You can also use the free shuttle bus provided by the hotel.
![Swimming while looking at the sky and drinking ‘Iron Man’ whiskey… Manila hotels near local restaurants[동아리]](https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2024/05/09/124837701.2.jpeg "Swimming while looking at the sky and drinking ‘Iron Man’ whiskey… Manila hotels near local restaurants[동아리]")
Marriott Hotel Manila is connected not only to the airport, but also to Newport World Resort, a cultural complex resort with several hotels and various restaurants.
At the resort, you can enjoy shopping, casinos, and room escape games. Live performances and concerts will also be held. There is also a space decorated like an outdoor garden reminiscent of Venice, Italy. Signs within the resort are also written in Korean for Korean tourists.
You can also see works by Filipino artists. On this day, artist Leeroy New’s installation caught my eye. Artist New is famous for his large-scale creations using recycled and reused plastic as decoration. The ‘Bamboo Cave’, which he created by weaving bamboo and plastic and using colorful neon signs, caught the attention of passing visitors. There are a lot of things to see indoors, so you can enjoy your trip regardless of the dry or rainy season.
How to relieve fatigue… Comfortable bed and sunset pool
The first impression of a hotel is usually determined by the lobby. When you enter the lobby of the ‘West Wing’ building, which has a total of 570 rooms, you are greeted by lush green windows.
The Premium King room has a modern interior and is equipped with a spacious bathroom, king-size bed, sofa, and television.
Room service is available 24 hours a day, so you can order anytime if you want a late-night snack or need an early breakfast before your flight. If you order the ‘Marriott Burger’, you will receive a burger consisting of a patty, bacon, lettuce, cheese, etc. and a burger topped with pickled cucumbers. It was a ‘sweet and salty’ (sweet and salty) combination with the yellow watermelon juice that I ordered separately.
The outdoor swimming pool on the top floor of the West Wing is the perfect place to wash away your travel fatigue. You can enjoy a refreshing cocktail while sitting on a sun lounger at the pool with a panoramic view of downtown Manila. Especially if you visit at sunset, the sky becomes even more beautiful. It’s close to the airport, so you can occasionally see planes taking off. If you don’t enjoy playing in the water, you can also relax in the sauna and jacuzzi next to the pool.
There is a fitness center on the same floor as the swimming pool that is available 24 hours a day. If you want to stay in shape while traveling or don’t want to miss out on muscle loss, try using the various equipment at the fitness center.
It’s also nice to end the day with a relaxing spa experience. The hotel’s Quan Spa offers treatments combining organic and marine-based products. You can select the massage intensity between strong, medium, and weak. You can enjoy healing while leaving your body in the scent of aroma in a private massage room.
In addition, the hotel is also equipped with indoor and outdoor meeting and conference facilities of 12,400 m2 for business visitors.
Gourmet trip from the hotel… Slice a steak and drink whiskey
A hearty meal is the shortcut to a happy trip. The hotel’s ‘Marriott Cafe’ is an all-day dining restaurant and features a bright and lively interior. Breakfast is served daily from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., lunch from 12 to 3 p.m., and dinner from 6 to 9 p.m.
At breakfast time, as is typical in the Philippines, various types of fruits such as watermelon, pineapple, and dragon fruit are displayed. If you ask the staff directly, they will slice the mango and bring it to you. In addition, bread such as donuts and muffins, various cheeses, and bacon are also available.
You can enjoy high-quality grilled steak at ‘Cru Steakhouse’, located next to the Marriott Cafe. If you order the four-course menu, you will be served buttered aperitif bread and the signature slightly spicy crab cake to whet your appetite.
Caramel onion soup and ribeye steak are served afterwards. When served with potato casserole and creamed spinach, the meat melts in your mouth. The dessert of the day was a sweet cheesecake with a creme brûlée feel.
Marriott Hotel’s signature Chinese restaurant, Man Ho, serves Cantonese cuisine and dim sum using fresh ingredients. You can enjoy a variety of flavors of dim sum, including dim sum with truffles, scallops, and goose liver.
If you have stomach discomfort, we recommend puree made from cresson, also known as ‘watercress.’ The menu includes a variety of menu items, including grilled fish served with Hong Kong Choy Sum, Sichuan-style spicy beef dish, and seafood fried rice.
If you are interested in Korean food during a long overseas trip, go to the Sheraton Manila Hotel connected to Newport World Resort and find the Korean restaurant ‘Oori’. A Korean chef serves a modern interpretation of traditional Korean dishes such as bibimbap and bulgogi.
