My Weekend in Photos: Kandaya Resort, Cebu

Cebu Favorites: Casa Verde

My friends and I traveled to Cebu last July for a much deserved vacation at Kandaya Resort.

Since the resort is located in Daanbantayan, a 4-hour drive from Mactan-Cebu International Airport, we decided to spend the night in Cebu City while we wait for our other friends to arrive from Manila. Mandarin Plaza Hotel was fully booked so we had to wait until 3PM, the standard check-in time, before we can get our room keys as they have to clean up the rooms. After dropping our bags at the hotel concierge, we made our way to Ayala Center to have lunch at one of Cebu's favorite restaurants - Casa Verde, known for its delicious and humongous pork ribs.

What I ordered

Pineapple Shake - Php98.00

I've rediscovered by love for pineapple so I make sure to order the shake version whenever we dine out. I love that its already sweet when I requested to put as little sweetener as possible.

Brian's Ribs (Single) - Php245.00

Our friend from Cebu swears by Casa Verde's Ribs but he failed to mention how big it was that we went ahead and ordered one each! We didn't expect that for Php245.00, the single order can be enough for sharing even for big eaters. The ribs was tender but almost 1/4 of the slab was fatty, definitely not a healthy option. You can also choose to have it with rice or mashed potato.

Death by Chocolate - Php168.00

I was already 80% full but I couldn't resist taking a bite of  Casa Verde's bestselling dessert, Death by Chocolate, which was basically chocolate ice cream served ala cake style.

Food was delicious and the prices were reasonable but the service was very slow. We had to follow up our orders more than twice and with different servers, same goes with asking for a glass of water, requesting for an extra plate or getting the bill. A visit to Casa Verde is a must when in Cebu but try to avoid dining during peak hours so you'll get the staff's full attention at all times.

~o~o~o~

Casa Verde

Stall 304, 3rd Level, The Terraces
Ayala Center Cebu
Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines

Tel.: (6332) 233-8885

Meranti: The Hotel That Chicken Built

In lieu of out of town trips, CS and I spend most of our weekends in hotels and resorts within the city. While we still prefer to travel far, work schedule and budget constraints can only get us so far that we would rather stay in Metro Manila and go to restaurants and food parks we've been longing to try. Form the same group that introduced the sarap to the bones chicken we all grew up to love, Meranti was our hotel of choice among the many accommodations in the hustling Quezon City area.

Basement parking is limited so be sure to come early. There are a few slots by the entrance but it was always full during our stay. From the basement, we took the elevator going to the ground floor where the lobby is located with our overnight bags in tow. After giving my photo ID, I was asked by the staff to take a seat while they verify our booking.

Max's Group of Companies' first venture in the hospitality industry, Meranti Hotel believes that guests should enjoy life's offerings even away from home. Not only does the hotel offer impressive facilities, the staff are genuinely nice and are always available to assist your every need whether it be about bringing your bag to your room, randomly asking you if you require any assistance to make your stay even more comfortable if you see them around or merely getting the elevator for you when they see you approaching the lift. It's really the little thoughtful things that left a mark on us even after months have passed since we've been to Meranti.

A tall glass of sago't gulaman served as refreshments while we wait for our key card.

Meranti Hotel's rooms are spacious so we don't really mind booking the standard room.

 

Our 30-sqm standard room features 2 double beds merged into one as we requested prior to our arrival. It was comfortable and the pillows smelled heavenly! CS liked the big pillows which were conducive for TV series and movie marathons, our favorite staycation activity.

A smart LED television with cable channels can also be linked to your social media accounts for better viewing. For guests staying in Meranti, hotel information, guest services and nearby attractions can also be browsed in the TV so you can plan your day accordingly.

There's also complimentary bottled waters, instant coffee and tea available in each room.

A glass-walled toilet and bath completes our room for the weekend in Meranti Hotel. Just like in B Hotel Quezon City, the sink was placed outside the bathroom stocked with personalized toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, toothbrush and grooming kits.

We went out for dinner at Eat Fresh Hongkong Famous Street Food and came back to these mouthwatering graham balls and a handwritten note from the staff of Meranti.

CS and I got up early the following day for breakfast which was served at the lobby. While the hotel offers room service for breakfast, we thought that since Meranti is owned and operated by the same group as Max's Restaurant, breakfast will be remarkable and worth the early wake up call.

Unfortunately, the buffet spread was disappointing with very limited choices. The long counter had coffee, powdered juices, fresh watermelon and pineapple, salad, breads, cheese and soup. The only thing we enjoyed was the toasted bread with peanut butter, all others can be skipped.

Our hopes for a delicious breakfast was revived when the staff handed us the breakfast menu where we can choose one as our main course. CS had Tocilog with just a few pieces of tocino and scrambled eggs while I had the saddest bacon and poached egg plate I have ever seen.

Never ever order Meranti's bacon and eggs breakfast plate if you want to have a good morning.

Just when we thought the day couldn't get any worse, the shower drain got clogged which flooded the bathroom that eventually reached the bedroom. We were already checking out that day so there's no way the hotel will transfer us to another room but I called them up to inform the maintenance of the problem just the same. Hope they fix the drain after we checked out for the sake of the next guests staying in the same room.

We realized that we haven't seen Meranti's dipping pool so instead of taking the elevator to the lobby for check out, we went straight to the topmost floor to take a peak of their chlorine-free pool. It was a sizeable pool but not suitable for kids to swim into.

Pros: Excellent service and commendable staff, convenient location, spacious and clean rooms, cozy ambiance, complimentary WiFi, free basement parking and competitive rates

Cons: Lame breakfast, limited menu choices and clogged shower drain in our room

~o~o~o~

Meranti Hotel

82 Scout Castor, Brgy. Laging Handa

Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Tel.: (632) 376-6340 to 42

Website: www.merantihotel.com