How about blowing away the stress accumulated in Korea or the fatigue from traveling with a glass of whiskey? The ‘Whisky Library’ at Newport World Resort has whiskey placed in an overwhelmingly sized closet, just like books are placed on bookshelves in a library.
An employee climbs the ladder and brings out the whiskey himself. With more than 200 brands of whiskey, it boasts the largest whiskey collection in Manila.
It offers cocktails inspired by famous Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Johnny Depp.
The cocktail ‘Heroes are built’, inspired by Robert Downey Jr., who played the role of Marvel movie ‘Iron Man’, is a mix of Shackleton whiskey, Dewar’s 12 year old whiskey, ginger, lemongrass, honey, and lemon. , which comes in a box emitting smoke and attracts attention. A variety of cigars that go well with whiskey are also available.
A day in Makati, Gangnam of the Philippines… Taste local food and shop
If you want to enjoy Manila close to your hotel, you can find the Makati area, the economic center.
If you drive about 20 minutes from the Marriott Hotel, you can see Makati, which is lined with tall buildings such as the Philippine National Bank and BDO Bank. Makati is also known as the ‘Gangnam of the Philippines’ because it is a symbol of business and high-class living.
The trees and buildings of Ayala Triangle Gardens blend well together. It captures the tranquility of Manila, including a cat lying down enjoying the sunlight amidst joggers.
Near the garden is ‘Manam’ where you can taste local Filipino food.
Sisig is a food made by cooking pig’s head, pork belly, or chicken liver with calamansi, onions, and peppers, and is one of the national foods of the Philippines. ‘House Crispy Sisig’ sold at Manam has a crispy texture that is perfect for Korean tastes. Because it is salty, it goes well with rice types such as ‘Tinapa Rice’. Tinapa is a Filipino word meaning fish that has gone through a process such as smoking.
Sinigang is a representative Filipino soup dish. Tamarind is added to give it a sour taste. It tastes similar to tomato stew or tom yum goong.
You can also taste sea bass dishes. In the Tagalog language used in the Philippines, sea bass is called ‘Bangus’. If you choose ‘Overloaded Garlic Bangus Belly’, you will get a garlic-flavored sea bass belly dish.
The drinks are also unique. A purple drink with ube and a yellow drink with mango and pomelo stand out. Ube is a type of ‘purple yam’, also known as purple sweet potato, and has a richer and sweeter taste than sweet potato. Pomelo is a tropical fruit related to citrus fruits. Both of these drinks contain sago (starch from palm trees) grains and can be enjoyed like bubble tea.
For dessert, we recommend the rice cake-like ‘Puto Bumbong’. It is made by soaking black glutinous rice powder and steaming it in a bamboo tube. It is one of the most popular snacks eaten during the Christmas season in the Philippines.
In Makati, there is a place where you can learn about the history and culture of the Philippines at a glance. Ayala Museum is a 6-minute walk from Manam. The structure is designed to be viewed by moving from the 4th floor to the lower floor.
When you go up to the 4th floor, you can first see a video showing how the gold exhibits excavated in the Mindanao region were made. Afterwards, when you encounter gold artifacts at the gold exhibition hall, you will be impressed by their sophistication and splendor.
If you come down to the second floor, you can see Philippine history in miniature. It consists of a total of 60 dioramas, ranging from life in the Cagayan Valley region on Luzon Island in northern Philippines to the United States’ recognition of Philippine independence.
The period of Spanish rule, the story of Philippine independence hero Jose Rizal, and the armed struggle of independence activist Andres Bonifacio, who awakened after reading Rizal’s novel, are expressed in detailed miniatures.
How about ending your stay in Makati with some shopping at Greenbelt? Greenbelt is a large-scale complex shopping mall with brand shops and restaurants centered around a 30,000㎡ tropical garden. Since Greenbelt 1 first appeared in the 1980s, Greenbelt 5 was last introduced in 2007.
Greenbelt 4, which is very close to the Ayala Museum, is a luxury museum, and Greenbelt 5 is home to luxury brand shops and restaurants. Greenbelt 1 is home to hardware and electronics, movie theaters, supermarkets, etc., Greenbelt 2 is home to restaurants, and Greenbelt 3 is home to popular brand shops and coffee shops. At the underground mart, you can also purchase popular Filipino snacks ‘LOOPS’ and ‘TANG’, a powdered juice mixed with water.
Manila = Hyewon Lee, Donga.com reporter [email protected]
2024-05-12 03:48:58